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PUNCTUATION
Excelent
punctuation is important for successful academic writing. There are many
students that use little punctuation like commas and full stops. But, to be
able to communicate and express our ideas and arguments, it’s not enough using
commas and full stops. We need use more punctuation to express our ideas. So,
here I available some forms of punctuation that may be help you in academic
writing.
1.
Full
Stop (.)
Full stops are used to :
· Mark the end of sentence
· Indicate abbreviated words
· Punctuate numbers and dates
Example : The lecturer will be Drs. H. Supriyanto.
2.
Colon
(:)
A colon can be used to indicate that
a list, quotation or summary is about to follow. A colon can also be used to
separate an initial sentence/clause from a second clause, list, phrase, or
quotation that supports the first in particular way.
Example : Indonesia has some islands like : Java, Kalimantan,
Sumatera, Bali, etc.
3.
Semi-Colon
(;)
Semi colon is used to separates two complete sentence that closely
linked and serves as a second level of punctuation in a series of words or
phrases which already have commas, making some internal divisions.
Example : Don’t go near the tigers; they could hurt you.
4.
Comma
(,)
Commas are used in longer sentences
to separate information into readable units. A single comma ensures correct
reading of a sentence which starts with a long introductory element. Pairs of
commas help in the middle of a sentence to set off any string of words which is
either a parenthesis, or in contrast, to whatever went before. Sets of comma
act as a means of separating items in a list.
Example : My hobby are reading, swimming, listening to music, and
watching TV.
5.
Apostrophe
(‘)
There are two kinds of apostrophe, they are contraction and
possesives apostrophe. A contraction apostrophe is a shortened version of a
word that used to show something has been left out and where it has been left
out.
Example : Don’t make me sad, I’ll go to school.
While possesives apostrophe is used to show ownership with nouns.
Example : student’s book.
6.
Hyphen
(-)
A hyphen links two or more words
that normally would not be placed together, in order that they work as one idea
and these are called compound nouns.
Example : There are four types of information-related machines.
7.
Dashes
(-)
Dashes is different with hyphen. It encloses extra information just
like brackets. Dashes are seldomly used in academic writing but it can also be
used singularly.
Example : While the importance of sport to Pay TV is clear, the
opposite perspective is less certain-the importance of Pay TV to sport.
8.
Question
Mark (?)
Question mark usually used at the end of interrogative sentence.
Example : Are you
moslem?
Do you
have a car?
Have
you had breakfast?
9.
Parentheses
( )
Parentheses are brackets used to
include extra or nonessential material sentences. Parentheses should be used
sparingly and always appear in pairs. In citation systems like Harvard,
parentheses are used to include in-text references.
Example : “Listening is an active, pueposeful
process of making sense of what we hear”. (David Nunan (2003: 24)).
10.
Exclamation Mark (!)
An exclamation mark is used at the
end of a sentence and indicates surprise, anger, or alarm. Exclamation marks
should be used very sparingly and are not often used in academic writing.
Example : How beautiful she is!
