Page 4 Punctuation Continued

Page 4 Punctuation

1. Use the colon to introduce a formal list...
   
   Example: Collect the following before beginning to bake: flour, sugar, eggs, and a cake pan.
   
   ...and when the words preceding the list form a complete statement.
   
   Example: First the doctor told me the good news: I was going to have a disease named after me. ~ Steve Martin

1. Use a colon in a business letter salutation:
   
   Example:
   
   Dear Math:
   
   Please grow up and solve your own problems; I'm tired of solving them for you.

Use a hyphen to join compound words or to make a new word from two related words. Hyphens also can break words at the end of lines. (However, your work is neater - and more easily read - if you turn off hyphenation on your computer.)

Examples: see-through, hair-like, twenty-seven, brother-in-law, all-knowing, ex-wife, self-discovery

When a compound word has been part of our vocabulary for a long time, it sometimes loses its hyphen. If you are not sure whether to use a hyphen, check your dictionary and be consistent.

Use a dash to indicate an abrupt shift or break in the thought of a sentence or to set off an emphatic phrase.

Examples: We hope that when insects take over the world — they will remember with gratitude that we took them on all our picnics. ~ Bill Vaughan

I like work. It fascinates me — I can sit and look at it for hours! Jerome K. Jerome

Sometimes you succeed — and other times you learn.

Information within brackets or parentheses usually is of lesser importance — it is non-essential.

Example: I always arrive late at school (but I make up for it by leaving early).