Punctuation

Your punctuation sets the tone. Make sure your writing hits the mark.

ampersand (&)	In sentences, avoid using & in place of the word and. An ampersand may be used in headers, subheads and site navigation. Use with care. If the official name of an organization includes an ampersand, always use the ampersand. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
apostrophe ( ’ )	Except for it’s, which is a contraction of it is, an apostrophe-s ( ’s ) indicates possession. An apostrophe should only be used for plurals when the apostrophe immediately follows a period, as with acronyms that use periods (e.g., M.A.’s). Note that in this case it may be more appropriate to spell out the word or rewrite your sentence to avoid the period-apostrophe combination. 1980s ATMs B.A.’s When indicating possession with a name that ends in s, use only an apostrophe: Jesus’ twelve disciples. Never Jesus’s twelve disciples. When shortening or contracting a word or number, the open side of the apostrophe should face the direction of the eliminated content. It was the summer of ’69 ’Twas the night before Christmas When typing a class year, use a right apostrophe ( ’ ) before the final two numbers. Class of ’18 Keyboard shortcuts: (PC alt shortcuts require a full keyboard with number pad) Right apostrophe ( ’ ) Mac: option + shift + right bracket ( ] ) PC: Alt + 0146 Left apostrophe ( ‘ ) Mac: option + right bracket ( ] ) PC: Alt + 0145 Tip: Another way to create a right apostrophe in Microsoft Word is to type a character (any character you like), then type the apostrophe right next to it. Word will automatically correct the apostrophe. Then you can delete the character and continue typing the class year.
bullets	Use bullets for lists in which hierarchy or the importance or sequence of items doesn’t matter. Capitalize the first letter of the first word after each bullet. Bulleted lists are not sentences and should not be treated as such. If the text following the bullet is not a complete sentence, do not use a period or other end punctuation ( ; ). If the text following a bullet is one or more complete sentences, 1) ask whether you actually need a bullet; if you do, then 2) punctuate it as a complete sentence. When a problem comes along, you must: Whip it Into shape Shape it up Get straight Go forward Move ahead Try to detect it It’s not too late Whip it good I like living in Holland because: This city has endless access to frozen yogurt, coffee shops and hipster fashion. The squirrel culture is unique. I can’t get enough of the long, mournful cry of that ice cream truck.
colon ( : )	Use a single space after a colon. Colons and semicolons are different punctuation marks and, as such, cannot be used interchangeably. If the colon introduces a complete sentence, treat the text that follows as if it were a complete sentence (i.e., capitalize the first letter after the colon). If the colon introduces an incomplete sentence, phrase, clause, word or series, then lowercase the initial letter. Rick promised this: He’s never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you. There are five rules to dodgeball: dodge, dip, dive, duck and dodge. If a colon introduces a bulleted or numbered list, capitalize the first word in each item. Only use end punctuation if the text following the bullet or number is one or more complete sentences. See bullets.
comma ( , )	Hope College does not use a comma before the final element in a series (i.e., an Oxford comma or a serial comma) unless it is necessary for clarity or introduces a compound element. The American flag is red, white and blue. His favorite sandwiches are Reuben, turkey and cheese, and peanut butter and jelly. In most cases, simply rewriting a sentence or rearranging the sequence of elements in a list can resolve any confusion. For example, “My parents, Ayn Rand and Jesus” could easily become “Jesus, my parents and Ayn Rand.”
dash ( – , — )	Use an en dash (–) with no spaces to indicate number ranges. If you are using a construction that begins with “from,” use the word “to” rather than an en dash. There were 25–30 students at the event. The study ran from 1994 to 1996. Never There were 25-30 students at the event. (Note the hyphen instead of the en dash.) Never The study ran from 1994–1996. Use an em dash (—) with spaces to separate a parenthetical clause from the rest of a sentence. Do not use two hyphens (--) in place of an em dash. (Note that Microsoft Word usually, but not always, converts two hyphens to an em dash automatically.) Several students — some reports say as many as 25 or 30 — attended the event. Fun fact: An em dash is the width of a capital ‘M’; an en dash is the width of a capital ‘N.’ Now you know. Keyboard shortcuts: (PC alt shortcuts require a full keyboard with number pad) em dash (—) Mac: option + shift + hyphen PC: Ctrl + Alt + hyphen (MS Word) or Alt + 0151 en dash (–) Mac: option + hyphen PC: Ctrl + hyphen (MS Word) or Alt + 0150 See hyphen.
