Punctuation
మాట్లాడునపుడు మనము అక్కడక్కడ అగుచు, కంఠధ్వని హెచ్చు తగ్గులచే మన అభిప్రాయమును ఎదుటివారికి స్పష్టీకరింతుము. మనము వ్రాయునపుడు గాని వ్రాసిన గ్రంథము చదువునపుడు గాని అదే స్పష్టత ఉండవలెనన్న Marks of Punctuation (విరామ చిహ్నములు) వాడవలెను. అట్టి Marks of Punctuation లేని వాక్యమును చదువునపుడు దానికి తప్పుటర్థము రావచ్చును ; అప్పుడప్పుడు అర్థము చేసికొనుటయు కష్టమగును. &: The young man says the old man is a fool. (Punctuation reveals the fool) ; as: (1) “The young man” says the old man “is a fool”. (2) The young man says, “The old man is a fool”.
ఈ దిగువ నుదహరించిన Punctuation Marks సాధారణముగా వాడుకలోనున్నవి.
1. Comma (,)
2. Semicolon (;)
3. Colon (:)
4. Full stop or Period (.)
5. Note or Mark of Interrogation (?)
6. Note or Mark of Exclamation (!)
7. Quotation Marks or inverted Commas (“”)
8. The Apostrophe (‘)
ఇందు మొదటి నాలుగు విరామ చిహ్నములు.
Read and Learn more English Grammar Topics
1. The comma marks the shortest pause. Its chief uses are: A. In a Simple sentence:
(a) Between nouns or pronouns in apposition; as :
Rama, the son of Dasharatha, ruled over Ajodhya.
b) To separate the same parts of speech, unless they are grouped by and:
1. He wrote accurately, forcibly and readily.
2. She glanced, smiled and bowed
(c) To separate each pair of words connected by and or as:
1. High and low, rich and poor, wise and foolish must all die.
2. By night or by day, at home or abroad, asleep or awake, he is a constant source of anxiety to his father.
(d) To indicate the omission of a verb; as:
1. To err is human, to forgive, divine.
2. Reading market a full man; conference, a ready man; and writing, an exact man.
(e) After an absolute construction; as:
(1) The sun having set, we all went home.
(2) To be plain with you, I do not believe your words.
(f) After the Nominative of Address; as
1. Boys, sit down.
2. Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears.
(g) To introduce a sentence in Direct Speech; as:- He said, “I shall go now”.
(h) Afterword’s and phrases placed at the beginning of a sentence; as :-
1. Courageously, he undertook the leadership.
2. Straining every muscle, he won that race.
(a) Before and after, all short parentheses; as- The poor fellow, I am sorry to say, died the same evening.
B. In a Compound sentence the co-ordinate clauses are separated by commas when they are expressed at full length; as:-
He called at my house, but I was not at home.
N.B. But when the co-ordinate clauses are not ex-pressed at full length the comma is omitted; as:—-
I made haste and caught him.
C. In a Complex sentence an Adverb Clause is generally separated by a comma from the principal clause; as:- He will succeed, because he works hard.
But the comma is omitted when the Adverb Clause is either elliptical or very short.
1. He likes you better than me.
2. Send me word before you start.
(b) The Semicolon marks a longer pause than the comma. It is used;
(a) To separate long Co-ordinate Clause; as :-
Honesty of purpose in worldly affairs has many advantages over deceit; it is a safer way of dealing with men; it inspires men with greater confidence.
(b) To give greater emphasis to different clauses :-
1. The coconut tree gives us food; it gives us drink; it gives us material for roofing; it gives us oil; it gives us rope; it supplies us, indeed, with all the necessaries of life.
2. As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but as he was ambitious, I slew him. So there is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his ambi- tion.
c. The colon marks a longer pause than the semico- lon. It is used:
(a) When what follows confirms, repeats or amplifies the previous statement:
It is said that sleep is best before midnight; and nature hereself with her darkness informs us so (confirmation).
(b) Before enumerations (with or without the dash).
(1) The principal forms of a verb in English are: the present tense, the past tense and the past participle.
(2) The following articles are found in his pocket :- a pencil, a pen knife, a bit of chalk.
(c) To introduce a quotation or an example :-
(1) Dickens said: “It is better to be three hours earlier than one minute late”.
(2) The following is a good example: (amplication)
d. The Full Stop or Period.
It marks the longest pause and is used:
(a) At the end of every complete sentence, except inter- rogative and exclamatory ones:
(b) After abbreviations:
B.A. (= Bachelor of Arts). B.C. (=Before Christ).
