The Studio Ghibli Book of Writing

PUNCTUATION . period Function: Ends a sentence and abbreviated.

Sentence: Sophie encounters a wizard named Howl. , comma Function: Used to separate words, phrases, or ideas, and to set off dialogue or quotations.

Sentence: Jealous, the Witch of the Waste curses Sophie, turning her into an old woman.

– em dash Function: Set off extra information, such as examples, explanatory or descriptive phrases, or supplemental facts.

Sentence: Howl's fire demon, Calcifer, makes a deal with Sophie—if she breaks the contract he is under with Howl, then Calcifer will lift the curse that Sophie is under, and she will return to normal.

- en dash Function: Used to represent a range of data, numbers, or time.

Sentence: Under the curse, Sophie physically becomes a 90-year-old elderly woman. : colon Function: Used to separate two independent clauses when the second explains or illustrates the first.

Sentence: Sophie repeatedly says: “It’s not easy being old.” ; semicolon Function: Used to link two independent clauses which are closely related in idea.

Sentence: Howl wants Sophie to go to the King to tell him that Howl is too much of a coward to fight; Sophie does not want to go. ? question mark Function: Used to punctuate direct and indirect questions.

Sentence: Why doesn’t Sophie trust Howl? And why does Suliman, the King’s sorcerer, seem so suspicious? ! exclamation point Function: Used to express surprise, astonishment, or exasperation, or well as to emphasize a short pause or comment.

Sentence: It would be so much easier if Howl would not beat around the bush! ' apostrophe Function: Used in possession and for contractions.

Sentence: Sophie discovers that Howl’s existence is inextricably linked to Calcifer’s " " quotation marks Function: Used to represent exact language spoken or written by someone else.

Sentence: Eavesdropping, the Witch of the Waste grabs on Calcifer, screaming: “It’s mine!” ... ellipsis Function: Used to omit a phrase, word, or line from a quoted section to remove material that is less relevant.

Sentence: In a panic, Sophie pours water onto the Witch…which douses Calcifer. [ ] brackets Function: Used to include information that is inserted into a quote as well as a parenthetical material within a parenthesis.

Sentence: Sophie watches a child Howl catch a falling star [Calcifer] and give him his heart. ( ) parenthesis Function: Close incidental or extra information.

Sentence: Sophie whispers (after pushing Howl’s heart back into his chest), “A heart’s a heavy burden.” / forward slash Function: Used to indicate a choice between words it seperates.

Sentence: Although the curse is broken, her hair stays white – a sign that her learning and maturity/experience are intact.