Punctuation

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Abbreviations

Abbreviate academic degrees. (Bo Brian, M.F.A.)
Abbreviate measurements. (in., ft., qt., km, mm)
Abbreviate social titles and titles of rank, both before and after a person's name. (Dr. Nancy Ann Holly)
Abbreviate some historical periods (330 B.C.)
Abbreviate some Latin expressions (e.g., et al.)
Abbreviate states. (CT)
Abbreviate time. (A.M., a.m., AM, am, P.M., p.m., PM, pm)
Abbreviate titles of some organizations and things. These are not followed by a period. (CIA, CNN, FBI, MSNBC, TV, UN) Use acronyms to abbreviate some organizations. (NASA, NATO)
Abbreviate words associated with addresses or location. (I live on New Hampshire Ave.)

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Ampersand (&)

The ampersand is used when it is part of a formal name, as for a company, e.g. Ben & Jerry's ice cream. It should not be used in place of "and" except in extremely informal writing.

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Apostrophe ( ' )

See Possessives for more information.

For joint possession, the 's is added to the word nearest the object of possession, e.g. Bausch and Lomb's products.
For singular proper nouns, add only an apostrophe for the possessive, e.g. Achilles' heel.
No apostrophe is used for personal pronouns like hers, his, its, mine, ours, theirs, whose, your, yours. Indefinite pronouns require an apostrophe, e.g. one's lover. For other pronouns like another and others, follow the rule for singular and plural, e.g. another's and others.'
The apostrophe follows the s for the possessive of plural nouns that end in s, e.g. girls' movies. For the possessive of a plural noun that does not end in s, add 's, e.g. women's rights.
The apostrophe follows the s of a word with two sibilant sounds, e.g. Kansas,' Moses.'
The apostrophe is added for the possessive of a noun that is plural in form but singular in meaning, e.g. mathematics' formulas.
The apostrophe is not used in names of organizations unless actually part of the legal name. The apostrophe is not used in plurals of numerals or multiple-letter combinations.
The apostrophe is used for omitted letters, e.g. rock 'n' roll, and for omitted numbers, e.g. the class of '72, the '90s.
The apostrophe is used for plurals of letter abbreviations with periods and single letters, e.g. p's and q's, two A's and four B's. Plurals of multi-letter combinations and plurals of numerals end in s with no apostrophe, e.g. VIPs, 1000s.
The apostrophe is used when leaving out a letter or number in a contraction, e.g. can't, wouldn't.
The possessive of singular nouns ending in s, including nouns ending in s, x, z, ch, or sh, is formed by adding 's, e.g. witness's affidavit. However, if the next word begins with s, then add only an apostrophe, e.g. witness' story.
The possessive of singular nouns not ending in s is formed by adding 's, e.g. VIP's seat, baby's food.

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Brace ({ })

Punctuation used to show the relationship of elements in a group or in pairs to show that words between them are connected.

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Bracket ([ ])

Punctuation used to insert words in quoted matter for explanatory, correctional, or commentary reasons. Brackets are used to insert missing letters and to enclose insertions that take the place of or slightly alter the original text, e.g. [they] may replace a long list of names previously mentioned. Brackets are also used in unquoted matter for the same reasons.
Brackets are used as parentheses within parentheses, e.g. (In the book [published in 2001], she was quoted as saying that she did not believe in God.)
Brackets are used in mathematical expressions to show matter to be treated as a unit. Brackets are used for chemical formulas and to enclose phonetic symbols.

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Colon ( : )

Punctuation used to introduce explanatory information such as tabulations, lists, etc.; for salutations, as Dear so-and-so; in clock time (e.g. 2:15); for periodical reference (e.g. 4:3); and between book title and book subtitle (e.g. The Order of Things: Hierarchies in Everyday Life).
A colon can give emphasis, e.g. He had only one hobby: reading magazines.
A colon introduces a series or summarizing statement, e.g. We have to go do errands in this order: post office, grocery store, doughnut shop.
A colon is used before a final clause that explains or amplifies something in that sentence, e.g. The dissertation needs work: it lacks flow.
A colon is used in correspondence for headings and introductory terms, e.g. To:, From:, Re: and to separate writer/typist and carbon-copy abbreviations from the recipients.
A colon is used in dialogue text, e.g. Paul: Do you want to have lunch? Holly: Yes.
A colon is used in proportions, e.g. 2:1, and as a ratio sign, e.g. 1:2::3:6.
A colon may introduce a quotation, especially a long one. Colons go outside quotation marks unless they are part of the quotation itself. A colon also is used to end all paragraphs that introduce a paragraph of quoted material.
Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or starts a complete sentence, e.g. Scientists have found a name for the opposite of gravity: levity. The panel consists of: Dr. Juli, Dr. McBride, and Dr. Bellantoni.
Do not combine a dash and a colon.

