Category: How to master punctuation in academic English writing?

Welcome to the chapter on similar punctuation. This chapter outlines the technical symbols and notation defining English grammar. For example, did you know there are different types of lines and… Read More →

There are two main ways to type the various types of dashes: using keyboard keys and shortcuts and (in Microsoft Word) using the Insert menu. Dash use 1 of 2:… Read More →

Hyphens, the most commonly used (and misused) type of dash symbol. Let’s look at the common correct and incorrect usages of hyphens: To create a compound word: Correct example for… Read More →

Can you complete the following by inserting the hyphen in the correct place? A solid, all round effort The well known actor My six year old daughter The out of… Read More →

The minus sign (−) receives its own special treatment because it denotes a mathematical function and thus does not belong to standard English grammar. Below are some examples highlighting the… Read More →

Which of the following show wrong usage of the en dash? (a) The starting time is from 6:30–6:45 PM (b) We’re closed between January–March (c) Please refer to pages 75–110… Read More →

Em dashes (—) are used less as scientific notation and more as a stylistic tool in creative writing to place emphasis and direct the reader’s attention to specific parts of… Read More →

The 3-em dash (———) is the least common type of dash symbol in academic writing, but appears primarily in the reference list or bibliography of a document to replace an… Read More →

It is worth mentioning that, in academia, publishing research must meet the high English standards of publication. Therefore, prior to publication, research papers undergo copy editing from in-house editors at… Read More →

The colon acts like a gate. After the gate, additional information is provided to explain something about the first part. In this section, we’ll look into how to use the… Read More →

Semi colons (;) are similar to colons, except where a colon is used to link directly related sentences, semi colons help separate independent ideas, or clauses. Another use of the… Read More →

In this final section, we will discuss an often-overused stylistic tool to convey emotive language, the exclamation mark (!). The exclamation mark is typically used to express emotion and carries… Read More →

Exercise—Inserting hyphens Can you complete the following by inserting the hyphen in the correct place? Correct answers: 1. A solid, all-round effort 2. The well-known actor 3. My six-year-old daughter… Read More →