English Grammar Capitalization and Punctuations, Exercises of English

Download English Grammar Capitalization and Punctuations and more Exercises English in PDF only on Docsity! SSC Programme Unit 12 Page # 125 Unit 12 Punctuation, Capitalization Objectives After the completion of this unit, you would be able to- • know punctuation. • know different types of punctuation marks. • learn the rules for using punctuation marks. • use punctuation marks. • learn the rules for using capitalization. • use capitalization. Overview: Lesson 1: Punctuation Lesson 2: The Rules of Punctuation Lesson 3: Capitalization Answer Key English Two Unit 12 Page # 126 Lesson 1: Punctuation Punctuation means the right use of putting in points or stops in writing. We cannot do without punctuation marks in writing. They show you when to slow down or stop, and they tell you when you need to change directions or where you are going. When you use punctuation marks correctly, your readers will have no trouble finding their way through what you have written. Observe the following two excerpts, one punctuated properly and the other is not: a. you silly idiot get off my head will you if you dont ill bash you when I get up from here you see if i dont. b. You silly idiot! Get off my head, will you? If you don’t, I’ll bash you – when I get up from here. You see if I don’t!. Obviously, the second, punctuated version is easier to read, for it suggests where the speaker would pause or emphasize his words to get the necessary impact. Sometimes punctuation is vital in showing the meaning intended by a writer. For example: Woman without her man is a savage. Woman! Without her, man is savage. In this pair of sentences, one can see how the punctuation affects the whole meaning. The purpose of punctuation is to make the act of reading your sentences easier, to make the movement of the eye across the page smooth. The purpose of punctuation is not to draw attention to itself – you want the reader to pay attention to what you have written, not to the placement of commas. Exercise: Choose the correct options: 1. Which one is correctly punctuated? a. Spain is a beautiful country; the beaches are warm, sandy and spotlessly clean. b. Spain is a beautiful country, the beaches are warm, sandy and spotlessly clean. 2. Which sentence is properly punctuated? a. She always enjoyed sweets, chocolate, marshmallows and toffee apples. b. She always enjoyed: sweets, chocolate, marshmallows and toffee apples. 3. Which one is properly punctuated? a. Sarah's uncle's car was found without its wheels in that old derelict warehouse. b. Sarah's uncle's car was found without its wheels in that old, derelict warehouse. 4. Which of the following is correctly punctuated? a. We decided to visit Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy's mountains. b. We decided to visit: Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy's mountains. SSC Programme Unit 12 Page # 129 5. In pairs, to enclose words used ‘in apposition’ – words which follow a noun to tell you more about it: This vase, a fine specimen of its kind, is now my property. John Maxwell, Chairman of our company, has just arrived. The dodo, a curious bird, is now extinct. 6. In pairs, to enclose words or phrases like: ‘however’, ‘well’ ‘by the way’, ‘to speak plainly’: He admitted, however, that he was wrong. (However, he admitted that he was wrong.) You told me, by the way, that you still had it. 7. To separate or enclose names of people being spoken to: Please, Brother, will you help me? Try to do it now, Rakib. Thank you, Sir, for your advice. David, will you please listen to me. 8. To separate words spoken as direct speech from the rest of a sentence: My brother said, “That is just as it should be.” “That is just as it should be,” said my brother. 9. In letters, after Dear Sir, Dear Mr. Jonh, etc., and after Yours faithfully, Yours sincerely, etc. 10. In all other cases, to separate parts of a sentence wherever a slight pause seems desirable. Observe the following examples: If it is fine tomorrow, I should like to go cycling. Although we tried hard to win the game, we lost five runs. My friend Hasan, whom you met last week at my party, has married today. When I saw how ill he looked, I decided not to tell him of our plans, but he asked me about them, saying how interested he was, and so I had no alternative. In such cases as these, the modern way is to use as few commas as are needed to show the meaning clearly. Do not scatter your commas everywhere. The Inverted Comma or Quotation Mark (“”) These enclose all quotations or quoted speech-words written down exactly as spoken: My sister said, “I cannot see how you can eat so much.” The poem begins: “I wandered lonely as a cloud…” Some modern usages prefer to use single quotation marks: ‘____’, but you are advised to use double quotation marks: “____”. The Semicolon (;) Rules of Semicolons: 1. This is useful in longer sentences if you want to present several ideas which, though separate, might properly belong in one sentence: You could wait for him here; on the other hand I could wait in your place; this would save your valuable time. English Two Unit 12 Page # 130 I have not read any of his novels; I know his plays, though. 2. Use a semicolon to join two sentences when the second sentence begins with a transitional word or phrase (also known as a conjunctive adverb). Our appetite for new cars, the latest style of jeans, and a new brand of hairspray keeps growing; therefore, our economy keeps growing. 3. Use a semicolon to link two independent clauses: To give a good party, you must consider the lighting; no one feels comfortable under the bright glare of fluorescent. The Colon (:) A colon simply means as follows. It will help you to think of the colon as having the meaning of ‘namely’ or ‘to state in detail’. Rules for Colon: 1. Use a colon when making a list: There are four ingredients necessary to make a good party: music, lighting, food, and personality. For camping you need; a tent, groundsheet, sleeping bag, and cooking equipment. 2. It introduces a quotation or a statement given as an example or enlargement of what has just been mentioned: The poem begins: “Earth has not anything to show more fair.” His house became what one might expect after years of neglect: a battered, decrepit wreck. The Note of Interrogation/Question Mark (?) Any word, group of words, or sentence forming a question must be followed by this mark. Rules for question mark: 1. Use a question mark at the end of a question sentence. Can you tell me your name? Wherefore art thou, Romeo? 