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Comma ( , )

Punctuation most commonly used to separate or set off items as:

After the salutation in informal correspondence, e.g. Dear T.B., and after the complimentary close in all correspondence, e.g. Respectfully,.
Before a quotation following an introductory phrase, e.g. "She said quietly, "I love you." Inside a closing quotation mark, e.g. I said "meat," not "beet." Commas always go inside quotation marks in American English usage.
Between compound qualifiers / equal adjectives, e.g. He has big, broad shoulders.
Between name and title, title and organization, name and degree, surname and Junior/Jr./Senior/Sr. In an inverted name, e.g. Holly, Buddy.
Separate items that might otherwise be misunderstood, e.g. What the problem is, is not clear.
Separate main clauses or before the conjunction in a compound sentence, e.g. Either you start doing more work, or you will have to look for a new job. She was glad she had looked before backing out, for a child just whizzed by on the sidewalk.
Separate members of a series used with 'and,' 'or,' or 'nor,' e.g. The flag is red, white, and blue.
Separate two verb phrases in a sentence, e.g. She did earn a Master's, but now she is going to go on and earn a Ph.D.
Set off an apposite (noun referring to previous noun, e.g. my sister, Nancy) or contrasting words/phrases (e.g. I need you, not anyone else.).
Set off interrupting or parenthetic items, e.g. He has no reason, does he, to want to play basketball for that coach?
Set off introductory items, clauses, or phrases, e.g. "Sir, are you listening?"
Set off subordinate clauses/phrases within sentence, e.g. On the street, the partygoers gathered for the fireworks.
To separate states and nations used with city names, e.g. Sedona, Arizona.
To separate thousands, millions, etc. in numbers of four or more digits, e.g. 2,000.
To set off the day of the month, e.g. They got together on June 1, 1991, for the first time. To set off elements of an address, e.g. Write to him at The Learning Cube, 4 West Quad Street, Binghamton, Michigan.
To set off yes and no, e.g. No, I will not be there.
To show omission of a verb or predicate, e.g. Brad Pitt once worked as a giant chicken; Rod Stewart, as a gravedigger; Whoopi Goldberg, as a makeup artist in a mortuary.

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Dash ( — )

Punctuation used to denote a sudden change or break in a sentence, e.g. He was gone — heaven forbid — for an hour and no one knew where he was. Spaces may or may not be added before or after a dash, but the use of spaces must be consistent. Do not combine a dash with a colon, comma, or semicolon. Uses include:

As a substitute for parentheses or commas in an attempt to clarify meaning or place emphasis, especially for a series within a phrase, e.g. She has this to accomplish today — work, study, cook, and household duties — as well as take care of her child.
As a way of setting off something in page design, as for lists, outlines.
At the end of an unfinished word or sentence, e.g. The story went on to say that—.
Before an amplification, definition, explanation, or summary statement, e.g. To be or not to be — that is a question we each ask ourselves at night before we turn out the light.
Other dashes are a three-em (six-hyphen) dash, used to show that a word is left out or that an unknown word or number is to be supplied; a two-em (four-hyphen) dash is used to show missing letters in a word.
The en dash ( – ) is used in typeset material and is shorter than the em dash ( — ), which is represented in typewritten material by two hyphens. The en dash is used as a replacement for a hyphen when the meaning intended is "up to and including," e.g. 2001-08, Monday-Saturday.
To introduce individual sections of a list. Capitalize the first word following the dash and use periods at the end of each section.
To precede an author's credit for a quotation, e.g. "As a cure for worrying, work is better than whiskey." — Thomas A. Edison

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Dividing Words in Writing

Note the way the word is pronounced - its syllables -- and do not break the word so that it would be mispronounced or misunderstood. Check a dictionary if you are unsure of the syllable breaks. Some word processing programs offer automatic hyphenation. Some guidelines for dividing words at the end of lines are:

