Colon, apostrophe and quotations Presentation

Colon, apostrophe, and quotations

LCL266 Comprension escrita en Inglés - 2024

The colon

A colon anticipates a list, an appositive, or a quotation after an independent clause

• Independent clause: list.
• Independent clause: appositive.
• Independent clause: “Quoted words”.
• Independent clause: Independent clause that explains or summarizes the prior independent clause.

The cook bought: eggs, milk, cheese, and bread. The cook bought isn’t an independent clause. The cook bought eggs, milk, cheese, and bread.

Introducing Listed Items

When a complete sentence introduces a list, a colon is required.

If you really want to lose weight, you must do three things: eat smaller portions, exercise, and drink lots of water.

Use a colon if the lead-in words at the end of an independent clause are the following or as follows.

The students demanded the following: an expanded menu in the cafeteria, improved janitorial services, and more up-to-date textbooks.

When the lead-in words at the end of an independent clause are such as, including, like, or consists of, never use a colon.

The students demanded improvements such as an expanded menu in the cafeteria, improved janitorial services, and more up-to-date textbooks.

Introducing Appositives

An appositive is a word or words that rename a noun or pronoun.

Only cats are likely to approve of one old-fashioned remedy for cuts: a lotion of catnip, butter, and sugar.

When an appositive is introduced by an independent clause, use a colon.

Introducing Quotations

When an independent clause introduces a quotation, use a colon after it.

The little boy in E.T. did say something neat: “How do you explain school to a higher intelligence?”

Standard formats

Title and Subtitle A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes

Hours, Minutes, and SecondsThe plane took off at 7:15 p.m. The runner passed the halfway point at 1:23:02.

References to Bible Chapters and VersesPsalms 23:1–3 Luke 3:13

Memos Date: January 9, 2015 To: Dean Kristen Olivero From: Professor Daniel Black Re: Student Work-Study Program

Salutation in a Business Letter Dear Dr. Jewell:

The apostrophe

• It creates the possessive case of nouns.
• Forms the possessive case of indefinite pronouns.
• Stands for one or more omitted letters.
• Helps form plurals of letters and numerals.

• It doesn’t form the plurals of nouns.
• It doesn’t form the plural of personal pronouns in the possessive case.

apostrophe and possessive nouns

An apostrophe works with a noun to form the possessive case, which shows ownership or a close relationship

The writer’s pen ran out of ink.

OWNERSHIP CLOSE RELATIONSHIP

The novel’s plot is complicated.

Possession in nouns can be communicated in two ways:By a phrase starting with of: -Comments of the instructor -Comments of Professor Furman By an apostrophe and the letter s: -The instructor’s comments -Professor Furman’s comments.

apostrophe and possessive nouns

Add ’s to nouns not ending in -s:

She felt a parent’s joy. We care about our children’s education.

Add ’s to singular nouns ending in -s:

The bus’s (or bus’) air conditioning is out of order.Chris’s (or Chris’) ordeal ended.

Add only an apostrophe to a plural noun ending in -s:

The two boys’ statements helped solve the crime. The workers’ contract permits three months’ maternity leave.

Add ’s to the last word in compound words and phrases:

His mother-in-law’s corporation has bought out a competitor.The attorney general’s investigation led to several arrests.

apostrophe and possessive nouns

Add ’s to each noun in individual possession:

Shirley’s and Kayla’s houses are next to each other

Add ’s to only the last noun in joint or group possession:

- Kareem and Brina’s house has a screened porch [Kareem and Brina own one house]- Pat and Justin’s houses always have nice lawns [Pat and Justin jointly own more than one house]

apostrophe and possessive pronouns

When a possessive pronoun ends with -s (hers, his, its, ours, yours, and theirs), never add an apostrophe.

apostrophe and contractions

In a contraction, an apostrophe takes the place of one or more omitted letters. Be careful not to confuse a contraction with a possessive pronoun

The government has to balance it’s budget.The government has to balance its budget.

The professor who’s class was canceled is ill. The professor whose class was canceled is ill.

apostrophe and possessive indefinite pronouns

Possession in indefinite pronouns can be communicated in two ways: - by a phrase starting with of (comments of everyone)- by an apostrophe and the letter s (everyone’s comments).

How do I form the plural of miscellaneous elements?

Current MLA guidelines endorse the use of s only, with the exception of adding ’s to letters meant as letters. MLA recommends using italics for letters meant as letters and words meant as words

dos and don'ts

• Never use an apostrophe with a present-tense verb. Exercise plays [not play’s] an important role in how long we live. • Always use an apostrophe after the -s in a possessive plural of a noun. Patients’ [not Patients] questions seek detailed answers. • Never add an apostrophe at the end of a nonpossessive noun ending in -s. Medical studies [not studies’ or study’s] show this to be true. • Never use an apostrophe to form a nonpossessive plural. Teams [not Team’s] of doctors have studied the effects of cholesterol.

Quotations Marks

Quotation marks are most often used to enclose direct quotations—a speaker or writer’s exact words.

