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Punctuation is used to mark the cadence, pauses, and tone in written English. In other words, punctuation helps us to understand when to pause between fully formed ideas when speaking, as well as organize our thoughts in writing. English punctuation marks include:

period .
commas ,
question mark ?
exclamation mark !
colon :
semi colon ;

Beginning English learners should focus on understand the period, comma and question mark. Intermediate to advanced student should also learn how to use colons and semi colons, as well as an occasional exclamation mark.

This guide provides instruction on the basic rules of using a period, comma, colon, semicolon, question mark and exclamation point. Each type of punctuation is followed by an explanation and example sentences for reference purposes.

Period

Use a period to end a complete sentence. A sentence is a group of words containing a subject and predicate. In British English a period is called a 'full stop'.

Examples:

He went to Detroit last week.
They are going to visit.

Comma

There are a number of different uses for commas in English. Commas are used to:

·         Separate a list of items. This is one of the most common uses of a comma. Notice that a comma is included before the conjunction 'and' which comes before the final element of a list.

Examples:

I like reading, listening to music, taking long walks, and visiting with my friends.
They would like books, magazines, DVDs, video cassettes, and other learning materials for their library.

·         Separate phrases (clauses). This is especially true after a beginning dependent clause or a long prepositional phrase.

Examples:

In order to qualify for your certificate, you will need to take the TOEFL exam.
Although he wanted to come, he wasn't able to attend the course.

·         Separate two independent clauses that are connected by a conjunction such as 'but'.

Examples:

They wanted to purchase a new car, but their financial situation would not allow it.
I'd really enjoy seeing a film this evening, and I'd like to go out for a drink.

·         Introduce a direct quote (as opposed to indirect speech i.e. He said he wanted to come ...).

Examples:

The boy said, "My father is often away during the week on business trips."
His doctor replied, "If you don't stop smoking, you run the risk of a heart attack."

·         Separate appositives (a noun, or noun phrase) or non-defining relative clauses.

Examples:

Bill Gates, the richest man in the world, comes from Seattle.
My only sister, who is a fantastic tennis player, is in great shape.

Question Mark

The question mark is used at the end of a question.

Examples:

Where do you live?
How long have they been studying?

Exclamation Point

The exclamation point is used at the end of a sentence to indicate great surprise. It is also used for emphasis when making a point. Be careful not to use an exclamation point too often.

Examples:

That ride was fantastic!
I can't believe he is going to marry her!

Semicolon

There are two uses for a semicolon:

·         To separate two independent clauses. One or both of the clauses are short and the ideas expressed are usually very similar.

Examples:

He loves studying; He can't get enough of school.
What an incredible situation; it must make you nervous.

·         To separate groups of words that are themselves separated by commas.

Examples:

I took a holiday and played golf, which I love; read a lot, which I needed to do; and slept late, which I hadn't done for quite a while.
They plan to study German, for their travels; chemistry, for their work; and literature, for their own enjoyment.

Colon

A colon can be used for two purposes:

·         To provide additional details and explanation.

Examples:

He had many reasons for joining the club: to get in shape, to make new friends, to lose some weight, and to get out of the house.
She gave notice for the following reasons: bad pay, horrible hours, poor relations with colleagues, and her boss.

·         To introduce a direct quote (a comma can also be used in this situation).

Examples:

He announced to his friends: "I'm getting married!"
She cried out: "I never want to see you again!"

Order of Adjectives in English

One of the easiest ways to identify a non-native English speaker is by the incorrect order of adjectives in a sentence.

For example:

§  A red big ball – INCORRECT

§  A big red ball – CORRECT

§  A velvet new comfortable dress – INCORRECT

§  A comfortable new velvet dress – CORRECT

§  An old ceramic lovely coffee mug – INCORRECT

§  A lovely old ceramic coffee mug – CORRECT

If you can master the correct adjective order, your English will sound very natural!

In general, the correct order of adjectives in English is:

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Opinion	Size	Shape	Age	Color	Nationality/Origin	Material	Purpose

Note: Not everyone agrees on this order, and there may be exceptions

It’s rare to use more than 3 adjectives. But the adjectives you do use should follow this order:

§  A big (size) red (color) ball

§  A comfortable (opinion) new (age) velvet (material) dress

§  A lovely (opinion) old (age) ceramic (material) coffee (purpose) mug

Here are some examples of each type of adjective:

Opinion Adjectives

§  good / bad / great / terrible

§  beautiful / pretty / sexy / comfortable

§  ugly / awful / strange / uncomfortable

§  delicious / disgusting / tasty / nasty

§  important / excellent / wonderful / brilliant

§  funny / interesting / boring

General Size Adjectives

§  big / huge / tall / long / enormous / gigantic

§  small / little / tiny / short / miniscule

Shape Adjectives

§  Round / square / triangular / rectangular / flat

Age Adjectives

§  old / ancient

§  new / young

Color Adjectives

§  Red, blue, yellow, etc.