A liquid or silent "l" syllable at the end of a word or part of an inflected ending should not be put on the next line alone, e.g. read-able, twin-kling.
Divide between doubled consonants, except when it would divide a simple base form, e.g. re-com-men-da-tion, but sell-ing, buzz-er.
Divided hyphenated words at the hyphen.
Do not divide a one-syllable word, even if there is an inflected ending like -ed, e.g. spelled, bummed.
Do not divide a word so that one or two letters is left either at the end of one line or the beginning of another. Division after a prefix of three or more letters is permissible.
Do not divide before the following suffixes; they should not be at the beginning of a line alone nor should they be divided themselves: -able, -ceous, -cial, -cion, -cious, -geous, -gion, -gious, -ible, -sial, -sion, -tial, -tion, -tious.
Do not divide words of six letters or less.
Do not leave a syllable at the end of a line that might be read as a complete word.
Proper nouns, contractions, initialisms, numerals, and abbreviations should not be divided.
When a vowel alone forms a syllable in the middle of a word, keep it with the previous syllable, e.g. physi-cal.

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Ellipsis Points or Ellipses or Points of Ellipsis or Suspension Points ( ... )

Punctuation used when words are omitted: three periods in the middle of a sentence, four at the end of a sentence (unless the sentence ends with a question mark or exclamation point: then it is ...? or ...!). Ellipsis points may also indicate a break or suspension in speech, e.g. I ...tried to do what was best. Punctuation that normally falls before or after the ellipsis points can be retained for clarity. A space precedes and follows ellipses except when the ellipsis is next to other punctuation.

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Exclamation Point ( ! )

Punctuation used to show surprise, incredulity, and other emphatic expressions, as well as praise or a command, e.g. Excellent! An exclamation point may be used to replace a question mark when irony or an emphatic tone is meant, e.g. How could you! An exclamation point and question mark may be used together to show extreme force, e.g. "Never?!" If the exclamation point ends a sentence in a quotation, the comma or period is dropped. An exclamation point is inside quotation marks when it is part of the quoted material.

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Hyphen ( - )

for certain prefixes, as ex-, e.g. ex-husband
for certain suffixes, as -elect, e.g. president-elect
for compound modifiers preceding a noun, e.g. full-time job, except for the adverb "very" and all adverbs that end in -ly
for compound proper nouns and adjectives, e.g. Mexican-American (but not for French Canadian or Latin American)
for compounds which begin with a single capital letter, e.g. H-bomb, U-turn
for directions, e.g. north-northwest
for suspensive hyphenation, e.g. 10- to 20-year prison sentence
for two-thought compounds, e.g. serio-comic, socio-economic
for words spelled out letter-by-letter, e.g. y-e-s
in ages with number and unit, e.g. fifty-four years old
in fractions and compound numbers, e.g. fifty-five, twenty-one
in measurements with numbers and unit, e.g. twenty-five dollars
in prefixed or suffixed words when a vowel is doubled or consonant is tripled, e.g. shell-like
to avoid ambiguity which would result if the hyphen were omitted
to connect the elements of some compound words, especially ones of three or more words, e.g. get-together, up-to-date
to divide syllables of a word at the end of a line
to make a word clear from its homonym, e.g. recover and re-cover
to show stuttering speech

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Numerals/Numbers

Roman numerals use the letters I (1), II (2), III (3), IV (4), V (5), VI (6), VII (7), VIII (8), IX (9), X (10), L (50), C (100), D (500), M (1000). They are used to number wars, show sequence in family, rulers, and vehicles; and for major headings in documents and outlines. Arabic/cardinal numbers are 0, zero, 1, one, etc. Ordinal numbers are 1st, first, 2nd, second, etc. The numbers 0-10, etc. are not used for sequence of wars or family descendants, which use Roman numerals.

In general, write out the first nine cardinal (1-9) numbers (except for address numbers 2-9, dates, decimals, game scores, highways, latitude/longitude, mathematical expressions, measurement/weight, money/financial data, percentages, proportion, scientific expressions, statistics, technical expressions, temperature, time, unit modifiers, votes, and numbers not written out in a proper noun) and any number that begins a sentence. Use figures for the number 10 and above.

