LESSON

8
Punctuation

Punctuation is critically important in the IELTS writing exam. While

having a truly advanced grasp of it may help you achieve band 7
or higher, just knowing the basics is vital to getting the score you
really want. If you don’t know how to use a comma or period, you
certainly won’t get more than a 5.0. Therefore, it is essential to
study the rules below. Some of them, as you will, are less
important than others. Make sure you at least know the basics
before even thinking about sitting your first IELTS exam.

Many of the rules below correspond with sentence types, so

ensure that you are familiar with Lesson Five of this book.

Comma
Use a comma when you need to join two independent clauses (in
a compound sentence). However, you cannot just use a comma –
you must also use a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS).

 Those books were expensive, but they will be very useful.

 The storm last night was really wild, so I expect there will be
some damage to the house.
 Use a comma after an introductory phrase or when a complex
sentence begins with the dependent clause.

 When the boys came home from school, they were always
hungry.
 Long ago, we would go out on long drives together through
the countryside.

Use a comma to separate items in a series – i.e. a list.

Remember to ALWAYS use the Oxford Comma.

 I’ve been to Germany, France, Spain, and Italy.

 Our goals are customer satisfaction, innovation, and
environmental protection.

Separate non-essential information within a sentence by using

commas.

 Paul, whose father was the team’s owner, always got picked
first for big games.
 Sarah’s new car, a pink Camry, was stolen last night.

Coordinate adjectives (two adjectives which alter the same

noun) should be separated by commas.

 It was a bright, sunny day.

 The bulky, heavy box arrived yesterday.

Use a comma after a conjunctive adverb or transitional

element:

 Peter got straight As in class; therefore, he was allowed to

play video games.
 The company won approval for its new product; as a result,
their share price soared.

We use commas with quotes.

  “Get out,” she said.
 He looked at his manager despairingly and said, “Ok, I’ll do
it.”

Dates also require commas.

 January 1st, 2016.

 May 15th, 2016.

We use commas for qualifications and positions when

describing people.

 Judy Thomas, MD.

 Paul Harrison, CEO of Microcorp Tech.

Finally, we use commas with places. Cities come before states

or countries.

 San Francisco, California.

 Paris, France.

Comma Splice
Be careful to avoid a comma splice. This is a very comma error
wherein two independent clauses are joined with a comma, like
this:

 The dog was hungry, he wanted some food.

We can change it in a number of ways to make it correct.

 The dog was hungry; he wanted some food.

 The dog was hungry. He wanted some food.
 The dog was hungry, so he wanted some food.

Semi-Colon
As we saw in the above example, a semi-colon can be used to join
two independent clauses in a compound sentence, if the meaning
of the second clause is so close to that of the first that it basically
restates the first clause.

 The days were beginning to get shorter; it seemed the night

got earlier and earlier.
 There was a big traffic jam; cars were barely moving around
town.

Again, in a compound sentence, if the second clause begins

with a conjunctive adverb or transitional phrase, use a semi-colon.

 The two countries had been at war for the previous decade;
as a result, brokering peace would not be easy.
 The dog and cat lived together all their lives; however, they
were certainly not friends.

If individual items in a list are separated by commas, use

semi-colons to break it up more clearly.

 Important European capitals include Paris, France; Rome,

Italy; and London, England.

Period
The period comes only at the end of a sentence. Do not use a
period after a de-pendent clause, or you will have a sentence
fragment. Learn the sentence types:

 Simple
 Complex
 Compound
 Compound-complex

A period should always be followed by a capital letter.

Most abbreviations are followed by a period.

A.M. Apr. Dec. Gen. Mr. St. hr. P.M. Aug. Mrs.
Maj. Ave.

Jan. Sept. Dr. W. A.D. Feb. Oct. doz. Rd. B.C. Mar. Nov.

Prof. oz. M.D.

Exclamation Mark
You should never use an exclamation mark in the IELTS exam!

