The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

most This, that, these, and those Prepositions 22 Definition: preposition Ending a sentence with a preposition Avoiding extra prepositions Like As, as if, as though, the way Of vs. have Different from vs. different than In vs. into Effective Writing 25 Concrete vs. vague language Active vs. passive voice Overuse of there is, there are, it is, it was, etc. Double negatives Parallel construction Dangling modifiers Misplaced modifiers Fragments Dialogue 2 Punctuation 31 Spacing with Punctuation 31 Periods 31 With complete sentences With abbreviations at the end of a sentence Replacing periods with question marks and exclamation points Commas 32 To separate three or more items To separate adjectives With two independent clauses Run-on sentences or comma splices Joined by connectors such as and, or, but, etc. When the subject does not appear in front of the second verb With because Starting a sentence with a dependent clause vs. an independent clause With nonessential words, clauses, and phrases With sufficiently identified noun With introductory words To set off interrupting expressions With names With dates With city and state With Jr. and Sr. With degrees and titles With quotations To introduce or interrupt quotations Following quotations To separate statements from questions To separate contrasting parts of a sentence With certain introductory words When followed by a series of items When the series of items ends with etc. Semicolons 39 To replace a period in two closely linked sentences With such words as namely, however, therefore, etc., when they introduce a complete sentence To avoid confusion where commas already exist With sentences that have multiple clauses Capitalization following a semicolon Colons 41 To introduce a series of items Except when a series of items directly follows a verb or preposition With lists With two independent clauses when the second explains the first Capitalization following a colon With long quotations After the salutation in a business letter Quotation Marks 43 Use of double quotation marks Capitalization with quotations Commas introducing, interrupting, and ending quotations Periods and commas ALWAYS inside quotation marks --Question marks and exclamation marks with quotation marks follow logic With titles of magazines, books, plays, etc. Use of single quotation marks for quotations within quotations Spacing between single and double quotation marks With nonstandard expressions With technical terms and terms used in an unusual way Avoiding single quotation marks With quoted material of more than one paragraph Question Marks 46 With direct questions Replacing periods Capitalization following a question mark Indirect questions Rhetorical questions With sentences that are half statement and half question With quotation marks Parentheses and Brackets 48 Not interchangeable Parentheses For clarification and asides With complete sentences Punctuation inside and outside parentheses Subject-verb agreement Comma placement with parentheses Brackets With interruptions Use of [sic] With quotations Apostrophes 50 Singular nouns Possession with singular nouns Possession with common nouns ending in s Possession with proper nouns ending in s Possession by inanimate objects Plural nouns Plural possession with regular nouns No apostrophe with plural regular nouns Plural possession with irregular nouns Plural possession with names ending in s No apostrophe with plural names Possession with singular compound nouns To show joint or separate possession Contractions With initials, capital letters, and numbers used as nouns With time or money With personal pronouns Apostrophes vs. single quotation marks False possessives With nouns ending in y Hyphens 56 No spaces around hyphens Not the same as dashes Hyphens between words With compound adjectives Suspended hyphens With compound verbs With compound nouns With very and -ly adverbs With ages For clarification With spans of time, distance, or other quantities With units, abbreviations, or symbols With compound numbers With spelled-out fractions With double last names Avoiding overuse Proper nouns of more than one word as compound adjectives Well-known expressions Look it up Hyphens with prefixes and suffixes Prefixes with proper nouns or proper adjectives With family relations Prefixes with double vowels With self-, ex-, and all- With re- To avoid confusion Suffixes not usually hyphenated Suffixes and double letters Using discretion and a dictionary Dashes 63 Em dashes Em dashes and subject agreement In place of other punctuation Spacing En dashes With number ranges With open compound adjectives Forming dashes Ellipses 65 Definition and three-dot method Spacing With omitted words or sentences To express hesitation, changes of mood, etc. Exclamation Points 66 To show emotion, emphasis, or surprise Replacing periods and mid-sentence commas Avoidance in formal business writing Justifiable use Slashes 66 Technical term: virgule In formal writing use hyphen or the word or 3 Capitalization 69 First word of a document