A fraction used as a modifier is hyphenated, e.g. three-quarter time.
A fraction used with a whole number is written as a figure, e.g. 5 3/4, as are measurements that are fractions, e.g. 1/2 mile.
A measurement as a modifier is hyphenated, e.g. nine-pound boy.
Document divisions are usually written as figures, e.g. Psalm 100, page 7.
Figures of four digits may be written with or without a comma.
Governmental, political, and military units numbered one hundred or less are usually written out. Labor unions and other organizations often use figures.
If an abbreviation or symbol is used with a number, it should be written as a figure, e.g. p. 14.
Money designations of one or two words are often written out, e.g. one dollar.
Numbers in a series or set are written alike, e.g. 50 to 60 participants.
Numbers of checks, contracts, military hours, pages, policies, rooms/suites, streets, telephone numbers, and years are written without commas. Check, telephone, credit card, and serial numbers may contain hyphens.
Numbers of one million and above are easier to read if written as figures with the word million, billion, etc.
Numbers should not be divided at the end of lines.
Ordinal numbers are not used in full dates, e.g. March 12, 2003. Commas are rarely used in between just a month and year, e.g. March 2003.
Plurals of figures are formed by adding s, e.g. 600s, 3s.
Plurals of written-out numbers are formed by adding s or es, e.g. nines, sixes.
Street names that are numbers are written out, but may also be written as figures from 13 and over, e.g. 300 Third Street, 300 13th Street or 300 Thirteenth Street.
Times are usually spelled out in text and may be when used with o'clock. Figures are used for exact times, e.g. 8:13. Times may be used with a.m./A.M., p.m./P.M., o'clock, or "in the."
Written-out numbers between 21 and 99 are hyphenated. Higher numbers are not hyphenated, e.g. three hundred.
Year and page numbers may omit hundreds and replace with a dash, e.g. 2005-07, pp 140-50.

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Official Forms of Address for Letter Writing

Ambassador: The Honorable ~; Dear M~. Ambassador; The American Ambassador
Associate Justice: M~.; Justice ~; M~. Justice ~
baron/baroness: The Right Honorable Lord/Lady ~; My Lord/Madam or Dear Lord/Lady ~; Lord/Lady ~
baronet: Sir ~, Bt.; Dear Sir or Dear Sir ~; Sir ~
bishop/archbishop: The Most Reverend ~, Bishop/Archbishop of ~; Your Excellency or Dear Bishop/Archbishop ~; His Excellency or Bishop/Archbishop ~
Brother: Brother ~; Dear Brother ~ or Dear Brother; Brother ~
cabinet members: The Honorable ~ or The Secretary of ~; Dear M~. Secretary; The Secretary of ~
cardinal: His Eminence, ~, Archbishop of ~; Your Eminence or Dear Cardinal ~; His Eminence, Cardinal ~
Chief Justice: The Chief Justice; Dear Mr. Justice or Dear Mr. Chief Justice; The Chief Justice
Consul-General: The Honorable ~; Dear M~. ~; M~. ~
countess: The Right Honorable the Countess of ~; Madam or Dear Lady ~; Lady ~
duke/duchess: His/Her Grace, the D~ of ~; My Lord Duke/Madam or Dear D~ of; His/Her Grace, the D~ of ~
earl: The Right Honorable the Earl of ~; My Lord or Dear Lord ~; Lord ~
Episcopal bishop: The Right Reverend ~; Dear Bishop ~; The Right Reverend ~, Bishop of ~
foreign ambassador: His/Her Excellency ~; Excellency or Dear M~. Ambassador; The Ambassador of ~
former President: The Honorable ~; Dear Mr. ~; The Honorable ~
governor: The Honorable ~; Dear M~. ~; M~. ~
judge: The Honorable ~; Dear Judge ~; The Honorable ~ or M~. Justice ~ or Judge ~
king or queen: His/Her Majesty King/Queen ~
knight: Sir ~; Dear Sir or Dear Sir ~; Sir ~
marquess/marchioness: The Most Honorable the M~ of ~; My Lord/Madam or Dear Lord/Lady ~; Lord/Lady ~
mayor: The Honorable ~; Dear Mayor ~; Mayor ~ or The Mayor
military personnel: 'full title'; Dear Admiral / Chief / Colonel / Commander / General / Lieutenant / Private / Sailor / Sergeant / Soldier ~; 'full title'
monsignor: The Right Reverend Monsignor ~; Right Reverend Monsignor or Dear Monsignor ~; Monsignor ~
Pope: His Holiness, the Pope or His Holiness, Pope ~; Your Holiness or Most Holy Father; His Holiness or the Holy Father or the Pope or the Pontiff
President of the United States: The President; Dear Mr. President; The President or The President of the United States
priest: The Reverend ~; Reverend Father or Dear Father ~; Father ~
protestant minister: The Reverend ~; Dear Dr./M~. ~; The Reverend/Dr. ~
rabbi: Rabbi ~; Dear Rabbi/Dr. ~; Rabbi/Dr. ~
royalty in general: His/Her Royal Highness, the ~/~ of ~; Your Royal Highness; His/Her Royal Highness, the ~/~ of ~
Secretary-General of the United Nations: His/Her Excellency ~; Dear M~. Secretary-General; The Secretary-General of the United Nations
Sister: Sister ~; Dear Sister ~ or Dear Sister; Sister ~
Speaker of the House: The Honorable ~; Dear M~. Speaker; The Speaker of the House of Representatives
state legislator: The Honorable ~; Dear M~. ~; M~. ~
United Nations representative: The Honorable ~; Dear M~. Ambassador; The United States Representative to the United Nations
United States Representative: The Honorable ~; Dear M~. ~; Representative ~ of ~
United States Senator: The Honorable ~; Dear Senator ~; Senator ~ from ~
Vice President: The Vice President; Dear Mr. Vice President; The Vice President or the Vice President of the United States
viscount/viscountess: The Right Honorable the V~ ~; My Lord/Lady or Dear Lord/Lady ~; Lord/Lady ~
wife of baronet: Lady ~; Dear Madam or Dear Lady ~; Lady ~
wife of knight: Lady ~; Dear Madam or Dear Lady ~; Lady ~