2. If the question is a quotation, put quotation marks after the question mark. He asked, “May I go now?” “How do I look?” she asked. 3. If the question is not part of the quotation, put the question mark after the quotation marks. Do you believe in “death for death”? What do you think of “No new taxes”? Note: The Question Mark is not used after an indirect question. For example – He asked me whether I had written my assignment. SSC Programme Unit 12 Page # 131 The Note of Exclamation/Exclamation Mark (!) Exclamation Marks are used for emphasis! Excitement! Surprise! For example – Stop! Get lost! Wow, what a fine picture! Dash ( _____ ) Dashes are a kind of optional punctuation – some people use them, others don’t. Often you can use a comma or parenthesis instead of dashes. Dash is used – 1. To indicate an abrupt stop or change of thought; as – If my father were alive – but why lament the past. 2. To resume a scattered subject or to show flattering speech; as – Friends, companions, relatives – all deserted him. “Yes – well – I would – only you see – it’s not easy.” The Hyphen (-) A hyphen separates compound words. In etymological evolution, two words may be separate, then joined by a hyphen, then joined altogether. For instance, week and end to week-end, and then finally to weekend. A hyphen is shorter than a dash. Rules for Hyphen: 1. If the pair of words forms an adjective that comes before the noun, use a hyphen. Well-known bird First-class work 2. If the adjective pair comes after the noun, you don’t need to use a hyphen. His crimes are well known. His work is always first class. 3. Use a hyphen for fractions acting as adjectives; He drank one and two-thirds cans of Coca-Cola. But not fractions acting as noun: Two thirds of the people have gone home. 4. Use a hyphen to differentiate certain words: He recollected his memories of 1971. He re-collected the money. She recovered from the flu. She re-covered the sofa. The Apostrophe ( ’) The apostrophe is used to show ownership. Rana’s father has come. Mother’s office … English Two Unit 12 Page # 134 Exercises Exercise A: Use appropriate punctuation and capitalization marks in the following passage: i came here yesterday from my village he said why did you come i asked my mother sent me to you with this letter he replied how is your mother i have not seen her for a long time I said. Exercise B: Use appropriate punctuation and capitalization marks in the following passage: why do you not go asked the eldest of the girls and the mistress of the house Do you find your payment too little Then turning to her sisters she said Give him another dinner By Allah sweet ladies replied the porter You have paid me well enough my ordinary pay is but a few coppers It is about you that my heart is troubled How is it that you lived alone in this house with no man to attend you Exercise C: Rewrite the following sentences using appropriate punctuation and capitalization. 1. yes sir i will do it as soon as i can. 2. the girl who is standing there is his sister 3. they offer us a variety of food 4. how is your mother now 5. you may of course speak to us anytime you wish 6. would you like to go along with me hassan asked 7. you said you could play didn’t you 8. she has made an outstanding result said his teacher 9. i come here regularly 10. you should work hard otherwise you will not succeed in life Exercise D: Rewrite the following sentences with appropriate punctuation and capitalization: 1. The following are the primary colors red, blue, and yellow. 2. When the teacher commented that her spelling was poor, Mamun replied All the members of my family are poor spellers. Why not me? 3. Though Palash said he would arrive on the 9:20 flight, he came instead on the 10:30 flight. 4. Several countries participated in the airlift Italy, Belgium, France, and Luxembourg. 5. What are you doing next weekend 6. Ruth was invited to the party but she was ill so Jane went instead of her 7. Is it any use expecting them to be on time 8. A textbook can be a wall between teacher and class 9. Mother had to go into hospital she had heart problems 10. We will be arriving on Monday morning at least I think so SSC Programme Unit 12 Page # 135 Answer Keys: Exercise A: “I came here yesterday from my village,” he said. “Why did you come?” I asked. “My mother sent me to you with this letter,” he replied. “How is your mother? I have not seen her for a long time,” I said. Exercise B: “Why do you not go?” asked the eldest of the girls and the mistress of the house, “Do you find your payment too little?” Then, turning to her sisters, she said, “Give him another dinner.” “By Allah, sweet ladies,” replied the porter , “You have paid me well enough; my ordinary pay is but a few coppers. It is about you that my heart is troubled. How is it that you lived alone in this house with no man to attend you?” Exercise C: 1. Yes sir I will do it as soon as I can. 2. The girl who is standing there is his sister. 3. They offer us a variety of food. 4. How is your mother now? 5. You may, of course, speak to us anytime you wish. 6. Would you like to go along with me Hassan asked. 7. You said you could play, didn’t you? 8. “She has made an outstanding result”, said his teacher. 9. I come here regularly. 10. You should work hard otherwise you will not succeed in life. Exercise D: 1. The following are the primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. 2. When the teacher commented that her spelling was poor, Lynn replied, “All the members of my family are poor spellers. Why not me?” 3. Though Phil said he would arrive on the 9:19 flight, he came instead on the 10:36 flight. 4. Several countries participated in the airlift: Italy, Belgium, France, and Luxembourg. 5. What are you doing next weekend? 6. Ruth was invited to the party, but she was ill, so Jane went instead of her. 7. Is it any use expecting them to be on time? 8. A textbook can be a ‘wall’ between teacher and class. 9. Mother had to go into hospital: she had heart problems. 10. We will be arriving on Monday morning – at least, I think so.