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Writing Centre Online Resource Guide

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Commas

Commas (,) are punctuation marks that separate parts of sentences and items in lists. For more information on how to use commas in your writing, please see the following resources:

Colons (:) and Semicolons (;)

Colons (:) and semicolons (;) are punctuation marks used to link independent clauses (complete sentences) with other material. Colons link an independent clause with an independent clause (when you want to emphasize the second clause) or a dependent clause (such as a list or an appositive), while semicolons can used to join two independent clauses and to separate items in lists with complex internal punctuation. For more information on how to use these punctuation marks, please consult the following resources:

updated June 18, 2019

Apostrophes

Apostrophes are mainly used to indicate possession and the omission of letters. For specific examples, please see the resources below: