Punctuation Marks PDF

# ¿Para qué sirven? ## Punctuation Marks: - **¡Stop!** : Soy un punto. - **Respira!**: Soy una coma. - **...**: Un momento... somos los puntos suspensivos. - **¡Respira y espera!**: Soy un punto y coma. - **¿?**: ¿Sabes quiénes somos? Somos los signos de interrogación. - **¡!**: ¡Atención! Somos...

# ¿Para qué sirven? ## Punctuation Marks: - **¡Stop!** : Soy un punto. - **Respira!**: Soy una coma. - **...**: Un momento... somos los puntos suspensivos. - **¡Respira y espera!**: Soy un punto y coma. - **¿?**: ¿Sabes quiénes somos? Somos los signos de interrogación. - **¡!**: ¡Atención! Somos los signos de ¡! - **: ** : Bien, ahora te explico: somos dos puntos. - ¿Me usas, por favor? ## The Royal Spanish Academy: - According to the RAE: Hay necessity of signs of punctuation in writing, because withouth them, the meaning could be questionable and obscure. - **Punctuation marks ** are auxiliary signs that are used to indicate intonation and pauses in any written text. They help to make a text coherent, make it easier to understand and they also give the appropriate intonation when we read. ### Punctuation Marks: - **.** : el punto. - **,** : la coma. - **;**: punto y coma. - **:** : los dos puntos. - **...**: los puntos suspensivos. - **¿?**: signos of interrogation. - **¡!**: signs of admiration. - **()**: el paréntesis. - **""**: las comillas. - **-**: la raya. - **-**: el guión. ## Punctuation Marks Table: | Sign | Description | |---|---| | , | Separa elements that are analogous or incidental in a series, whether it be words, phrases, or sentences. | | ; | Separates related, long sentences, where there are more than one comas. | | . | Separates sentences within the same paragraph. Signals the end of a paragraph. | | : | Marks an enumeration included in the previous sentence. Shows a phrase or a quotation said by another person. | | ... | Leaves a sentence hanging, without finishing and expresses nuances of fear, doubt, irony. | | ¿? | Marks interrogative sentences, questions. ¡! marks exclamatory, exhortative and imperative sentences. | | - () | The parenthesis enclose explanatory phrases for the previous text. The guion marks a dialogue, interventions of character. | | "" | Marks a verbatim phrase said by a character. Also emphasizes a word or phrase, or with a sarcastic meaning. | ## Uses of the comma: ### A. Enumerative comma: The elements of an enumeration or series (when they fulfill the same grammatical function) are separated with a comma. If the last element is preceded by a conjunction, the comma can be omitted. **Example:** - The students, the guests, the speakers looked on in fear when the wall s started to tremble. - One could hear the neighing of horses, the mooing of cows, the grunting of pigs and the clucking of hens. ### B. Vocative comma: The vocative element is separated with a comma, regardless of its position. **Example:** - Bartender, give me another drink. - Bartender, give me another drink. - Give me another drink, Bartender. ### C. Apositive comma: The apositive element is separated with a comma, that is, the expression that restates the subject in a different way. **Example:** - Carbajal, the demon of the Andes, died beheaded. - The green house, Vargas Llosa's great novel, was written between 1965 and 1966. ### D. Incidental or explanatory coma: When the meaning of the sentence is interrupted by a commentary or clarification. Because of this if the clarification is removed, the meaning of the sentence remains the same. **Ехaпple:** The president, after several weeks, gave a statement to the press. ### E. Verbal or elliptical comma: A comma is used to avoid repeating an implied verb. **Example:** - You are the light and I, the shadow. - They will be happy and we, unhappy. ### F. Hyperbatic comma: A comma is used when the logical order of the sentence is altered: (subject + verb + complement(s) of the verb) **Example:** - If I could, I'd give you my life. - Whenever you want, let's go together. ### G. Comma in conjunctive and adverbial locutions: A comma is used when certain conjunctions or adverbs are used as a turn of speech: in fact, however, that is, that is to say, for example, in the first place, however, in other words. **Example:** - I, of course, refused the bribe. - The light, however, remained on. ## Use of the semicolon: To separate independent periods but linked by opposition, consequence, disjunction, addition. **Example:** - The ants work all year; the cicadas loaf. ## Use of the colon: ### A. Before a textual quotation: - Jesus said: "Love one another." - According to Mariátegui: "Let us become Peruvian." ### B. After a proposition and prior to summarizing, enumerating or clarifying what has been proposed in the proposition: - He lived a good life: good children, great wife and great career. - The party was unforgettable: many guests, great orchestra, drinks of all kinds. ### C. Before a statement of conclusion: - The books, the curtains, the furniture burned: everything burned. - I gave you money, a lot of love, a lot of support: I gave you everything. ## Use of quotation marks: Quotation marks are used to indicate the reproduction of a verbatim quotation. - Mariátegui said: "Let us become Peruvian." - For Jesus: "Let the children come to me." Quotation marks are used to indicate the names of works, magazines, newspapers, brands of products, clubs and others. - They were at the "Regatas" and while reading "El Comercio," she asked for a "Martini." Quotation marks are used to highlight foreign words and overly vulgar words. - She is very "hot" so she didn't go to my "party." Quotation marks are used to emphasize certain particular words within the expression - For the poet, the muse will always be an "angel" that inspires him. Sometimes, quotations are used to mock certain words: - We saw Mr. Peter Juarez who claims to be a "saint" and that's it. ## Use of ellipsis points: Ellipsis points are used when words that are understood are omitted. - Such a tree...! - That's fine, but ...! Ellipsis points are used at the end of an incomplete verbatim quotation. - Eguren's poetry is just an extension of his childhood; but let us remember what was said about "The hazy passageway, a dream-like vision of Constantinople...". Ellipsis points are used to give a choppy and passionate style to a participant's dialogue - Hey! Gentlemen..., move aside...don't touch him..., the cannon..., I don't know if it'll aim high or low..., it's loaded..., one of these days it'll fire..., don't take any chances...retreat...I'm not responsible for any damages. ## Use of parentheses: Parentheses enclose expressions that are closely related to what is being referred to. These words or phrases should be read in a lower tone, they should be short, and their purpose is always to clarify. - Julius Caesar uttered the following phrase: "Vini, vidi, vinci" (I came, I saw, I conquered.) - Niccolo Paganini (1782) was the most admired musician of his generation. ## The hyphen: - To indicate at the end of a line that a word has not ended and continues on the next line. When you use a hyphen to form compound words, it means you are not joining the words together fully. - Hispano-American. (It does not refer, for example, to a conflict between Spain and America). - Hispanoamerican. (Without a hyphen, it means native of Spanish-speaking America). ## Use of the dash: It serves to separate intercalated elements within the sentence; it indicates a greater degree than two commas enclosing an incidental statement, for example. - Long paragraphs, full of connectors, explanations or adornments -a la Cervantes or Castelar- are now out of style.