Punctuate the following sentence.
i am so sorry madam
Answers
I am so sorry, madam.
Explanation:
Punctuations add pauses in a long, winding sentence, to make the sentence more pleasant to read. However, punctuations are not added randomly; they are added reasonably and only to enhance clarity.
All sentences end with a "full stop" or a "period" (.). In order to properly add punctuations to any passage or a sentence, we start by placing a full stop or a period at the sentence endings. Therefore, the given sentence must also have a full stop at its end.
Next, we look for a place (or places) to add the next most widely used punctuation, the "comma" (,). The comma implies a pause in a sentence. Again, it is not placed randomly just because the sentence is getting too long. A comma is placed in specific cases, some of which are being mentioned below:
1) When there are two different clauses in a sentence, like in a compound sentence, for example-
- We were headed to the airport, and it started pouring.
- Sam, who was the tallest in class, played basketball.
2) While using direct speech, for example-
"I do not know her name," said Sarah. (Note: The comma comes before the quotes close.)
3) While listing something in a sentence, for example-
She knows how to cook, draw, sing, and dance. (Note: The comma comes before "and".)
4) While addressing someone, for example-
Penny, you should not do this.
In our given sentence, "madam" is being apologised to, and so we place a comma after "sorry" as a rule. In some other cases, depending on the sentence, the comma may or may not be necessary after the sorry. However, when the individual or collection of people being apologised to has been mentioned after the apology, a comma is necessary. The easiest way to spot the position for a comma is to read aloud the sentence and see if it needs a pause anywhere.
Besides these two frequently used punctuations, some others are also used, some of which are being mentioned, but they would not be necessary for the given sentence.
- The Question Mark (?) - poses a question.
- The Exclamation Mark (!) - emphasizes or exclaims a passion.
- The Colon (:) - initiates a list or series of something.
- The Semicolon (;) - it is a pause that is shorter than the full stop but longer than the comma.
- The Brackets ( () ) - can pose additional information for a sentence, without which also the sentence would be just fine.
- The Quotation Marks ( " " ) - any direct speech or quotation is introduced within these. In the given sentence, the speaker has not been mentioned, and so we omit using the quotation marks.