Kurt Vonnegut once wrote, “Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons…All they do is show you’ve been to college.” Unfortunately, the writers of the PSAT don’t quite agree. They want you to know how to use the semicolon and a few other types of weird punctuation as well. In this chapter, we’re going to talk about the varieties of punctuation that the PSAT wants you to know how to use. Learn these few simple rules, and you’ll be all set on the punctuation questions.

First and foremost, remember how you can spot a question that’s asking about punctuation. Start by asking,

If you see punctuation marks—commas, periods, apostrophes, semicolons, colons—changing, then the question is testing punctuation. Then, as you work the problem, make sure to ask the big question:

The particular punctuation mark you are using—no matter what it is—must have a specific role within the sentence. You wouldn’t use a question mark without a question, would you? Nope! Well, all punctuation works that way, and in what follows, we’ll give you about seven basic instances in which you would use some type of punctuation. Otherwise, let the words do their thing unobstructed!

STOP, GO, AND THE VERTICAL LINE TEST

Let’s get the weird ones out of the way first. Everyone knows that a period ends a sentence, but even particularly nerdy grammarians can get lost when things get more complicated. Because of this confusion, we’ve come up with a basic chart that summarizes the different times you might use what the PSAT calls “end-of-sentence” and “middle-of-sentence” punctuation.

Notice that we’ve already used one form of STOP punctuation at the end of this sentence: a period.

In this case, the period is linking these two complete ideas. But the nice thing about STOP punctuation is that you can really use any of the punctuation in the list to do the same thing, so we could also say this:

What the list of STOP punctuation shows us is that essentially, a period and a semicolon are the same thing. We could say the same for the use of a comma plus one of the FANBOYS.

You can also use HALF-STOP punctuation to separate two complete ideas, so you could say

There’s a subtle difference, however, between STOP and HALF-STOP punctuation: for STOP, both ideas have to be complete, but for HALF-STOP, only the first one does.

Let’s see what this looks like. If we want to link a complete idea and an incomplete idea, we can use HALF-STOP punctuation as long as the complete idea is first. For example,

When you use HALF-STOP, there has to be a complete idea before the punctuation, so these examples wouldn’t be correct:

When you are not linking two complete ideas, you can use GO punctuation. So you could say, for instance,

These are the three types of mid-sentence or end-of-sentence punctuation: STOP, HALF-STOP, and GO. You’ll notice that there is a bit of overlap between the concepts, but the writers of the PSAT couldn’t possibly make you get into the minutiae of choosing between, say, a period and a semicolon. If you can figure out which of the big three (STOP, HALF-STOP, and GO) categories you’ll need, that’s all you need to be able to do.

In the following exercise, choose the type of punctuation that will correctly work in the blank. Some questions have more than one answer! Check your answers on this page.

As always, check what’s changing in the answer choices. In this case, the words all stay the same. All that changes is the punctuation, and notice the types of punctuation that are changing: STOP and GO.

Now, when you see STOP punctuation changing in the answer choices, you can do a little something we like to call the Vertical Line Test.

Draw a line where you see the punctuation changing—in this case, between the words friends and he. Then, read up to the vertical line: Noah took the PSAT way more seriously than many of his friends. That’s Complete. Now, read after the vertical line: he was almost certain he’d get a National Merit honor of some kind. That’s also Complete.

So let’s think; we’ve got two complete ideas here. What kind of punctuation do we need? STOP or HALF-STOP. It looks like STOP is the only one available, so choose (D).

Check the answer choices. What’s changing? It looks like the punctuation is changing, and some of that punctuation is STOP. Let’s use the Vertical Line Test. Draw a vertical line where you see the punctuation: between scores and over in the underlined portion.

What’s before the vertical line? He really wanted to make sure he had balanced scores is complete. Then, over 700 for both is not. Therefore, because we have one complete idea (the first) and one incomplete idea (the second), we can’t use STOP punctuation, thus eliminating (A) and (B).

Now, what’s different between the last two? Choice (C) contains HALF-STOP punctuation, which can work, so we’ll keep that. Choice (D) adds some words, with which the second idea becomes he wanted over 700 for both, which is complete. That makes two complete ideas separated by a comma, but what do we need when we’re separating two complete ideas? STOP punctuation! Eliminate (D)! Only (C) is left.

The punctuation is changing in the answer choices, and there’s some STOP punctuation, so let’s use the Vertical Line Test. Put the line between practice and he. The first idea, Every day after Noah got home from baseball practice, is incomplete, and the second idea, he hit the books, is complete. Therefore, we can’t use STOP (which needs two complete ideas) or HALF-STOP (which needs a complete idea before the punctuation), thus eliminating (A) and (B). Then, because there is no good reason to put a comma after the word he, the best answer must be (D).