and after a period Proper nouns and adjectives derived from proper nouns Reference list of capitalized categories Reference list of lowercase categories Thorny aspects of capitalization Titles Titles vs. occupations Titles in direct address Kinship names Nicknames Geographic regions vs. points of the compass The before proper nouns City, town, county, etc., before a proper name First word of a quotation Midsentence independent clauses or questions Course titles vs. academic subjects Art movements Lists following colons Lowercase the national anthem Titles of books, plays, films, songs, etc. Subtitles Gray areas 4 Writing Numbers 79 Using figures vs. spelling out numbers Numbers beginning a sentence Hyphenating compound numbers Hyphenating fractions Figures of four or more digits Sums less than a dollar Noon and midnight Time of day Mixed fractions Large numbers Decimals Writing out numbers of three or more digits When to use and Do not use commas Dates Decades Use lowercase when spelling out Using apostrophes with incomplete numerals Avoiding apostrophe + s with complete numerals Apostrophes with numbers 5 Confusing Words and Homonyms 85 Good vs. well Imply vs. infer Its vs. it's Lay vs. lie Their vs. there vs. they're Hundreds more words and homonyms that perplex and confound 6 Quizzes 155 Grammar Pretest 155 Finding Nouns, Verbs, and Subjects Quiz 1 157 Finding Nouns, Verbs, and Subjects Quiz 2 157 Subject and Verb Agreement Quiz 1 158 Subject and Verb Agreement Quiz 2 159 Irregular Verbs Quiz 1 160 Irregular Verbs Quiz 2 160 Pronouns Quiz 1 160 Pronouns Quiz 2 161 Who, Whom, Whoever, Whomever Quiz 1 162 Who, Whom, Whoever, Whomever Quiz 2 163 Who, Whom, That, Which Quiz 1 163 Who, Whom, That, Which Quiz 2 164 Adjectives and Adverbs Quiz 1 164 Adjectives and Adverbs Quiz 2 165 Prepositions Quiz 1 166 Prepositions Quiz 2 166 Affect vs. Effect Quiz 1 167 Affect vs. Effect Quiz 2 167 Lay vs. Lie Quiz 1 168 Lay vs. Lie Quiz 2 168 Advice vs. Advise Quiz 1 169 Advice vs. Advise Quiz 2 169 Their vs. There vs. They're Quiz 1 170 Their vs. There vs. They're Quiz 2 170 More Confusing Words and Homonyms Quiz 1 171 More Confusing Words and Homonyms Quiz 2 171 Effective Writing Quiz 1 172 Effective Writing Quiz 2 172 Grammar Mastery Test 173 Punctuation, Capitalization, and Writing Numbers Pretest 175 Commas and Periods Quiz 1 177 Commas and Periods Quiz 2 178 Semicolons and Colons Quiz 1 179 Semicolons and Colons Quiz 2 180 Question Marks and Quotation Marks Quiz 1 181 Question Marks and Quotation Marks Quiz 2 181 Parentheses and Brackets Quiz 1 182 Parentheses and Brackets Quiz 2 182 Apostrophes Quiz 1 183 Apostrophes Quiz 2 184 Hyphens Between Words Quiz 1 184 Hyphens Between Words Quiz 2 185 Hyphens with Prefixes and Suffixes Quiz 1 186 Hyphens with Prefixes and Suffixes Quiz 2 186 Capitalization Quiz 1 187 Capitalization Quiz 2 187 Writing Numbers Quiz 1 188 Writing Numbers Quiz 2 188 Punctuation, Capitalization, and Writing Numbers Mastery Test 189 7 Answers to Quizzes 193 Grammar Pretest Answers 193 Finding Nouns, Verbs, and Subjects Quiz 1 Answers 195 Finding Nouns, Verbs, and Subjects Quiz 2 Answers 195 Subject and Verb Agreement Quiz 1 Answers 196 Subject and Verb Agreement Quiz 2 Answers 196 Irregular Verbs Quiz 1 Answers 197 Irregular Verbs Quiz 2 Answers 197 Pronouns Quiz 1 Answers 198 Pronouns Quiz 2 Answers 199 Who, Whom, Whoever, Whomever Quiz 1 Answers 199 Who, Whom, Whoever, Whomever Quiz 2 Answers 200 Who, Whom, That, Which Quiz 1 Answers 201 Who, Whom, That, Which Quiz 2 Answers 201 Adjectives and Adverbs Quiz 1 Answers 202 Adjectives and Adverbs Quiz 2 Answers 202 Prepositions Quiz 1 Answers 203 Prepositions Quiz 2 Answers 204 Affect vs. Effect Quiz 1 Answers 204 Affect vs. Effect Quiz 2 Answers 205 Lay vs. Lie Quiz 1 Answers 205 Lay vs. Lie Quiz 2 Answers 206 Advice vs. Advise Quiz 1 Answers 206 Advice vs. Advise Quiz 2 Answers 206 Their vs. There vs. They're Quiz 1 Answers 207 Their vs. There vs. They're Quiz 2 Answers 207 More Confusing Words and Homonyms Quiz 1 Answers 208 More Confusing Words and Homonyms Quiz 2 Answers 208 Effective Writing Quiz 1 Answers 209 Effective Writing Quiz 2 Answers 210 Grammar Mastery Test Answers 211 Punctuation, Capitalization, and Writing Numbers Pretest Answers 213 Commas and Periods Quiz 1 Answers 215 Commas and Periods Quiz 2 Answers 216 Semicolons and Colons Quiz 1 Answers 216 Semicolons and Colons Quiz 2 Answers 217 Question Marks and Quotation Marks Quiz 1 Answers 218 Question Marks and Quotation Marks Quiz 2 Answers 219 Parentheses and Brackets Quiz 1 Answers 219 Parentheses and Brackets Quiz 2 Answers 220 Apostrophes Quiz 1 Answers 220 Apostrophes Quiz 2 Answers 221 Hyphens Between Words Quiz 1 Answers 222 Hyphens Between Words Quiz 2 Answers 222 Hyphens with Prefixes and Suffixes Quiz 1 Answers 223 Hyphens with Prefixes and Suffixes Quiz 2 Answers 223 Capitalization Quiz 1 Answers 224 Capitalization Quiz 2 Answers 224 Writing Numbers Quiz 1 Answers 225 Writing Numbers Quiz 2 Answers 226 Punctuation, Capitalization, and Writing Numbers Mastery Test Answers 226 Index 229