Punctuation in Types of Sentences
Summary:
When speaking, we can pause or change the tone of our voices to indicate emphasis. When writing, we must use punctuation to indicate these places of emphasis. This resource should help to clarify when and how to use various marks of punctuation.
Contributors:Morgan Sousa, Dana Lynn Driscoll
Last Edited: 2010-04-17 06:00:46
Learning rules for how and when to punctuate a sentence can be difficult, especially when you consider that different types of sentences call for different types of punctuation. This handout should help to clarify not only the types of sentences, but also what punctuation to use in what situation.
Punctuation in Types of Sentences
Simple: composed of 1 independent clause.
No standard punctuation.
Compound: composed of 2 or more independent clauses.
Join 2 independent clauses by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, for, nor, so).
Join 2 independent clauses by a colon when you wish to emphasize the second clause.
Join 2 independent clauses by a semicolon when the second clause restates the first or when the two clauses are of equal emphasis.
Complex: composed of 1 or more dependent clauses and 1 or more independent clauses.
Join an introductory dependent clause with the independent clause by a comma.
Compound-Complex: composed of 1 or more dependent clauses and 2 or more independent clauses.
Join an introductory dependent clause with an independent clause with a comma. Separate 2 independent clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, for, nor, so).
Join an introductory dependent clause with an independent clause with a comma. Separate 2 independent clauses by a colon when you wish to emphasize the second clause.
Join an introductory dependent clause with an independent clause with a comma. Separate 2 independent clauses by a semicolon when the second clause restates the first or when the two clauses are of equal emphasis.
