English grammar explained in plain language simple enough to be understood.
A colon (:) can be used to emphasize a word or phrase. Be sure to write a complete thought before the colon. Look at this example.My little brother eats only one thing: hot dogs.As far as I can tell, college… Read more899. Using a Colon for Emphasis
Section A: Decide whether or not the punctuation in each sentence is used correctly. Write YES or NO.1. I bought three kinds of fruit: strawberries, bananas, and mangos. 2. My sister visited two countries in Europe: Germany and Spain.3. The… Read more900. Practice with the Colon
In writing, quotation marks (“) are placed on either side of spoken words. Quotation marks are always used as a pair. We place one set of quotation marks at the beginning of someone’s words, and we place a second set… Read more901. Using Quotation Marks with Speech
When using quotation marks at the end of a sentence, you must put the end punctuation inside of the quotation marks. Here is an example:Jan said, “Meet me at the park.”Notice that the period at the end of the sentence… Read more902. Using Quotation Marks in a Sentence
All poem titles are set off by a set of quotation marks. If the poem title is at the end of the sentence, the end punctuation must be inside the quotation marks. Look at these examples:Our teacher assigned the poem… Read more903. Quotation Marks with a Poem Title
Place quotation marks on either side of a short story title inside a sentence. In English class, we read “The Telltale Heart” but Edgar Allen Poe.My favorite short story is “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry. Quotation marks… Read more904. Quotation Marks for Short Stories
Section A: Insert a set of quotation marks into each sentence below.1. Mom said, Put your books away so we can eat. 2. Please clear your desks, our teacher said quietly.3. Did you hear the bell? Mr. Smith asked.4. We… Read more905. Practice with Quotation Marks
We use a certain slanted letter form called italics when writing the title of a book. Our teacher made us read The Grapes of Wrath to learn about the Great Depression. My favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird by… Read more906. Using Italics with Book Titles
Magazines are similar to books in that they are major pieces of written work. Always italicize the name of a magazine. I enjoy the magazine Country Home.My dad always read Time magazine.There are always good jokes in Reader’s Digest magazine.Notice… Read more907. Use Italics for Magazine Titles
Always italicize the title of a movie.We went to the theater to see Star Wars: The Lost Generation.I enjoyed watching Frozen with my nieces. Also italicize the title of a play. Our school did a performance of My Fair Lady… Read more908. Use Italics for Titles of Movies, Plays, and Television Shows