PUNCTUATION MARKS

Punctuation Marks in English Language

There are 14 punctuation marks that are commonly used in English grammar. Following their correct usage will make your writing easier to read and more appealing. 

  1. Period
  2. Question mark
  3. Exclamation point
  4. Comma
  5. Semicolon
  6. Colon
  7. Dash
  8. Hyphen
  9. Parentheses
  10. Brackets
  11. Braces
  12. Apostrophe
  13. Quotation marks
  14. Ellipsis

Sentence Endings

Only three of the fourteen punctuation marks can be used to conclude sentences. They are the comma, the exclamation point, and the period.

  • The period (.) is placed at the end of declarative sentences, statements thought to be complete and after many abbreviations. 
    • As a sentence ender: Ramu and Venu went to the market. 
    • After an abbreviation: Her son, Nataraj Jr., was born on Dec. 6, 2008. 
  • Use a question mark (?) to indicate a direct question when placed at the end of a sentence. 
    • When did Asrith leave for the market? 
  • The exclamation point (!) is used when a person wants to express a sudden outcry or add emphasis. 
    • Within dialogue: “Holy cow!” screamed Akshaya. 
    • To emphasize a point: My mother-in-law’s rants make me furious! 

Comma, Semicolon, and Colon

The comma, semicolon, and colon are often misused because they all can indicate a pause in a series.

  • Comma: The comma is used to show a separation of ideas or elements within the structure of a sentence. Additionally, it is used in numbers, dates, and letter writing after the salutation and closing. 
    • Direct address: Thanks for all your help, Vinod.  
    • Separation of two complete sentences: We went to the movies, and then we went out to lunch. 
    • Separating lists or elements within sentences: Sruthi wanted the black, green, and blue dress. 
    • Whether to add a final comma before the conjunction in a list is a matter of debate. This final comma, known as an Oxford or serial comma, is useful in a complex series of elements or phrases but is often considered unnecessary in a simple series such as in the example above. It usually comes down to a style choice by the writer. 
  • The semicolon (;) is used to connect independent clauses. It shows a closer relationship between the clauses than a period would show. 
    • Example: Ravi was hurt; he knew she only said it to upset him. 
  • A colon (:) has three main uses.
    • The first is after a word introducing a quotation, an explanation, an example, or a series. 
      • Example: He was planning to study four subjects: politics, philosophy, sociology, and economics. 
    • The second is between independent clauses when the second explains the first, similar to a semicolon. 
      • Ex:I didn’t have time to get changed: I was already late. 
    • The third use of a colon is for emphasis.
      • Ex: There was one thing she loved more than any other: her dog. 
    • A colon also has non-grammatical uses in time, ratio, business correspondence and references. 

Dash and the Hyphen:

Two other common punctuation marks are the dash and hyphen. These marks are often confused with each other due to their appearance, but they are very different. A dash is used to separate words into statements. There are two common types of dashes: “en dash” and “em dash”. 

  • En dash: Twice as long as a hyphen, the en dash is a symbol (–) that is used in writing or printing to indicate a range, connections or differentiations. 
    • For example: 1880-1945 or Princeton-New York trains. 
  • Em dash: Longer than the en dash, the em dash can be used in place of a comma, parenthesis, or colon to enhance readability or emphasize the conclusion of a sentence.  
    • For example: She gave him her answer — No! 
    • Whether you put spaces around the em dash or not is a style choice. Just be consistent. 
  • A hyphen is used to join two or more words together into a compound term and is not separated by spaces.
    • For example, part-time, back-to-back, well-known. 

Brackets Braces and Parentheses

  • Brackets are the squared off notations ([]) used for technical explanations or to clarify meaning. If you remove the information in the brackets, the sentence will still make sense. 
    • He [Mr. Jones] was the last person seen at the house. 
  • Braces ({}) are used to contain two or more lines of text or listed items to show that they are considered as a unit. They are not commonplace in most writing but can be seen in computer programming to show what should be contained within the same lines. They can also be used in mathematical expressions.  
    • For example, 2{1+[23-3]}=x. 
  • Parentheses ( () ) are curved notations used to contain further thoughts or qualifying remarks. However, parentheses can be replaced by commas without changing the meaning in most cases. 
    • Venu and Vinith (who were actually half brother and sister) both have red hair. 

Apostrophe, Quotation Marks and Ellipsis

The final three punctuation forms in English grammar are the apostrophe, quotation marks, and ellipsis. Unlike previously mentioned grammatical marks, they are not related to one another in any form. 

  • An apostrophe (‘) is used to indicate the omission of a letter or letters from a word, the possessive case, or the plurals of lowercase letters. Examples of the apostrophe in use include: 
    • Omission of letters from a word:
      • I’ve seen that movie several times.  
      • She wasn’t the only one who knew the answer. 
    • Possessive case: Sarala’s dog bit the neighbor. 
    • Plural for lowercase letters: Six people were told to mind their p’s and q’s. 
  • Quotations marks (” “) are a pair of punctuation marks used primarily to mark the beginning and end of a passage attributed to another and repeated word for word. They are also used to indicate meanings and to indicate the unusual or dubious status of a word. 
    • Example: “Don’t go outside,” she said. 
  • Single quotation marks (‘ ‘) are used most frequently for quotes within quotes. 
    • Example: Sumathi told the teacher, “I saw Nishanth at the playground, and he said to me ‘Ashok started the fight,’ and I believed him.” 
  • Ellipsis: The ellipsis is most commonly represented by three periods (. . . ) although it is occasionally demonstrated with three asterisks (***). The ellipsis is used in writing or printing to indicate an omission, especially of letters or words. Ellipses are frequently used within quotations to jump from one phrase to another, omitting unnecessary words that do not interfere with the meaning. Students writing research papers or newspapers quoting parts of speeches will often employ ellipsis to avoid copying lengthy text that is not needed. 
    • Example: Omission of words: She began to count, “One, two, three, four…” until she got to 10, then went to find him. 
    • Within a quotation: When Newton stated, “An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion…” he developed the law of motion.