ellipses (... )	When typing quotes, use ellipses (three periods: … ) to indicate that you have skipped over one or more words (e.g., “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech.”). It may be used within a quotation to indicate that additional text follows, but is not always necessary. Do not use ellipses to end your own sentence. It is often used poorly to show that a thought trails off; better to finish your thought and end with a period. By definition, an ellipses is comprised of three periods, never four. Never follow an ellipses with a period, even if it appears at the end of a sentence. Do not insert a space before the ellipses. Always use a space after the ellipses.
exclamation point ( ! )	Don’t. Just don’t. But what if— No.
hyphen ( - )	Many compound words, especially compound adjectives that precede a noun, require a hyphen. Compound adjectives that follow a noun do not need a hyphen. This is a government-mandated regulation. This regulation is government mandated. Most compound adverbs do not need a hyphen if the first word ends in -ly. The happily married woman rushed past him. The well-behaved boy surprised everyone. Remember: Clarity is king. If a hyphen can help your readers as an aid to clear meaning, use it. If a hyphen is unnecessary or makes the meaning less clear to your readers, don’t use it. We also use hyphens with ages that precede the noun, but not when the age follows the noun: The 111-year-old hobbit was famous. The famous hobbit was 111 years old. Many prefixes require a hyphen. Here are some examples: Between a prefix that ends with the same vowel as the word: pre-existing, anti-intellectual (notable exceptions are cooperate and coordinate) Before a word with a capital letter: post-Christian, mid-Michigan If you’re unclear whether a prefix requires a hyphen, consult a dictionary or the AP Stylebook. Do not use a hyphen for a number range. Instead, use an en dash: 1866–2016; never 1866-2016 See dash. For hyphens in titles, see titles. See the AP Stylebook for more information.
numbered list	Use numbers for lists that convey hierarchy, importance or sequence. Follow each number with a period, not parentheses. Capitalize the first letter of the first word after each number. Numbered lists are not sentences and should not be treated as such. If the text following a number is not a complete sentence, do not use a period or other end punctuation ( ; ). If the text following a number is one or more complete sentences, 1) ask whether you actually need a numbered list; if you do, then 2) punctuate it as a complete sentence. The most popular songs of 2011 were: “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett and GoonRock “Firework” by Katy Perry “E.T.” by Katy Perry feat. Kanye West “Give Me Everything” by Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer To launch a model rocket: Find an open field free of people, animals, trees or buildings. Assemble your launch pad in the middle of the field. Insert the engine into the rocket. Insert the igniter into the engine. Place the rocket on your launch pad. Retreat a safe distance. Press the launch button.
period	Always use one space after a period. Period.
quotation marks	When punctuation is needed next to a quotation mark, always place a comma or period inside the quotes. Place a question mark inside quotation marks only when the quoted material is itself a question; if the sentence is a question that includes a quote, the question mark goes outside the quotation marks. She said, “I love Hope College.” She asked, “Do you love Hope College?” Have you ever thought, “This isn’t going to end well”?
semicolon ( ; )	A semicolon is used to convey a greater separation of thought and information than a comma can convey. However, it does not end the thought or information like a period does. I know you don’t like asparagus; nevertheless, it’s very good for you. You should also use a semicolon when writing a long series that uses commas in addition to those that separate items of the series: John Lennon was survived by his wife, Yoko Ono; two band mates, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr; now-deceased member, George Harrison; and a nation of adoring fans. Remember: Strive for clarity. Using semicolons and commas in a complex series may be a sign that a bulleted or numbered list is appropriate. You can also use a semicolon to link independent clauses when you don’t use conjunction such as and, but or for. She says it’s an independent clause; I failed my grammar/vocab class.
spaces	Use one space after a period. Period. Similarly, use a single space after a colon. Your content should never, ever include two spaces in a row.