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Parentheses ( )

Punctuation to enclose supplementary matter that is not intended to be part of the statement. At the end of a sentence, the period follows the closing parenthesis. A complete sentence within parentheses has its own punctuation - but if it qualifies as a sentence but is dependent on the surrounding material, do not capitalize the first word or end with a period. Parentheses may indicate something important, but their use is interruptive. Uses include:

Abbreviation of the spelled-out word or vice versa, the spelled-out form of an abbreviation.
Bibliographical data and text references.
Comments about a text.
Cross-references.
Explanation, definitions, translations, alternatives.
Numbers or letters indicating an item in a series are enclosed as, (1), (2), (3) and (a), (b), (c). Alternatively, one may use a right parenthesis [ ) ], e.g. We need: 1) a decision on the chapter names, 2) overall approval of the proposal, and 3) agreement on who the authors will be.
Numeric data, including Arabic numerals confirming a spelled-out number, and for other mathematical expressions.

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Period ( . )

Periods always go inside quotation marks in American English usage. This punctuation is used:

After a letter or number indicating an item in a series
After a person's initials
As part of an ellipsis
At the end of a declarative sentence, at the end of a mildly imperative sentence; at the end of a rhetorical question and any other question that is a suggestion and is not requiring an answer (indirect questions)
Centered, to indicate a multiplication sign, as 2 · 3 = 6
In many abbreviations
In numbers with integers and decimals

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Possessives

The possessive case of most nouns is formed by adding an apostrophe or an apostrophe and "s."

An inanimate object can have a possessive use. It is treated in a personified sense, e.g. Time's cover.
Be careful of descriptive phrases. Do not add an apostrophe to a word ending in "s" when it is used primarily in a descriptive sense, e.g. citizens band radio, writers guide.
In a phrase: individual possession is shown with an 's added to each noun, e.g. Wendy's and Paul's bicycles; joint possession is shown by adding an apostrophe or 's to the last noun in the series, e.g. Sue and Ray's house.
Possessive for noun that is the same in singular and plural - is formed as if it is plural, e.g. two deer's tracks, one corps' mess hall.
Possessive for pronouns -- only for a few, such as: another's, others', someone's. There are no separate forms for the possessive for: mine, ours, your, yours, his, hers, its, theirs, whose.
Possessive for singular and plurals nouns not ending in an S or Z sound are formed by adding 's. Examples: horse's, alumni's
Possessive for singular proper noun ending in s - use only an apostrophe, e.g. Achilles' heel.
Possessive of plural nouns ending in an S or Z sound are formed by adding only an apostrophe, e.g. churches'
Possessive of plural nouns that are singular in meaning are formed by adding only an apostrophe, e.g. mathematics' rules. This is also true for a plural word in the formal name of a singular entity, e.g. General Motors' profits.
Possessive of singular nouns ending in an S or Z sound are usually formed by adding 's, e.g. hostess's, unless the next word begins with an S or Z sound.

