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Introduction to Punctuation:
1. Description:
⦁ Most people realize the importance of accurate punctuation. In order to
communicate effectively through the medium of print, it is essential that the
basics of punctuation are understood and applied routinely and consistently. ⦁
Punctuation helps to understand the statements clearly.
2. Examples:
⦁ Sit, not stand.
⦁ Sit not, stand.
1. Sentence Enders:
i. Full Stop [.]:
⦁ At the end of statements ⦁
In abbreviations Examples:
⦁ He has achieved all the positions.
⦁ He is M. A in English. ii.
Exclamation Mark [!]:
⦁ At the end of sudden and strong feeling, emotions
⦁ At the end of wishes and prayers Examples:
⦁ Hurrah! I won the match.
⦁ May you live long! ⦁
Well, I will not come. iii.
Question Mark [?]: ⦁ At
the end of questions ⦁
To show a doubt
Examples:
⦁ Will you please help me in getting good health?
⦁ Chaucer (1340-1400?) was the first English poet.
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2. Comma [,]
⦁ To show a small pause
⦁ To separate items in a series ⦁
To introduce a direct speech
Examples:
⦁ Sit, not stand.
⦁ I bought a book, a pen, a pencil and a bag.
⦁ Nauman said, “He will definitely help me.”
3. Colon [:]
⦁ These are used to start a list
⦁ To introduce a quotation
⦁ Between independent clauses when the second explains or illustrates the
first
Examples:
⦁ I bought many things: a pen, a pencil, a book, etc.
⦁ The Quaid said: “Unity, faith, discipline.”
⦁ I have very little time to learn the language: my new job starts in five weeks.
⦁ A college degree is still worth something: a recent survey revealed that
college graduates earned roughly 60% more than those with only a high
school diploma.
⦁ All three of their children are involved in the arts: Richard is a sculptor,
Diane is a pianist, and Julie is a theatre director.
⦁ He made three points: First, the company was losing over a million dollars
each month. Second, the stock price was lower than it had ever been. Third, no
banks were willing to loan the company any more money.
4. Semi-colon [;]
⦁ It is a pause smaller than a full stop and larger than a comma
⦁ To show a pause where a comma will create ambiguity
Examples: (Punctuate the following sentences)
⦁ I have many friends younas a teacher ahmad an engineer waqas a doctor and
fani a lawyer.
⦁ I have many friends: Younas, a teacher; Ahmad, an engineer; Waqas, a
doctor; and Fani, lawyer.
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⦁ A semicolon is most commonly used to link (in a single sentence) two

independent clauses that are closely related in thought.
Examples:
⦁ Some people write with a word processor; others write with a pen or pencil.
⦁ To err is human; to forgive is divine.
⦁ Use a semicolon between two independent clauses that are connected by
conjunctive adverbs or transitional phrases.
Examples:
⦁ I have always liked berries; however, these give me a rash.
5. Inverted Commas [“ ”]:
⦁ To enclose a direct speech & quotation
⦁ To enclose the name of a book, poem, story, title Example:
⦁ The Quaid said. “Unity, faith, discipline”.
⦁ “Pride and Prejudice” is a novel written by Jane Austen.
6. Apostrophe [‘]:
⦁ {‘s} To show possessions of living beings
⦁ {‘s} can also be used with minutes, days, months, years, mountains,
personified things, gigantic items, unique entities. ⦁ For
contractions Examples:
⦁ Aslam’s book, Ahmad’s nature, Cat’s paw
⦁ A day’s rest, a train’s compartment, Earth’s orbit ⦁
Can’t, don’t, they’re, shan’t, won’t
7. Hyphen [-]:
⦁ Hyphenated compounds use hyphens between the words. Examples:
⦁ eye-opener
⦁ check-in
⦁ free-for-all
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8. En Dash [__]
⦁ The en dash is used to represent a span or range of numbers, dates, or time.
There should be no space between the en dash and the adjacent material.
Depending on the context, the en dash is read as “to” or “through”.
Examples:
⦁ The 2010–2011 season was our best yet.
⦁ You will find this material in chapters 8–12.
⦁ The professor holds office hours every Wednesday, 11:00am–1:00pm. ⦁
The en dash can also be used between words to represent conflict,
connection, or direction.
Examples:
⦁ The liberal–conservative debate
⦁ The Los Angeles–London flight
⦁ There is a north–south railway in the same area as the highway that runs
east–west.
9. Em Dash [ ____ ]
⦁ The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. Depending on
the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or
colons___in each case to slightly different effect.
⦁ A pair of em dashes can be used in place of commas to enhance readability.
Note, however, that dashes are always more emphatic than commas.
Examples:
⦁ And yet, when the car was finally delivered___nearly three months after it was
ordered__she decided she no longer wanted it, leaving the dealer with an oddly
equipped car that would be difficult to sell.
⦁ A pair of em dashes can replace a pair of parentheses. Dashes are considered
less formal than parentheses; they are also more intrusive. If you want to
draw attention to the parenthetical content, use dashes. If you want to include
the parenthetical content more subtly, use parentheses.
Examples:
⦁ When used in place of parentheses at the end of a sentence, only a single
dash is used.
⦁ Upon discovering the errors___all 124 of them___the publisher immediately
recalled the books.
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⦁ After three weeks on set, the cast was fed up with his direction__or, rather,
lack of direction.
⦁ The em dash can be used in place of a colon when you want to emphasize the
conclusion of your sentence. The dash is less formal than the colon.
Examples:
⦁ After months of deliberation, the jurors reached a unanimous verdict___guilty.
⦁ The white sand, the warm water, the sparking sun___this is what brought
them to Hawaii.
⦁ Em dash can be used to indicate a missed or an interrupted thought.
Examples:
⦁ If you are selling something ____ .
⦁ This news has something ___ I can’t tell you.