A SLIGHT PAUSE FOR COMMAS

Commas can be a little tricky. In the last question (#3), we got down to two answers, (C) and (D), after having completed the Vertical Line Test. But then, how do you decide whether to keep a comma in or not? It seems a little arbitrary to say that you use a comma “every time you want to pause,” so let’s make that thought a little more concrete.

We’ve already seen the first two concepts, so let’s look at the third and fourth.

First, check what’s changing in the answer choices. It looks like the commas in this list are changing. Because there’s not any obvious STOP or HALF-STOP punctuation, the Vertical Line Test won’t do us much good.

Then, it will help to know that that the PSAT wants a comma after every item in a series. Think of it this way. There’s a potential misunderstanding in this sentence:

Without a comma, it sure sounds like this guy has some interesting parents. If there’s no comma, how do we know that this sentence isn’t supposed to say his parents are my cat Violet and my dog Stuart? The only way to remove the ambiguity would be to add a comma like this:

Keep that in mind as we try to crack question 4. In this problem, English, physics, and history form a list or series, so they should be set off from one another by commas, as they are in (B).

First, check what’s changing in the answer choices. Just commas. And those commas seem to be circling around the words it was clear to everyone. When you have a few commas circling around a word, phrase, or clause like this, the question is usually testing necessary versus unnecessary information.

A good way to test whether the idea is necessary to the meaning of the sentence is to take it out. Read the original sentence again. Now read this one: Noah had a really good shot at being a National Merit finalist.

Is the sentence still complete? Yes. Has the meaning of the sentence changed? No, we just lost a little extra thing. Therefore, the idea is unnecessary to the meaning of the sentence and should be set off with commas, as it is in (A).

Let’s try a few more. Try to figure out whether the word or idea in italics is necessary to the meaning of the sentence.

Check what’s changing in the answer choices. There are varying numbers of commas in varying places. Remember, the rule of thumb with commas is that if you can’t cite a reason to use a comma, don’t use one.

It looks like he had a real shot is being set off by commas. Let’s see whether it’s necessary or unnecessary information. Read the original sentence; then read the sentence again without that piece of information: All his teachers believed when he sat down to take the test. It looks like the sentence has changed meaning and is not really complete anymore. Therefore, that bit of information is necessary to the meaning of the sentence, so it doesn’t need commas. Then, there are no good reasons to put commas around or in the word down.

In the end, there aren’t reasons to put commas anywhere in this sentence. The best answer is (D). Sometimes the PSAT will test unnecessary punctuation explicitly, so make sure you have a good reason to use commas when you use them!

YOUR GOING TO BE TESTED ON APOSTROPHE’S (AND INTERNET SPELLING IS A TERRIBLE GUIDE!)

As with commas, apostrophes have only a very limited set of applications. Apostrophes are a little trickier, though, because you can’t really hear them in speech, so people misuse them all the time. Think about the header of this section. The apostrophes are wrong there. Here’s the correct way of punctuating it: You’re going to be tested on apostrophes. Can you hear the difference? Neither can we.

Check what’s changing in the answer choices. In this case, the words are all staying the same, but the apostrophes are changing. Remember: we don’t want to use apostrophes at all if we can’t cite a good reason to do so.

Does anything belong to schools or applications? No! Are they forming contractions like school is or application is? No! Therefore, there’s no reason to use apostrophes, and the only possible answer is (D), which dispenses with the apostrophes altogether.

As in the previous question, there’s no need for any punctuation, and in a question like this, the PSAT is testing whether you can spot unnecessary punctuation.

But sometimes the apostrophes will be necessary. Let’s have a look at another.

Check what’s changing in the answer choices. The main changes have to do with apostrophes, particularly on the words its/it’s and your/you’re.

The first word, its/it’s, needs an apostrophe: it creates the contraction it is. Therefore, because this one needs an apostrophe, get rid of (B) and (C). As for the other, this word is possessive (as in, the score belonging to you). Remember that possessive nouns need an apostrophe, but possessive pronouns don’t. Therefore, because you is a pronoun, this word should be spelled your, as it is in (D).

Phew! These apostrophes can get a little tricky, so let’s try a few more. On these (as on many parts of the PSAT), you’ll find that using your ear, sounding things out, doesn’t really help all that much.

Circle the option that works. The big question is this: apostrophes or no apostrophes?

CONCLUSION

In sum, we’ve looked at all the punctuation you’d ever need on the PSAT. It’s really not so much, and you probably knew a lot of it already. In general, checking what’s changing in the answer choices can help reveal mistakes that you may not have heard, and POE can help you narrow those answers down.

Punctuation rules are easy to learn, as is the biggest rule of all about punctuation.

Know why you are using punctuation, whether that punctuation is STOP, HALF-STOP, GO, commas, or apostrophes. If you can’t cite reasons to use these punctuation marks, don’t use them!

In the last few pages of this chapter, try out these skills on a drill.