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Question Mark ( ? )

Punctuation after a direct interrogatory statement and one expressing doubt. It is used after each element of an interrogative series when the series is not enumerated or lettered. Do not put a comma after a question mark that falls within quotation marks. Also, do not use question marks to indicate the end of indirect questions.

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Quotation Marks (Double) (" ")

Punctuation that most often includes a period or comma. A dash, semicolon, question mark, or exclamation point fall inside quotation marks if they apply to the quoted matter only. A dash, semicolon, question mark, or exclamation point go outside when they apply to the whole sentence. Quotation marks are used:

Around mottos, slang, nicknames, misnomers, coined words, unfamiliar terms, proverbs and maxims, ironical reference, and unspoken dialogue.
Around words referred to as words, e.g. I said "tomato," not "potato." and around sentences referred to as sentences, e.g. An example of a question is, "Where the heck are they?" Single quotation marks may also be used in this way.
For direct quotations. Each part of an interrupted quotation begins and ends with quotation marks, as "I am getting worried," she said, "that he has not called."
For expressions following introductory terms such as: entitled, the word, the term, marked, designated, classified, named, endorsed, cited as, referred to as, signed - which indicate a borrowing, special use, or definition.
For quotations which extend beyond one paragraph, a quotation mark begins each paragraph and the closing quotation mark is at the end of the last paragraph.
For quotes within quotes, alternate between double quotation marks and single marks. Use three marks together if two quoted elements end at the same time, e.g. She said, "Richard told me, 'I love you.'"
For single letters within a sentence, e.g. His name begins with a "K."
For translations/definitions of foreign terms, e.g. E pluribus unum means "Out of many, one."
Sometimes to enclose document titles and parts, and addresses within a sentence, e.g. His book, "Word Menu," was a bestseller.

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Quotation Marks (Single) (' ')

Single quotation marks are used to enclose a quotation within a quotation and may be used around words that are special terms or for words referred to as words or sentences referred to as sentences.

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Semicolon ( ; )

Punctuation sometimes regarded as a weak period or strong comma and used in ways similar to periods and commas. A semicolon can mark the end of a clause and indicate that a clause following is closely related to the previous clause. A semicolon can also divide a sentence to make meaning clearer. A semicolon is placed outside quotation marks and parentheses. Uses are:

Clarifies meaning in long sentences and in those with several commas. The indication of a strong pause by the semicolon helps the reader understand the meaning.
May be used before explanation phrases and clauses as: e.g., for example, for instance, i.e., namely, that is - e.g. She is highly qualified for the job; for example, she has worked for more than twenty years as a writer and editor.
Separates (and links) independent clauses when the second clause begins with a conjunctive adverb such as: accordingly, all the same, also, as a result, besides, by the same token, consequently, furthermore, hence, however, indeed, in that case, likewise, moreover, nevertheless, on the other hand, otherwise, still, then, therefore, and thus. These usually explain or summarize preceding matter or show some kind of transition, e.g. We organized enough work for the rest of the summer; therefore, I can plod ahead.
Separates (but also links) independent clauses in place of a coordinating conjunction or ellipsis, e.g. The package was due last week; it arrived today.
Separates lists or phrases in a series when the phrases themselves have commas, e.g. We visited Springfield, Massachusetts; Keene, New Hampshire; and Durham, New Hampshire.

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Slash ( / )

Punctuation also called the virgule, diagonal, solidus, oblique, or slant. Its uses:

A slash is used to divide lines of poetry quoted within sentences.
A slash is used to separate expressions that indicate a choice, e.g. pass/fail, on/off.
A slash is used to separate numbers in dates, fractions, and telephone numbers, e.g. 6/01/1991.
A slash is used to separate parts of an address or divide lines of poetry when written as continuous text, e.g. Workman Publishing / Varick Street / New York, New York.
A slash may represent "and," e.g. 1990/91, Minneapolis/St. Paul.
A slash may represent some prepositions -- at, for, versus, with - e.g. c/o addressee, w/dressing.
A slash represents "or" or "and/or" in alternatives, e.g. yours/mine.
A slash represents "per" or "to" in measures and ratios, e.g. 2 ft./min., price/earnings ratio.