Chapter 7 Verbal and Written Communications 163
Many abbreviations formerly followed by a period have now dropped
that punctuation. Examples of this include academic degrees (BA, MA,
AA) and two-letter state abbreviations (CA, TX, SC).
Question Marks. The question mark is used after a word or sentence that
asks a question.
Example: What? Are you kidding?
Exclamation Points. Another form of end punctuation is the exclamation
point. Exclamation points are used to express strong emotions.
Example: I passed my exam!
Internal Punctuation
Punctuation marks within a sentence are called internal punctuation.
Internal punctuation marks include commas, dashes, parentheses, semico-
lons, colons, hyphens, apostrophes, and quotation marks.
Commas. Punctuation marks used to separate elements in a sentence are
called commas. Commas provide breaks or pauses in a sentence, helping
readers to more easily understand sentences. Commas are also used to
separate items in a series.
Examples: Doctors, nurses, and physical therapists will be at the
career fair.
Dorothy got the job by having an excellent résumé, an impres-
sive application, and a great attitude.
Louis enjoyed his internship in Dr. Martin’s offi ce, but he was
sorry he didn’t choose an internship in a hospital setting.
Some styles (preferred by newspapers and written communication in
England) eliminate the last comma when separating items in a series. For
example: I prefer to wear a lab coat, a name badge and comfortable shoes. Here,
the comma is eliminated after name badge. However, the Chicago Manual
of Style and most other style manuals dictate that a fi nal comma appear
before the conjunction, as shown in the examples above.
Dashes. Also called em dashes, these punctuation marks separate elements
in a sentence or signal an abrupt change of thought. The dash provides a
stronger break than a comma.
Example: I need my anatomy book—I lost it again—before the quiz.
There are also en dashes, which are shorter than an em dash, but longer
than a hyphen. The en dash is used to indicate a range of values, such as a
span of time or a range of numbers.
Examples: 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
Monday–Friday
ages 5–9