Punctuation Marks

1. Full Stop (.)

Mostly used at the end of a declarative sentence, or a statement that is considered to be complete.

This punctuation mark is also used following an abbreviation.

A full stop can also show the end of a group of words that don’t form a typical sentence.

Example:
Prof. Dumbledore is a Harry Potter carácter.
My dog is very naughty.

2. Comma (,)

A comma (,) is used to show the difference between two separate ideas or elements within a
sentence. Commas have other uses as well, as they can be used to separate numbers, and write dates.

Examples:
The cute, happy puppy licked my hand.
I speak English, French and Italian.

3. Semicolon (;)

Semicolons connect independent clauses to show a closer relationship between the clauses than a
period would. They can also separate items in a list that already include commas.

Example:
I don't often go swimming; I prefer to play soccer.
I can't eat nuts; I am highly allergic to them.

4. Question Mark (?)

We use a question mark (?) after an interrogative sentence in English.

Example:
What is your favorite color?
Where is Vancouver?
 5. Exclamation Mark (!)

An exclamation mark is used to show emphasis. It can be used in the middle of a sentence or at the
end of a sentence. When used at the end of a sentence, it also takes on the role of a full stop or a
period.

Example
We found the lost tomb of the pharaoh! exclaimed the archaeologist.
Help me! the girl shouted.

6. Quotation Marks (“”)

We use quotation marks (” “) for direct quotations in English.

Example:
"Goodbye," she said.
Vangoh liked to put "happy little trees" in many of his paintings.

7. Colon (:)

A colon (:) is a fairly common punctuation mark with a varied number of uses.
It can be used to introduce a quotation, an example, a series, or even an explanation.
It can be used to separate two independent clauses.
A colon can be used to show emphasis.
Example
The meeting starts at 10:15 p.m.
You have two choices: finish the work today or lose the contract.

8. Em Dash ( — )

Em dashes set off information from the rest of the sentence. They can also show emphasis to a word
or phrase. You can add spaces to either side of an em dash, depending on your style guide.

Example
She gave him her answer — No!
In each city—London, Paris, and Venice—we met amazing people.
 9. Parentheses ( )

Parenthesis, ( () ) are quotation marks that show additional thoughts about a statement. In many
scenarios, they can be replaced by commas without any changes to the meaning of the sentence.

We also often use parentheses to set off less important details.

Example:
I went to London (my favorite city) and stayed there for two weeks.
Tomorrow is Halloween (my favorite holiday)

10.Apostrophe (‘)

Apostrophes indicate the omission of a letter or letters from a word. They form contractions, show
the possessive case, or create plurals of lowercase letters.

Example:
My sister’s birthday is next week.
We should’ve stayed outside.

Exercises
1. Full Stop (.) The baby is crying
2. Comma (,) We went to the movies and then went out to dinner.
3. Semicolon (;) Joan likes cake; not Jennifer.
4. Question Mark (?) Did you go to school today?
5. Exclamation Mark (!) Happy birthday, Amy!
6. Quotation Marks (“”) He asked, "Are you happy to be home?"
7. Colon (:) He planned to study four subjects: politics, philosophy, and
sociology.
8. Em Dash ( — ) He completed his graduation in the session 2012-2016.
9. Parentheses ( ) Two friends (Ram and Ryan) have prepared for the Olympics.
10. Apostrophe (‘) I’ve told you earlier to stop blaming each other.