• Double quotation marks open and close the entire quotation.
• Single quotation marks signal quotations within quotations

Ray said, “I heard a man shout ‘Help me,’ but I couldn’t respond.”

Quotation marks operate only in pairs: to open and to close.

Quotations Marks with short direct quotations

Use double quotation marks to start and finish a short quotation, which, in MLA style, means a quotation of fewer than four typed lines

Remarked director Fritz Lang of his masterpiece Siegfried, “Nothing in this film is accidental”. A recent survey of leading employers found that almost all professional employees “are expected to write competently on the job”.

Quotations Marks with long quotations?

A quotation is long if it occupies four or more typed lines. Instead of using quotation marks with a long quotation, indent all its lines as a block.

Quotation marks for quotations within quotations

With short quotations, the double quotation marks show the beginning and end of words taken from the source

E.g.:

Original Source

Most scientists concede that they don’t really know what “intelligence” is. Whatever it might be, paper and pencil tests aren’t the tenth of it. —Brent Staples, “The IQ Cult,” p. 293

Student’s Use of the Source

Brent Staples argues in his essay about IQ as an object of reverence: “Most scientists concede that they don’t really know what ‘intelligence’ is. Whatever it might be, paper and pencil tests aren’t the tenth of it” (293).

Quotation marks for quotations within quotations

Long Quotations: Use Quotation Marks as in Source

Since long quotations are set off (displayed) without being enclosed in quotation marks, show any double and single quotation marks exactly as the source does.

Quotation marks for quotations of poetry

• Poetry (MLA Style)

A short poetry quotation includes three lines or fewer of a poem. To show a break between lines of poetry, use a slash ( ⁄ ) with one spaceon each side.

As Auden wittily defined personal space, “some thirty inches from my nose / The frontier of my person goes” (Complete 205).

Quotation marks for quotations of dialogue

• Dialogue (MLA and APA Styles)

Dialogue, also called direct discourse, presents a speaker’s exact words. Enclose dialogue in quotation marks. In contrast, indirect discourse reports what a speaker said and requires no quotation marks.

The mayor said, “I intend to veto that bill"

DIRECT DISCOURSE

The mayor said that he intended to veto that bill.

INDIRECT DISCOURSE

Quotation marks with titles of short works

Titles of certain short works (stories, essays, poems, articles from periodicals, pamphlets, brochures, songs, etc) are enclosed in quotation marks.

• What is the rhyme scheme of Poe’s poem “The Raven”?
• Have you read “The Lottery”? [short story]
• The best source I found is “The Myth of Political Consultants.” [magazine article]
• Rand’s essay “Apollo II” offers an eyewitness account of the launch.

Other works, usually longer, need italics.

Using quotations to signal translations. The French phrase Ideé fixe means literally “fixed idea.”

Quotation marks for words used as words

• Choose consistently either quotation marks or italics to refer to a word as a word.

NO Many people confuse affect and effect. YES Many people confuse “affect” and “effect.” YES Many people confuse affect and effect.

• Always put quotation marks around the English translation of a word or phrase. Also, use italics for the word or phrase in the other language.

My grandfather usually ended arguments with de gustibus non disputandum est (“there is no disputing about tastes”).

• Many writers use quotation marks around words or phrases meant ironically or in other nonliteral ways.

The proposed tax “reform” is actually a tax increase.

Quotation marks for words used as words

• You can place quotation marks around technical terms—but only the first time they appear.

“Plagiarism”—the undocumented use of another person’s words or ideas—can result in expulsion. Plagiarism is a serious offense.

• If you use a slang term in academic writing, use quotation marks. However, when possible, revise your slang with language appropriate to -academic writing.

They “eat like birds” in public, but they “stuff their faces” in private.

Quotation marks with other punctuation

• Commas and Periods with Quotation Marks

An appropriate comma or period is always placed inside the closing quotation mark.

Jessica enjoyed F. Scott Fitzgerald’s story “The Freshest Boy,” so she was eager to read his novels.

Quotation marks with other punctuation

• Semicolons and Colons with Quotation Marks

A semicolon or colon is placed outside the closing quotation mark, unless it is part of the quotation.

Computers offer businesses “opportunities that never existed before”; some workers disagree. We have to know each culture’s standard for “how close is close”: No one wants to offend.

Quotation marks with other punctuation

• Question Marks, Exclamation Points, and Dashes with Quotation Marks

If the punctuation marks belong to the words enclosed in quotation marks, put them inside the quotation marks.

“Did I Hear You Call My Name?” was the winning song. “I’ve won the lottery!” Arielle shouted. “Who’s there? Why don’t you ans—”

If a question mark, an exclamation point, or a dash doesn’t belong to the material being quoted, put the punctuation outside the quotation marks.

Have you read Nikki Giovanni’s poem “Knoxville, Tennessee”?

Question time

Bibliography:Troyka, L. Q., & Hesse, D. (2016). Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers Plus Mywritinglab with Pearson Etext -- Access Card Package (11.a ed.). Pearson Education Canada.