Punctuation

__**Quotations and Dialogue:**__

Please try and limit your use of dialogue (talking) in your stories and paragraphs. It often confuses the message.


 * Example: Rather than writing....**

//'Good morning Mr. Good,' said Mr. Gavey.// //'Good day Mr. Gavey, how are you?' asked Mr. Good.// //'Most excellent. I think it will be a great day,' said Mr. Gavey.//


 * Remove the quotations and dialogue. Simplify the passage.**

Mr. Gavey and Mr. Good greeted each other at the start of the school day.

//**This passage says the same thing but without the confusing and tedious dialogue.**//

__**Periods:**__

At the end of ALL sentences.

After abbreviations. (Examples: Mr., Dec., Dr., AB., U.S.A.)

__**Commas:**__

These provided short breaks in the sentences and often replace the word and.

For instance, instead of saying...we had bread and eggs and bacon and pancakes, you could say we had bread, eggs, bacon and pancakes.


 * __Hyphens:__**

Hyphens connect two words together to clarify their meaning.

Instead of saying..//.it is his thirty second birthday//...you would say....//it is his thirty-second birthday//.

__**Present and Past Tense:**__

I //had// a dog. / I //hav//e a dog.

I //went// to the mall. / I //am// at the mall.

I //have been// to school. / I //am// at school.


 * A great website for past / present tense:** Past and Present Tense