Period ( . )

Punctuation is a mark that makes a meaning of a sentence clear. The most common punctuation mark is the period. A period is used to indicate the end of a sentence. It is used to make a statement.

Period at the End of a Sentence

A period is used at the end of a sentence. It is used to make a statement.

• My name is Bill.
• I am 24 years old.
• I live in Seattle.
• I am a teacher.

Period after a Single Word

Sometimes a single word can be a complete sentence.

• Hello.
• Good-bye.
• Stop.
• Go.

Period in Abbreviated Words

A period is used in abbreviated words or shortened words. Many words can be abbreviated. These are a few common examples.

Mister Misses Doctor Sergeant	Mr. Mrs. Dr. Sgt.
Street Road Avenue Boulevard	St. Rd. Ave. Blvd.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday	Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun.
January February March April May June July August September October November December	Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Period in Numbers

Periods used in numbers are called decimal points. Decimal points separate a whole number and a fraction of a whole number. It is used when referring to temperature and money.

The book is $10.99. ($10.99 = ten dollars and ninety-nine cents)
Normal body temperature is 98.6 Fahrenheit. (98.6 = ninety-eight point six)

Capitalization Rules

Capitalization means using a capital letter (for example, A instead of a).

Capitalization Rules

Always capitalize the following:

The first word in a sentence and the first word after a period

• It is the first day of school.
• He is my husband. His name is Phil. He is an engineer.

The first word in a quotation

• She said, "They don't know what to do."
• He asked, "When are we leaving?"

The pronoun I

• This is where I was born.
• Can I have a slice of cake?

The first letter of a proper noun (specific name)

• My name is John Smith.
• I was born in Brazil.
• I went to Harvard University.
• I drink Starbucks coffee.

The first letter of months, days, and holidays (but not seasons)

• Today is December 5, 2014.
• My dentist appointment is on Monday.
• My favorite holiday is Christmas.
• My favorite season is winter.

The first letter of nationalities, religions, races of people, and languages

• I love to eat Chinese food.
• I speak Spanish and German.
• I believe in Christianity.
• There are many Russian students at my school.

The first letter in a person's title

• My doctor is Dr. Lopez.
• Have you met Mrs. Lee?

Geographic areas: cities, states, countries, mountains, oceans, rivers, etc.

• My favorite city is Boston.
• I live in New York.
• I was born in London, England.
• We live near the Mississippi River.

The first letter of each major word in the title of a book, movie, article, etc.

• Have you seen the movie Harry Potter?
• Tolstoy's War and Peace is my favorite novel.

General Rule: Do not capitalize the word "the" before proper nouns unless "the" is part of an official title

• We visited the Grand Canyon.
• We have to fly over the Pacific Ocean.
• The report came from The Associated Press.
• My favorite book is The Great Gatsby,.

Coordinating Conjunctions

A conjunction joins words or groups of words in a sentence.

Coordinating Conjunctions

Connects words, phrases, or clauses that are independent or equal using and/or/but. Use "and" when you mean to say "in addition to". Use "or" to indicate a choice between two things. Use "but" to connect two different things that are not in agreement.

• I bought apples and oranges at the store.
• We are going to the zoo and the aquarium today.
• I am not ready and I need more time.
• Would you like coffee or tea?
• Do you want a red one or a blue one?
• Do you want to stay at the party or go home?
• I am a night owl, but she is an early bird.
• I want to see a movie, but I'm very tired.
• I was angry, but I did not show it.

Coma (,)

Punctuation is a mark that makes a meaning of a sentence clear. One of the most common punctuation marks is the comma. A comma (,) is used within a sentence. It is used to separate parts of a sentence. It is also used when listing words.

Comma Used to Separate Clauses

A comma is used to separate clauses. Commas are often used in sentences that have coordinating conjunctions.

• My friend is moving, so I'm going to help him pack.
• I want to see a movie, but I'm very tired.
• Unless you have a valid driver's license, you cannot rent a car.
• After I leave the house, my dog jumps on the bed.

Comma Used to List Series of Words

A comma is used when listing a series of words adjectives, nouns, and verbs.

• He is young, smart, and handsome.
• I need to buy bread, potatoes, cheese, and carrots at the store.
• The ballerina leaped, twirled, and landed on the ground perfectly.

Comma Used to Separate Clauses

Commas are used to separate nonrestrictive appositive nouns. A nonrestrictive appositive noun is separated by a comma or placed in between two commas.

• My mom, Linda, is a chef.
• I am meeting with the school principal, Mr. James.
• Buddy, the Scottish terrier, is scared of cats.

Definitive article

The words "a", "an", and "the" are special adjectives called articles. Articles define nouns as either specific or unspecific. "The" is a definite article. Definite articles are used to refer to a specific noun or a noun that has been previously specified. They can be used before singular, plural, countable, and uncountable nouns. "The" is used before words that start with consonants or vowels. It does not matter what letter the word starts with.

Definite Articles - singular and plural nouns

Singular Nouns	Plural Nouns
Please close the door. I am going to the storetoday. The birdlanded on the roof. Dinner is on the table.	The apples are sweet. The customers are getting impatient. Who ate all of the donuts? The flowersare beautiful.

Definite Articles - countable and uncountable nouns

Countable Nouns	Uncountable Nouns
Who moved the chairs? The computer is broken. The bottle is empty. The balloonis deflating.	The wateris cold. The meat is tough. Smoke filled the air. The woodis burning.