Writing Skill: By: Dewi Untari M.PD

Writing Skill
By: Dewi Untari M.Pd

What is Writing
 "Writing" is the process of using symbols (letters of the
alphabet, punctuation and spaces) to communicate
thoughts and ideas in a readable form. Writing skills are
an important part of communication. Good writing skills
allow you to communicate your message clearly.
 In academic writing, it is essential to accurately use
punctuation as it helps to strengthen arguments that
are made in the text. Punctuation primarily helps to
indicate the pauses and the emphasis on certain ideas or
thoughts that are discussed in the text.
 To write clearly it is essential to understand the basic
system of a language. In English this includes knowledge of
grammar, punctuation and sentence structure.Vocabulary
is also necessary, as is correct spelling and formatting.
 Correct grammar, punctuation and sentence structure are
key in written communications.
PUNCTUATION
By: Dewi Untari M.Pd

Why is it important to pay attention
to punctuation usage in Writing?
 It make sentences more clearer.

 It make our writing is better organized.
 It can used to create sense, clarity and
stress in sentences
CAPITALIZATION
1. Every sentence begins with a capital letter.
ex: The painting on the wall was done by Picasso.
2. The first person singular subject pronoun, I, is always
capitalized.
ex: I didn't see her, but I called her.
3. The names of people, cities, countries, states, universities,
buildings, laws, languages, days, months are capitalized.
Ex:The Constitution of The United Stated was signed in Constitution Hall on
September 17, 1787.
Period, ‘Full Stop’ or ‘Point’(.)
1. Use a period to show the end of a sentence.
 Hockey is a popular sport in Canada.
 The federal government is based in Ottawa.
2. Use a period after certain abbreviations.
 B.C. is the province located on the West Coast.
 It is 4:00 p.m. in Halifax right now.
3. Special case –three dots. (this indicates that only a part of the sentences or
text has been quoted)
• The Lord’s Prayer begin, ‘Our Father which are in Heaven …’
4. Full stop after a single word.
Sometimes a single word can form the sentences. In this case you place a full
stop after as you would in any other sentence.
• “Goodbye”.
• “Hello”.
Question Mark (?)
Use a question mark at the end of a sentence to show a
direct question.
 How many provinces are there in Canada?
 Note: Do not use a question mark for indirect questions.
 The teacher asked the class a question. Do not ask me why.
 He asked me what my name was.
Exclamation marks!
 The exclamation mark is used to express exasperation or
surprise or to emphasize a comment or short phrase.
 It could be to :-
 Give a word more strength
 Show someone is shouting
 Add a sense of urgency
 For example:
HELP!
 1. Help! Help!
 2. That’s unbelievable!
 3. Get out!
Commonly-applied Punctuation Marks
•Period (.) Note: Periods,

Question Marks,
•Question Mark (?) and Exclamation
•Exclamation Point (!) Points are END
• Apostrophe ( ’ ) MARKS.
•Comma (,)
• Parentheses ( )
• Brackets [ ]
• Semicolon (;)
• Colon :
•Hyphen -
• Dash --
• Quotation Marks “”
Slides info source: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ppt
Graphics: Microsoft
Comma (,)
1. Use a comma to show a pause in a sentence.
-Therefore, we should write a letter to the prime minister.
2. Use a comma with quotation marks to show what someone
has said directly.
-“I can come today,” she said. “but not tomorrow.”
3. Use a commas for listing three or more different things.
-Ontario, Quebec, and B.C. are the three biggest provinces.
4. Use commas around relative clauses that add extra
information to a sentence.
-Emily Carr, who was born in 1871, was a great painter.
5. Use the comma in ‘tag question’
-She lives in Paris, doesn't’ t she?
-We haven’t met, have we?
Choose the correctly punctuated sentences below!
1.
a) My aunt who lives in Mumbai is a doctor.
b) My aunt, who lives in Mumbai, is a doctor.
c) My aunt, who lives in Mumbai is a doctor.
d) My aunt who lives in Mumbai, is a doctor.
2.
a) I met a beautiful , European woman.
b) I met a beautiful European woman.
c) I met a beautiful European, woman.
d) I met a beautiful , European, woman.
3. a) The journalist wrote that, “the movie was based on the real fact.”
b) The journalist wrote that the movie was based on the real fact.
c) The journalist wrote that, ‘the movie was based on the real fact.’
 d) The journalist wrote that, ‘the movie was based on the real fact.
Apostrophe (’)
1. Use an apostrophe to show ownership of something.
-This is David’s computer.
-These are the players things. (things that belong to the player)
Note: for nouns in plural form, put the apostrophe at the end of the noun.
-These are the players’ things. ( things that belong to the players)
We normally use (‘s) for people or animals
ex: -the girl’s name -the horse’s tail
We normally use (of… )for things
ex: - the name of the book
- the door of the garage
2. Use an apostrophe to indicate contraction.

