Punctuation

Table of contents

• Commas
  • Introductory phrases
    
  • Serial commas
    
• Parentheses
  • Avoid critical information
    
• Semicolons
  • Avoid overuse
    
  • Lists
    

Guidelines for using those familiar dots, dashes, and squiggles.

Commas

Introductory phrases

Use a comma after an introductory phrase (like however or furthermore or on the other hand).

• Example: Despite this, we reached the mouth of the cave by sundown.

Serial commas

Use serial commas (also known as Oxford commas).

• No: I love my parents, Godzilla and Wonder Woman.

• Yes: I love my parents, Godzilla, and Wonder Woman.

Parentheses

Avoid critical information

Some readers may skip over any text that isn’t part of the main sentence, so try not to include any critical information inside parentheses.

Semicolons

Avoid overuse

Semicolons are your friend; however, like any friend, you might get sick of them if they show up too frequently. Tread carefully and wisely.

Lists

When commas alone won’t suffice, you can use semicolons to separate complex items in a series or list.

• Example: Our team includes May, a prestigious researcher; Brendan, a tenacious explorer; and Wally, a skilled analyst.