The Canadian Style
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Chapters
- + Abbreviations
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- - Close Punctuation
- Introduction to Punctuation
- Spacing
- The Period, Main purpose
- Imperatives, exclamations and indirect questions
- Ellipsis points
- Leaders
- Other uses
- Periods properly omitted
- The Question Mark, Main purpose
- Requests, indirect questions and other uses
- The Exclamation Mark, Main purpose
- The Exclamation Mark, Miscellaneous
- The Comma, General
- Restrictive/non-restrictive
- The Comma, Co-ordinate elements
- Clarity and emphasis
- Omitted words
- Quotations, etc.
- Names and titles
- Dates, geographical names and addresses
- Commas properly omitted
- The Semicolon, Between independent clauses
- The Semicolon, Co-ordinate elements
- Misuse and overuse
- The Colon, Between independent clauses
- Annunciatory function
- The Colon, Miscellaneous
- Misuse
- Parentheses, General
- Clarification
- Punctuation with parentheses
- Afterthoughts and asides
- Parentheses within parentheses
- Legal documents
- Letters and numerals
- Square Brackets, General
- Use within parentheses
- Use
- Multiples
- The Em Dash, General
- Enumerations
- Interruptions, pauses, afterthoughts, clarifications and emphasis
- Summarizing
- Material in apposition
- Headings
- Lists and tables
- Punctuation with em dash
- The En Dash, Numerals
- Compound expressions
- Compound words
- Spelling and enunciation
- The Oblique, General
- Abbreviations
- The Oblique, Numerals
- Alternatives and headings
- Possession
- Inanimate possessors
- Compounds
- Two nouns (group genitive)
- Geographical names
- Institutions and organizations
- Its
- Contractions
- Plurals
- Vertical Lists, General
- Use of colon
- Numbering
- Use of semicolon
- Complete sentences
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7.24 Misuse and overuse
Although most writers tend to underuse rather than overuse the semicolon, a writing style that employs a large number of semicolons is likely to be heavy and dull. Consider using the dash, colon or comma instead.
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