Answers to Questions on this page:

1. NECESSARY to the meaning of the sentence (no commas). If you remove the italicized part, the sentence is not adequately specific.

2. UNNECESSARY to the meaning of the sentence (commas). If you remove the italicized part, the sentence is still complete and does not change meaning.

3. NECESSARY to the meaning of the sentence (no commas). If you remove the italicized part, the sentence is not adequately specific.

4. UNNECESSARY to the meaning of the sentence (commas). If you remove the italicized part, the sentence is still complete and does not change meaning.

5. NECESSARY to the meaning of the sentence (no commas). If you remove the italicized part, the sentence is no longer complete.

Answers to Questions on this page:

1. Salim’s, he’s, Tuesday’s

2. It’s, their

3. justifications, your, there

4. We’re, application’s

5. They’re, their, won’t, it’s, ours

Writing and Language Drill 2

Click here to download a PDF of Chapter 8 Writing and Language Drill 2.

Time: 5–6 minutes. Check your answers in Part IV.

There is no question that the United States is a country of 1 immigrants, the original countries of those immigrants varies so much that it can be tough to know who has contributed what. Moreover, different groups have come at different 2 time’s for they’re different reason’s. In the late 1980s and early 3 1990s, for instance, those, from the former Soviet Union arrived in large numbers on American shores.

1. A) NO CHANGE

B) immigrants, and

C) immigrants and

D) immigrants. And

2. A) NO CHANGE

B) time’s for their different reason’s.

C) times for they’re different reasons.

D) times for their different reasons.

3. A) NO CHANGE

B) 1990s, for instance those

C) 1990s, for instance, those

D) 1990s for instance those

This may seem a bit late, given that most of the USSR and USSR-affiliated empires fell around 1990 (starting with East Germany and 4 it’s Berlin Wall in 1989) in fact the largest migrations of Soviets and ex-Soviets happened just after the Union had fallen. Indeed, whatever the shortcomings of the socialist republic, the real poverty, 5 depression and deprivation, began in earnest when the government was no longer tasked with providing basic necessities. As a result, while there had been a somewhat steady flow of immigration from the USSR since 6 the 1970s, the largest numbers came to the United States in the early 1990s.

4. A) NO CHANGE

B) its Berlin Wall in 1989), in fact,

C) it’s Berlin Wall in 1989). In fact,

D) its Berlin Wall in 1989); in fact,

5. A) NO CHANGE

B) depression, and deprivation

C) depression, and, deprivation

D) depression, and deprivation,

6. A) NO CHANGE

B) 1970s the

C) 1970s—the

D) 1970s. The

Whether we realize it or not, the contributions of these Russian expatriates are with us everywhere. The 7 co-founder, of Google, Sergey Brin, came to the United States from Moscow at the age of 6 in 1979. Singer-songwriter Regina Spektor moved at the age of 9 in 1989, the same year that historian Artemy Kalinovsky arrived with his 8 parents. These and other children of the Soviet Union continue to shape the American experience in all kinds of positive and enlightening ways.

7. A) NO CHANGE

B) co-founder of Google. Sergey Brin,

C) co-founder of Google, Sergey Brin,

D) co-founder, of Google, Sergey Brin

8. A) NO CHANGE

B) parents, today, these

C) parents. Today, these

D) parents today; these

In the same year and at the same age as Brin, a 9 writer, named David Bezmozgis, moved, with his family, from Riga, Latvia, then under Soviet control. While he has undoubtedly been one of the great success stories of Soviet immigration to North America (Canada in this case), he has found that success in detailing the difficult and often conflicting motivations that many people had for leaving the Soviet Union. While we have become comfortable believing that the Soviets came to North America looking for freedom, whatever that term may 10 mean. Bezmozgis shows that this was not always the case and that “freedom” could remain an elusive dream even for those who made the trip successfully. His first 11 novel The Free World, was published in 2011 to great critical acclaim.

As we think about the fact that ours is a nation of immigrants, we would be severely limited if we believed that people came from all over the world to assimilate to the American way of life. In fact, the peoples of the world may have become American, but they have done so while shaping and reshaping the meaning of that term in ever richer ways.

9. A) NO CHANGE

B) writer, named David Bezmozgis moved with his family,

C) writer named, David Bezmozgis, moved, with his family,

D) writer named David Bezmozgis moved with his family

10. A) NO CHANGE

B) mean:

C) mean,

D) mean;

11. A) NO CHANGE

B) novel: The

C) novel—The

D) novel, The

Chapter 8

Punctuation

WAIT; THE PSAT WANTS ME TO KNOW HOW TO USE A SEMICOLON?

STOP, GO, AND THE VERTICAL LINE TEST

A SLIGHT PAUSE FOR COMMAS

YOUR GOING TO BE TESTED ON APOSTROPHE’S (AND INTERNET SPELLING IS A TERRIBLE GUIDE!)

CONCLUSION

Writing and Language Drill 2