★ Section 1:Punctuation/Capitalization

1. . (period) A period serves to end a sentence and it is used to abbreviate words (e.g. Miss → Ms.) a. Example (used to end a sentence): Although tomatoes are not native to Italy, tomatoes are a staple ingredient in Italian cuisine. b. Example (used to abbreviate): I would love to visit Ms. Tomato Sandwich Shop in San Francisco. 2. , (comma) A comma is used to signify that words separated by a comma can switch places. a. Exampls: The different varieties of tomatoes include cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, roma tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, and heirloom tomatoes. 3. – (EM Dash) The EM Dash serves as a visual representation to guide readers to what the reader is intended to see (a visual emphasis). a. Example: After the Spanish colonized the Americas, the Spanish brought tomatoes – an Aztec plant – to Italy. 4. - (EN Dash) The EN Dash is used to hyphenate words together that do not form a compound word. a. Example: Tomatoes originated in the Peru-Ecuador-Bolivia area of the Andes.

5. : (colon) The colon is used to signify that whatever comes after a word is related to the word before; whatever comes next may be a list, definition, etc. a. Examples: Tomatoes were brought by the Spanish to two places in Italy: the city of Naples and a region of Campania. 6. ; (semicolon) The semicolon is used to connect independent clauses a. Examples: Tomatoes are versatile; Tomatoes can be used in salads and used to make sauces. 7. ? (question mark) A question mark ends an interrogative sentence (i.e. question) a. Examples: When were tomatoes first introduced to Italy? (Tomatoes were first introduced to Italy in 1548.) 8. ! (exclamation mark) An exclamation mark ends an exclamatory sentence; an exclamation mark emphasizes. a. Examples: Tomatoes are not indigenous to Italy! 9. ‘ (apostrophe) Apostrophes are used in contractions. Apostrophes are also used to show possession. Apostrophes are also used when a quote contains quotation marks. a. Examples: Italy’s most famous dishes generally all call for tomatoes in their recipes. 10. “ ” (quotation marks) Quotations are used to include text that does not belong to the author in the author's work. a. Examples: In the article “Tomatoes and the Aztecs” by Plews Garden Design, the author explains, “The tomato was most definitely in domestication by the Aztecs by the early sixteenth century. Aztec writing includes recipes containing peppers, tomatoes and seasoning – an early salsa recipe, no less!” 11. … (ellipses) Ellipses signify something is unsaid, so ellipses may end a sentence and to condense citations. a. Examples: Weeks later… the tomato plant finally gave fruit. 12. [ ] (brackets) Brackets are used to include additional information. a. Examples: They [tomatoes] are a great snack to take on the go.

13. ( ) (parenthesis) Parentheses are used to include parenthetical information (i.e. information that is unnecessary, but not necessarily unimportant or useless) a. Examples: Adoro I pomodori (I love tomatoes). 14. / (backslash) Backslashes are used to signify decisions (e.g. and/or) a. Examples: From a young age, Italian girls/boys learn to make tomato sauce.

Rules of capitalization

a. Capitalize the first word of a sentence. 1. Example: Tomatoes are red and round. b. Capitalize names and other proper nouns. 1. Example: Nowadays, you can even order tomatoes from Amazon. c. Do not capitalize after a colon i. Exceptions: (1)When the word following the colon is a proper noun. (2)When the words following the colon form one or more complete sentences. 1. Example: I have one favorite dish that uses tomatoes: spaghetti. 2. Example II: (capitalize after a colon when the word following the colon is a proper noun) There is only one city I want to visit to eat spaghetti: Italy.

a. Capitalize the first word of a quote when the quote is a complete sentence. 1. Example: I asked, ”When are we going to make spaghetti?” b. Capitalize days, months, and holidays, but do not capitalize seasons. 1. Example: Tomato season is between the first of June and the 30th of September. c. Capitalize most words in titles i. Hint: capitalize first words, all nouns, all verbs, all adjectives, and all proper nouns; lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositions 1. Example: In the book Tomato Rhapsody: A Fable of Love, Lust and Forbidden Fruit, food, more specifically the tomato, plays an important role to the story. d. Capitalize cities, countries, nationalities, and languages 1. Example: Italy uses Roma tomatoes the most in its dishes. e. Capitalize time periods and events (sometimes) 1. Example: La Tomatina is an event held in Spain in which people have a food fight with each other using overripe tomatoes.