Nationality/Origin Adjectives

§  Italian, Japanese, Thai, German, French, etc.

Material Adjectives

§  Gold, silver, copper

§  Cotton, leather, polyester, wool, silk, velvet, nylon

§  Wooden, stone, diamond, plastic

Purpose Adjectives

“Purpose adjectives” are almost like part of the noun. They describe what the object is used for:

§  Running shoes

§  A sleeping bag

§  A flower vase

§  A frying pan

§  A tennis racket

Other Adjectives

There are other adjectives that don’t fall in to the categories above. For these, the essential rule to remember is that opinion adjectives always come before fact adjectives (appearance and other “descriptive” adjectives):

§  delicious (opinion) organic (fact) food

§  crazy (opinion) religious (fact) people

§  interesting (opinion) cultural (fact) traditions

§  confusing (opinion) financial (fact) data

How to Learn the Correct Order of Adjectives

Although studying the order of adjectives in English can help… there reaches a point where you’ll learn them best simply by seeing and hearing them in action. Most native English speakers don’t know the rules of adjective order at all – we just know that it “sounds right” to say “the big red ball” and “sounds wrong” to say “the red big ball.”

As you read and listen to more English, you’ll eventually begin to order the adjectives naturally.

Reproducedfromhttp://www.espressoenglish.net/order-of-adjectives-in-english/

Solutions

1. The man is very, very short and can only reach halfway up the elevator buttons. However, if it is raining then he will have his umbrella with him and can press the higher buttons with it.
2. The surgeon was his mother.
3. It was day time. Nowhere does it say it was night.
4. He recognized Adam and Eve as the only people without navels. Because they were not born of women, they had never had umbilical cords and therefore they never had navels. This one seems perfectly logical but it can sometimes spark fierce theological arguments
5. They were two of a set of triplets (or quadruplets, etc.). This puzzle stumps many people. They try outlandish solutions involving test-tube babies or surrogate mothers. Why does the brain search for complex solutions when there is a much simpler one available?
6. The man had hiccups. The barman recognized this from his speech and drew the gun in order to give him a shock. It worked and cured the hiccups--so the man no longer needed the water. This is a simple puzzle to state but a difficult one to solve. It is a perfect example of a seemingly irrational and incongruous situation having a simple and complete explanation. Amazingly this classic puzzle seems to work in different cultures and languages.
7. The third. Lions that haven't eaten in three years are dead.
8. Freeze them first. Take them out of the jugs and put the ice in the barrel. You will be able to tell which water came from which jug.
9. The answer is Charcoal.
10. Sure you can: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow!

In one of the books I teach I discovered a section on lateral thinking problems and how language can make a big difference to these problems. For example number 2 would not work in Portuguese. So have a look and see if you can find the solutions. I will give the answers next week.

 

Lateral thinking

Lateral thinking is solving problems through an indirect and creative approach, using reasoning that is not immediately obvious and involving ideas that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic. The term was coined in 1967 by Edward de Bono. According to de Bono, lateral thinking deliberately distances itself from standard perceptions of creativity as either "vertical" logic or "horizontal" imagination.

Classic Lateral Thinking Exercises

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1. There is a man who lives on the top floor of a very tall building. Everyday he gets the elevator down to the ground floor to leave the building to go to work. Upon returning from work though, he can only travel half way up in the lift and has to walk the rest of the way unless it's raining! Why?
2. A man and his son are in a car accident. The father dies on the scene, but the child is rushed to the hospital. When he arrives the surgeon says, "I can't operate on this boy, he is my son! " How can this be?
3. A man is wearing black. Black shoes, socks, trousers, coat, gloves and ski mask. He is walking down a back street with all the street lamps off. A black car is coming towards him with its light off but somehow manages to stop in time. How did the driver see the man?
4. A man died and went to Heaven. There were thousands of other people there. They were all naked and all looked as they did at the age of 21. He looked around to see if there was anyone he recognized. He saw a couple and he knew immediately that they were Adam and Eve. How did he know?
5. A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of the same year. But they were not twins. How could this be so?
6. A man walks into a bar and asks the barman for a glass of water. The barman pulls out a gun and points it at the man. The man says 'Thank you' and walks out. This puzzle claims to be the best of the genre. It is simple in its statement, absolutely baffling and yet with a completely satisfying solution. Most people struggle very hard to solve this one yet they like the answer when they hear it or have the satisfaction of figuring it out.
7. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?
8. There are two plastic jugs filled with water. How could you put all of this water into a barrel, without using the jugs or any dividers, and still tell which water came from which jug?
9. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?
10. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday? (or day names in any other language)