PUNCTUATION AND PUNCTUATION INDICATOR

Punctuation Marks and Use of the Punctuation Indicator: Since numerals and punctuation marks are represented by identical lower-cell braille symbols, the punctuation indicator must be used before one or before a sequence of two or more of the punctuation marks listed below when they follow a numeral or any other mathematical expression.

Punctuation Indicator
Punctuation Marks		Apostrophe , Colon : Exclamation Point ! Period .
Question Mark	?
Quotation Marks		Outer (opening and closing) " " Innter (opening and closing) ' '
Semicolon	;

1. 5 and 3 are 8; 5 and 13 are 18.
   

2. "Do 6 and 4 equal 10?"
   

Punctuation Marks and Nonuse of the Punctuation Indicator:

Hyphen	-
Dash (short)	--
Comma		Literary , Mathematical   American* , Continental* .

^*Although the symbols for the American and Continental commas differ from print, the difference is not shown in braille. A transcriber's note must be included at the beginning of the braille text to inform the reader of the Continental usage in the ink-print edition.

1. Hyphen and dash: The punctuation indicator must not be used before the hyphen or the dash. Unless otherwise stated, a word or part of a word joined to a numeral by the hyphen or the dash must be contracted and punctuated according to the rules of English braille. A space must be left between a hyphen and an adjoining dash.
   1. He bought a 6-cent stamp.
      

   2. An octagon is 8-sided.
      

   3. 1-ary is the same as unary.
      

   4. 12--one dozen--costs 48 cents.
      

   5. It is 5- --as shown-- not 6-sided.
      

2. Mathematical Comma: The mathematical comma must be used for a comma occuring in a long numeral or following a numeral or other mathematical expression. The punctuation indicator must not be used before the mathematical comma.
   1. In 1,234,567, 1,3,5,and 7 are odd numbers.
      

   2. Add: 10,20, and 30.
      

   3. Chapter 5, Exercise 2, Page 23.
      

   4. 1935
      
      (the Continental comma is shown in print)

      Note: In a sequence of punctuation marks, the punctuation indicator must precede the first punctuation mark following a mathematical expression. However, it is omitted before the mathematical comma, the hyphen, or the dash.

   5. 6-, 7-, and 8-sided figures.
      

   6. It is "plus 3", not "minus 3."
      

   7. In "Figure 4", find the area.
      

   8. "The answer is 10--," he paused.
      

3. Literary Comma: The literary comma must be used when a comma follows a word, an English braille numeral, or any other literary expression. The punctuation indicator must not be used before the literary comma.
   1. The polygon is 5-sided, not 6-sided.
      

   2. The sum, 4,426, is correct.
      

   3. Six-, seven-, and eight-sided figures.
      

   4. "We paused--," he said.
      

   5. Copyright 1958, 1962, and 1970
      
      (numerals on a title page)