-I don’t (do not) know how to fix it.
- he’s (he is) over there right now.
Choose the correctly punctuated sentences
below!
 a) John’s father is a bank manager.
b) John father is a bank manager.
c) John’s father, is a bank manager.
d) John’ father, is a bank manager.
Quotation Marks (“..”)
Use quotation marks to show what someone has said
directly.
 The prime minister said, “We will win the election .”
 “ I can come today. “she said, “but not tomorrow.”
The Colon
Not This one . . .

The colon is made with two periods.

It is used for time, and it comes before a list.
Example: 11:35pm
Example: I will need the following items from the store:
bananas, grapes, watermelon, and lemons.
Colon (:)
 The colon must come after a complete statement that could stand
on its own as a sentence.
1. Use a colon to introduce a list of things.
 Andy owns videotapes of his three favorite movies: Star Wars,The
Graduate, and Pee Wee's Big Adventure.
2. Use a colon to introduce a long quotation.
 The prime minister said: “We will fight. We will not give up. We will win the
next election.”
Note:You would NOT do the following:

 Incorrect: Andy's favorite movies are: Star Wars,The Graduate,
and Pee Wee's Big Adventure.
 The colon is not needed here because "Andy's favorite movies are"
is not a complete statement. No punctuation is needed after the
word "are" in this case.
Semicolon (;)
Use a semicolon to join related sentences together.
 The festival is very popular; people from all over the world visit
each year.
Use a semicolon in lists that already have commas.
 The three biggest cities in Canada are Toronto, Ontario; Montreal,
Quebec; and Vancouver, B.C.
Choose the correctly punctuated sentences below!
 a) Some people like to get up early in the morning; others would

not like to do so.
b) Some people, like to get up early in the morning; others would
not like to do so.
c) Some people like, to get up early in the morning, others would
not like to do so.
 a) She loves to eat ‘ice-cream chocolates sweets and chips’.

b) She loves to eat ice-cream, chocolate’s, sweet’s and chip’s.
c) She loves to eat ice-cream, chocolates, sweets and chips.
 d) She loves to eat: ice-cream, chocolates, sweets and chips.

Hyphens (-) and Dash
A hyphen joins two or more words together (ex, x-ray, door-to door) while a dash
separates words into parenthetical statements (ex, She was trapped - no escape was
possible).
Hyphens: (are not separated by spaces)
 Hypen are used to indicate numbers, years,
ex: 14-26, 1929-1941, eighteenth-century , week-end,, non-verbal:
For example:
1. I am thinking of re-covering my sofa.
2. France has a 35-hour working week.
Dashes: ( has a space on either side). The use is to pause for a moment to continuing. , or
to replace semicolon. There two common type of dash . Short dash (-) and long dash
(--)
1. Use a dash before and after a phrase or list that adds extra information in the middle of
a sentence.
 Disease – causing poor nutrition.
2. Use a dash to show that someone has been interrupted when speaking.
 The woman said, “ I want to ask – ‘ when the earthquake began to shake the room.
Brackets  and Parentheses ()
Brackets refers to square brackets  and Parentheses
refers to round brackets () and. Usually we use brackets
and parentheses or special purposes and to add further
explanation.
 For example:
 - Further explanation – The government ‘s education report
(April 2005) shows that the level of literacy is rising in nearly all
areas.
Underlining
(1) Titles of magazines, newspapars, and books are
underlined in handwriting and type writing italized in
printing.
Example:
He was a reporter for the New York Times for many years,
Soldier’s Pay, William Faulkner’s first novel, was published in
1926.
(2) Foreign phrases and words emphasized are underlined
in handwriting or type writing, italicized in printing.
Example:
The Spanish expression que le vaya bien about the same
thing as “good luck”

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Writing Skill

By: Dewi Untari M.Pd

By: Dewi Untari M.Pd

 It make sentences more clearer.

•Period (.) Note: Periods,

2. Use an apostrophe to indicate contraction.

The colon is made with two periods.

Note:You would NOT do the following:

 a) Some people like to get up early in the morning; others would

 a) She loves to eat ‘ice-cream chocolates sweets and chips’.

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