Practice MCQ’s
1. Hey there I was wondering if you could help me with this
A. Hey there I was wondering if you could help me with this?
B. Hey there I was wondering if you could help me with this.
C. Hey there, I was wondering if you could help me with this.
D. Hey there- I was wondering if you could help me with this.
Explanation: C
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of a comma and period
mark at the end of the sentence.

2. Listen you need to be careful from now on

A. Listen, you need to be careful from now on.
B. Listen you need to be careful from now on.
C. Listen, you need to be careful from now on!
D. Listen- you need to be careful from now on.
Explanation: A
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of a comma after the
direct reference and period mark at the end of the sentence.
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3. I went to visit my friends in Florida walked around the beach joined a party
and enjoyed the time
A. I went to visit my friends in Florida walked around the beach joined a party
and enjoyed the time.
B. I went to visit my friends in Florida, walked around the beach, joined a
party, and enjoyed the time
C. I went to visit my friends in Florida- walked around the beach- joined a
party and enjoyed the time
D. I went to visit my friends in Florida, walked around the beach, joined a
party, and enjoyed the time
Explanation: B
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of comma to separate
multiple information and period mark at the end of the sentence.

4. Vinicius Jr is a great player with great technical abilities dribbling skills

pace and shot accuracy
A. Vinicius Jr. is a great player with great technical abilities dribbling skills
pace and shot accuracy
B. Vinicius Jr, is a great player with great technical abilities, dribbling skills,
pace, and shot accuracy
C. Vinicius Jr is a great player with great technical abilities, dribbling skills,
pace, and shot accuracy
D. Vinicius Jr. is a great player with great technical abilities, dribbling skills,
pace, and shot accuracy
Explanation: D
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of comma and period
mark with the abbreviation and at the end of the sentence as well.
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5. Dhaka the capital of Bangladesh is a very crowded city

A. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh is a very crowded city.
B. Dhaka the capital of Bangladesh is a very crowded city.
C. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is a very crowded city.
D. Dhaka the capital of Bangladesh is a very crowded city.
Explanation: C
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of comma to separate the
name of the places and period mark at the end of the sentence.

6. We had pizza beef steak onion rings and diet coke at the dinner
A. We had pizza beef steak onion rings and diet coke at the dinner.
B. We had pizza, beef steak, onion rings and diet coke at the dinner.
C. We had pizza; beef steak; onion rings; and diet coke at the dinner?
D. We had pizza, beef steak, onion rings, and diet coke at the dinner!
Explanation: B
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of a comma to separate
multiple items of the same category and period mark at the end of the
sentence.