Jan. (for January), Lat. = (Latin)
Note: (1) When the first and last letters of the abbreviation are also those of the full word, the full stop is omitted as: Wt. (=for weight), fot. (=for feet); Gk. (=for Greek); Mr. (=forMister)..
e. Note or mark of Interrogation.
It is used after:
(a) Direct questions. The sentence following must be commenced with a capital:-
1. Where was he born? When did he die ?
2. He asked me, “Have you been long at college?”
(b) Interrogative sentences which are in the form of statements or assertions:-
You came here to see your father?
Note: 1. Indirect questions do not take a mark of inter- rogation after them :-
He asked me if I had been long at college.
Note: 2. No question mark is needed at the end, when a polite request is made in an interrogative form :-
1. Could you kindly speak to your brother about my appointment.
2. Will you please grant me leave for to-day.
3. May I assure you of my hearty co-operation. The Note or Mark of Exclamation (!)
It is used to denote joy, sorrow, surprise etc., or when addressing a person. It is placed after interjections and after phrases and sentences expressing sudden emotion or wish:
(1) Alas!
(2) Ah me!
(3) What a fine house it is!
(4) Long live the king!
(5) Miserable man! You have been well punished.
(f)Quotation Marks or Inverted Commas(“……”)
They are used to enclose a quaotation or words in Divect speech :-
1. Solomon said, “Spare the rod and spoil the child”.
2. “Never mind”, she replied, “it made known to me what was wanted”.
Note: In the above, the reporting verb breaks up the quotation.
3. My friend replied, “Was it not Shakespeare who ob- served: ‘Give every man ear but few thy voice’?”
Note: If a quotation occurs within a quotation, it is marked by single quotation marks.
(g). The apostrophe () It is used (1) to mark the omission of a letter or a syllable or syllables; as: e’en (even), couldn’t (could not), don’t (do not), ven’ble (venerable).
2. In the Possessive case of Nouns: as: Rama’s book; Girls’ school.
3. To form the plural of letters and figures: as:
(1) Dot your i’s and cross your t’s
(2) Add two 5s and four 2s.
Ex. 55. B.
(a) Insert Commas where necessary, in the following, giving reasons:-
(1) The triple alliance consists of Germany, Austria and Italy.
(2) The roof of the house having caught fire the inmates fled and remained outside the house until the fire was put out.
(3) He found as I expected that the house he had lately purchased was a bad one.
(4) I remain my dear sir yours faithfully Ramarao.
(5) To tell you the truth I should be glad to retire from business altogether.
(6) The boatman shouted to a man on shore throw out the rope.
(7) In fact of all that was subscribed I gave the largest amount.
(8) A snake sleeping in the grass will bite if any one treads upon it.
(9) Potti Sreeramulu a disciple of Gandhi worked for Harijan uplift.
(10) He was a wise learned and honest judge.
(11) From morning till noon from noon to evening from evening to midnight this same grief never leaves him.
(12) O King live for ever.
(13) He was a Brahmin; she a Rajput.
(b) Insert Semicolons, in the following giving reasons:-
(1) To-day we love what to-morrow we hate to-day we seek what to-morrow we shun to-day we desire what to-morrow we fear.
(2) I met him as he was leaving his house otherwise I should not have known him where he lived.
(3) I refused to do what he asked me to do for I was convinced that he had been misinformed of the facts.
(4) If a king violates the solemn engagements if he oppresses, extorts, robs if he imprisons, confiscates, banishes at his sole will and pleasure his defence is that it is his privilege because the people are his subjects.
(5) The heavens declare the glory of God and the firma- ment showeth his handiwork.
(c) Insert Colons in the following, giving reasons:
(1) The following boys are absent Rama, Krishna and Satyanarayana.
(2) Strive above all things, in whatever station of life you may be, there is no happiness in life without it. Tennyson says more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. (d) Punctuate the following passage, using capitals where necessary :-
(1) he perceiving my shadow on the wall by his bedside asked who was there sir I am here quoth i if i might see your grace well what is the time said he to me.
(2) how are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle I am distressed for thee my brother jonathan Nonsense how can you talk such rubbish.
(3) They had played together in infancy they had worked together in manhood they were now tottering about and gossiping away the evening of life and in a short time they will probably be buried together in the neighbouring church- yard.
(4) The carthagenian army was composed entirely of mercenary troops africa spain and gaul were their recruiting grounds and these countries were an inexhaustible treasury of warriors as long as the money lasted which the recruits re- ceived as pay.