Declarative sentences
A sentence that states a fact or opinion
Imperative sentences
A sentence that tells someone to do something
Rules for commas
After introductory phrases…
After studying, I felt confident.
Before FANBOYS joining two independent clauses…
I studied, and I passed.
Around nonessential information…
My brother, who lives nearby, is visiting.
Semicolons
Stronger than a comma, weaker than a period
eg. I studied all night; I passed the exam.
Both sides must be complete sentences, dont use with FANBOYS
Colons
introduces information that explains or lists something
The sentence before a colon must be complete
Complete independent clause
a group of words that can stand alone as a full sentence because it has everything it needs to make sense by itself
A complete independent clause = subject + verb + complete thought
Parentheses
extra, nonessential information
Sentence should still make sense if parentheses are removed
Quotation marks
Periods and commas go inside quotation marks
Used for dialogue and titles of short works
Hyphens
join words together to act as one
eg. full-time job, well-known rule
Dashes
strong emphasis or interruption
eg. The test — surprisingly — was easy
Ellipsis marks
Show that words have been left out or that a thought is trailing off
eg. She said she would study … but didn’t
Brackets
Insert clarifying information that was not part of the original text
Most commonly used inside quotations, shows added clarification
