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Tag: Confusing punctuation

Tag: Confusing punctuation

20 articles. Page 2 of 2

Brackets: American vs. BritishBrackets: American vs. British

Round brackets are called “parentheses” in American English but referred to simply as “brackets” in British English. In American writing, square brackets are used within parentheses, while the British use round within round brackets (nested parentheses).

Commas vs. Parentheses vs. DashesCommas vs. Parentheses vs. Dashes

Use commas to integrate closely related information into the flow of the sentence. Use parentheses to set off supplementary information or an afterthought from surrounding text. Use dashes to be emphatic or dramatic and make additional information or an aside stand out.

Does Punctuation Go Within or Outside Parentheses and Brackets?Punctuation with Brackets

Place punctuation inside parentheses if it belongs to the parenthetical text, and outside if it belongs to the larger sentence. Periods, question marks, exclamation points, and quotation marks go inside if they are meant to punctuate the parenthetical text, while commas, dashes, colons, and semicolons always appear after a closing parenthesis.

Do Periods Go Inside Parentheses and Brackets?Periods with Parentheses and Brackets

Place a period within parentheses if the entire sentence is contained in the parentheses. Place the period outside if the parenthetical phrase appears within a larger sentence.

How to Show Brackets within Brackets in EnglishBrackets within Brackets

Use square brackets within parentheses to show brackets within brackets. In British style, round brackets are used within round brackets. Avoid using nested parentheses in U.S. writing.

Punctuation with AbbreviationsPunctuation with Abbreviations

When an abbreviation ending in a period is followed by a punctuation mark like a comma, colon, semicolon, or dash, use both the period and the punctuation mark. But use only a single period after an abbreviation at the end of a sentence.

Abbreviation at End of Sentence: Periods and Other PunctuationAbbreviation at End of Sentence

If an abbreviation ending in a period also ends a sentence, use just one period, not two. With parentheses, place a period after the closing parenthesis to end the larger sentence.

Serial or Oxford Comma – That Comma before “And” in a ListSerial or Oxford Comma

The serial comma is used before the conjunction (“and,” “or”) that marks the final item in a series. Using it is optional, but it can sometimes affect the meaning of a sentence.

Apostrophe: Three Uses and Common MistakesWhen to Use an Apostrophe

Use an apostrophe to form a possessive noun (“the cat’s tail”) or a contraction (“don’t”). Only rarely is an apostrophe used to form a plural (“p’s and q’s”).

Em Dash, En Dash, Hyphen: How They Are DifferentDashes and Hyphens

An em dash sets off explanatory statements, an en dash signifies a range, and a hyphen connects words. An em dash is longer than an en dash, which in turn is longer than a hyphen.

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