Punctuation
- Serial comma: omit unless necessary to avoid ambiguity
With programs in teaching, nursing, architecture, science and math, KSU is a world-class institution.
Here, audiences can understand that each program is separate, thus they would not be confused whether the science and math program was one program or two.
However, in the following sentence, a comma is necessary for clarity:
KSU offers over 100 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. (Is the sentence referring to three separate programs, or two?)
- Use a comma between coordinate adjectives:
an exciting, challenging course
But not between noncoordinate adjectives, which do not modify a noun independently:
short semester break
- No comma necessary for correlative conjunctions:
She was not only kind but also intelligent.
- Semicolons:
Use instead of a period to show a connection (such as cause/effect) between two independent clauses:
The registration deadline is approaching; prospective students should submit materials as soon as possible.
May also be used in a complex series that involves commas within elements:
The combination of courses include English, math, and science; English, first-year seminar, and math; or science, first-year seminar, and a foreign language.
- Colons:
Ensure that what precedes the colon is an independent clause:
Students may choose from a variety of course: English, math, science, foreign languages, and culinary arts.
- Hyphens:
Two-word attributive adjectives require hyphenation:
third-largest university
- Punctuation of bulleted lists:
No end punctuation (e.g. period, question mark, semi colon) is necessary
- Possessives:
Plural common noun not ending in “s”, add an apostrophe and “s”
women’s
Plural common noun ending in “s”, add apostrophe only
students’
Singular proper nouns ending in “s”, add an apostrophe and “s”
Professor Jones’s course
Plural proper nouns ending in “s”, add apostrophe only
the Jones’ daughters
