The following videos offer guidance for some of the most common punctuation issues seen in college-level student writing.

Apostrophes

Correct apostrophe usage is part punctuation, part spelling. The following short videos walk through 3 of the most common sets of apostrophe “trouble words.” If you aren’t always clear which one goes where, these will serve as handy guides.

Its & It’s

There, Their, & They’re

Your & You’re

If you suspect you have issues with any of these words, try using the “Find” option on your word processing program. Search out each word, and use the tests in these videos to assess whether you’ve used the correct form in the correct way.

Semicolons and Colons

These two pieces of punctuation often get mixed up. Make sure they’re used correctly in your essay.

Again, the “Find” option in your word processing program (or web browser) to locate semicolons and colons. Do you have a full sentence before each colon? Do you have a full sentence both before and after each semicolon? If so, great. If not, time to revise.