Practice
Exercise 1: Periods - Abrreviations
Directions: In the following sentences, place end punctuation and
periods for abbreviations wherever necessary.

1. Dr Smith arrived in the office at 9:00 A M

2. J P Jones lives on Market St in Atlanta, Georgia

3. The first emperor of Japan ruled in 660 B C

4. The plane left Kennedy International Airport, N Y , in the

morning

5. Have you met Rev James Marshall

6. It was in 1000 A D that the Norseman arrived in North America

7. We visited the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D C

8. The 1964 Olympics were held in Tokyo, Japan

9. Thomas Jefferson designed his own home, Monticello

10. “Stop! Don’t close that door “ shouted Mr Cooper

11. Capt Andrews of the U S Navy is a fine lecturer

12. Mr Charles Merritt, Jr received the award

13. Prof Jack S Murphy’s expedition left for the Pacific at 4:00 A M
today

14. The captain, cruising the ship at an average speed of 14 miles

per hour, expected to reach the southwestern part of the island
by Monday night, Feb 23

Exercise 2: Commas – Compound Sentences

Directions: In the following sentences, place commas where they
are needed. Not all sentences will require commas.

1. Skin diving has become a popular sport but it requires extreme

care.

2. Some skin divers have made diving their profession and are
making it pay off.

3. They make money by collecting marine specimens or they get

paid for finding lost valuables.

4. They also search for lost torpedoes from World War II and the
Navy pays up to $100 for each one recovered.

5. The divers locate the torpedo and then they lead the Navy
demolition squad to it.
6. Such work requires careful planning and expert charting.

7. Proper equipment is essential and an experienced crew is

required.

8. The shark is the chief danger but eels have also been found to
be dangerous.

9. In case of attack divers rely on knives or a fast getaway.

10. A good skin diver is an expert swimmer.

11. We talked to her and we asked many questions.

12. The pitcher had thrown a wild pitch.

13. I recognized Pauline but she didn’t recognize me.

14. Jim apologized to Mary and she was pleased.

15. Wendy or Stan washed the dishes.

Exercise 3: Commas – Introductory word Groups

Directions: In the following sentences, place commas where they
are needed.

1. After he had been taken prisoner in Turkey John Smith was sold
into slavery.

2. Since he had no wealthy friends there was little chance of his

being ransomed.

3. Even though there was no one to help him he expected to

escape.

4. When his chance came he would be ready.

5. As spring turned to summer the grain was brought into the
barns to be threshed.

6. Although he worked very hard Smith was always picked on by

his master.

7. While he was insulting Smith the master struck him with a

curved sword.

8. Before the master could strike again Smith hit him with a
threshing bat.

9. Although he was gambling desperately John Smith would make

his bid for freedom now.

10. If you want to know more about John Smith you can read this
story in The Sword and the Compass by Margaret Leighton.

11. If you enjoy it you might also like other stories by Margaret
Leighton.

12. And if possible see the movie made about this book.

Exercise 4: Commas – In a Series

Directions: In the following sentences, use commas to separate
words or groups of words listed in a series.
1. The Warrens have a dog two cats and a canary.

2. Run to the store and get me a pound of butter a loaf of bread

and a dozen oranges.

3. Jack dashed into the house grabbed the fire extinguisher and
rushed back to the car.

4. Chili pizza fried chicken and apple pie are Robert’s favorite
foods.

5. Our clubhouse is small old and drafty.

6. Be sure to tell Debbie Glenn and Linda where we’re bowling

tonight.

7. Ben caught the ball dashed past an end and raced into the end
zone.

8. I filled in my name date of birth and place of birth on the job

application.

9. Lucy Linus and Snoopy went to the ball game.

10. Linus was on first base Pepperment Patty was pitching and Pig
Pen was catching.

11. Miss Mullen traveled through Germany Switzerland Spain and

Denmark.

12. The department ordered rubber bands paper clips

construction paper and chalk.

13. For breakfast we had ham and eggs orange juice toast and
coffee.