7. I knew what would happen if we went there but we had to go anyway

A. I knew what would happen if we went there, but we had to go anyway.
B. I knew what would happen if we went there but we had to go anyway?
C. I knew what would happen, if we went there but we had to go anyway.
D. I knew what would happen if we went there but we had to go anyway!
Explanation: A
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of a comma between two
independent clauses and period mark at the end of the sentence.
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8. Do you remember what we used to do when we played together as

childhood friends
A. Do you remember what we used to do, when we played together as
childhood friends?
B. Do you remember what we used to do when we played together as
childhood friends!
C. Do you remember what we used to do when we played together as
childhood friends?
D. Do you remember what we used to do when we played together as
childhood friends.
Explanation: C
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of a question mark at the
end of the sentence as it is an interrogative sentence.

9. In summer its way too hot around here

A. In summer, its way too hot around here.
B. In summer, it’s way too hot around here.
C. In summer its way too hot around here.
D. In summer, it’s way too hot around here!
Explanation: B
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of apostrophe, comma,
and period mark at the end of the sentence.

10. You are the right person for the job arent you
A. You are the right person for the job, aren’t you?
B. You are the right person for the job aren’t you?
C. You are the right person for the job, arent you?
D. You are the right person for the job, aren’t you!
Explanation: A
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of a comma before the tag
question, apostrophe and question mark at the end of the sentence.
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11. She asked me why are you still angry with me

A. She asked “why are you still angry with me”
B. She asked “why are you still angry with me.”
C. She asked, “Why are you still angry with me?
D. She asked me, why are you still angry with me.
Explanation: C
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of the comma, quotation
mark, and question mark.

12. The meeting will be held in the conference room at 1000 AM tomorrow
A. The meeting will be held in the conference room at 10-00 AM tomorrow.
B. The meeting will be held in the conference room at “1000 AM” tomorrow.
C. The meeting will be held in the conference room, at 1000 AM tomorrow?
D. The meeting will be held in the conference room at 10:00 AM tomorrow.
Explanation: D
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of colon and period mark
at the end of the sentence.

13. She broke my trust therefore I had to break up with her

A. She broke my trust; therefore, I had to break up with her!
B. She broke my trust; therefore, I had to break up with her.
C. She broke my trust, therefore I had to break up with her.
D. She broke my trust; therefore, I had to break up with her?
Explanation: B
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of semicolon, comma and
period mark at the end of the sentence.

14. I used to walk around in empty roads at midnight however it wasnt safe
A. I used to walk around in empty roads at midnight, however it wasn’t safe!
B. I used to walk around in empty roads at midnight however it wasnt safe,
C. I used to walk around in empty roads at midnight; however, it wasn’t safe.
D. I used to walk around in empty roads at midnight however it wasnt safe.
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Explanation: C
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of the semicolon to
indicate the close relationship between the two clauses. Also, comma and
period mark have also been appropriately used.

15. Her grandmother is eightynine years old

A. Her grandmother is, eightynine years old!
B. Her grandmother is eighty-nine years old?
C. Her grandmother is eightynine years old,
D. Her grandmother is eighty-nine years old.
Explanation: D
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of the hyphen in the
compound number and period mark at the end of the sentence.

16. You are the right person for the job arent you
A. You are the right person for the job, aren’t you?
B. You are the right person for the job aren’t you?
C. You are the right person for the job, arent you?
D. You are the right person for the job, aren’t you!
Explanation: A
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of a comma before the tag
question, apostrophe and question mark at the end of the sentence.

17. Onethird of the whole population were affected by the hurricane

A. One-third of the whole population were affected by the hurricane.
B. Onethird of the whole population were affected by the hurricane,
C. One-third of the whole population were affected by the hurricane!
D. Onethird of the whole population were affected by the hurricane?
Explanation: A
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of the hyphen in the
fraction and period mark at the end of the sentence.
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18. Leave me alone for a while is what she said to me last time
A. Leave me alone for a while- is what she said to me last time.
B. Leave me alone for a while, is what she said to me last time?
C. Leave me alone for a while is what she said to me last time!
D. “Leave me alone for a while” is what she said to me last time.
Explanation: D
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of quotation mark and
period mark at the end of the sentence.

19. She told me I need more time to work on it the dress

A. She told me, I need more time to work on it the dress.
B. She told me, “I need more time to work on it [the dress].”
C. She told me I need more time to work on it [the dress].
D. She told me, “I need more time to work on it [the dress]”
Explanation: B
In the selected sentence, there’s an appropriate use of the comma, quotation
mark, and period mark. Brackets have also been used appropriately to
indicate the use of additional information in the sentence.