English Grammar - Punctuation

PUNCTUATION

Punctuation: are used for clarity. Few rules or tips of punctuation are given below:

Common punctuation marks
Following are common punctuation marks:

1. (.) - Full stop or period
2. (?) - Question or query mark / mark of interrogation.
3. (,) - Comma
4. (!) - Sign or mark of exclamation
5. (A, B, C...) - Capital letters
6. (;) - Semi Colon
7. (:) - Colon
8. (" ") - Double quotes / quotes or quotation marks / inverted commas / speech marks
9. (' ') - Single quotes
10. (-) - Dash / hyphen
11. ( ( ) ) - Parenthesis / small brackets
12. ( { } ) - Braces / curly brackets
13. ( [ ] ) - Brackets / square brackets
14. (*) - Asterisk
15. (') - Apostrophes
16. (/) - Forward slash or stroke
17. ( … ) - Ellipsis
18. ( • ) - Bullets

1. Period or Full Stop (.):
We use it:

• At the end of a sentence. e.g. He is a student.
• For abbreviations. a.m., p.m., B.C., A.D., Oct., Mon., Rev. etc.
• Periods always go inside all quotation marks.

2. Question Mark (?):
We use it:

• After a question e.g. Are you happy? What's the time?

3. Comma (,):
indicates a short pause, we use it:

• Between the parts of a series. e.g. I bought a pen, some pencils, an eraser and a sharpener.
• To separate words, phrases or clause.
• After direct address e.g. Samina, I will help you. Do it again, Najia.
• After introductory words e.g. Yes, I was absent yesterday.
• To separate the reporting speech from the direct speech. She said, "He is angry with me." "What do you want", they said.
• To separate independent statements which are linked by for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so. (before these words comma is used when they work as conjunction in a sentence.)

4. Sign of exclamation (!):
We use it:

• To express surprise, shock, a sharp outburst, or a command, etc. Oh!, Ah!, Wow!, Ugh!, Nonsense!, Watch out!, Run away!, What a fine day!, How heavy!, etc.
• It express a word is stated in anger or disgust, has opposite meanings, or it is an insult or command.

5. Capital Letters (A, B, C.....):
We use them:

• At the beginning of sentences
• A proper noun
• Adjectives made from proper nouns
• Each line of a poem
• The first word following the inverted commas, etc.

6. Semi Colon (;):

• Some words we write need a stronger pause before them than that provided by a semi colon.
• For example: however; therefore; also; hence; furthermore; moreover; subsequently; and consequently; etc.

7. Colon (:):
Can be used:

• To introduce new information, quotation or a list of things
• They push the reader forward, they make the reader focus what will happen next in the sentence.

8. Double Quotes / Quotes or Quotation Marks / Inverted commas / Speech marks:
Always use in pairs, we used them:

• To bound direct quotes.

9. Single Quotes (' ')
Always use in pairs, we use them:

• Single quotation marks are used to mark a quote within a quote or a direct quote in a news story headline.
• A question mark is only placed inside of single quotation marks if the quote within a quote is a question.

10. Dash or Hyphens (-):
We use them:

• To join two or more words serving as a single adjective before a noun. For example: well-known.
• With compound numbers: e.g. seventy-three etc.
• To avoid confusion or an awkward combination of letters: e.g. semi-independent (but semiconscious), shell-like (but childlike)
• With the prefixes ex- (meaning former), self-, all-; e.g. self-sufficient, ex-wife.
• With the suffix -elect; e.g. mayor-elect.
• Between a prefix and a capitalized word; mid-December.
• With figures or letters: e.g. mid-1990s.
• To divide words at the end of a line or line break if necessary.

11. Parenthesis or small brackets ( ):
Parenthesis always come in pairs. We use them:

• enclose information and separate it from the main idea of the sentence or paragraph.
• to enclose incidental or extra information, such as a passing comment, a minor example or addition, or a brief explanation.
• to enclose a date or a citation.
• Outside the realm of emoticons

12. Braces Or Curly Brackets { }:

They should never be used in place of parentheses ( ) or square brackets [ ].

We use them:

• in various programing languages
• certain mathematical expressions and
• some musical notation.

13. Square Brackets [ ]:
We use them:

• to insert something into a sentence that is already enclosed in parentheses.
• to insert an explanatory word or note to make the sentence clearer or add a correction or comment within a quotation.

14. Asterisk ( * ):
We use them:

• to explain about some words or sentences written at the bottom of page.
• Use in news papers and books.

15. Apostrophe ( ' ):
We use them:

• to form possessive noun or tell that one thing is owned by another e,g:
  The boy's bicycle.
  i. with singular noun 's is used e.g. mother's bag.
  ii. if singular noun ending in 's' the only apostrophe is used e.g. Davis' book.
  iii. with plural noun only apostrophe is used. e.g. two girls' books.
• contract or make shorter a word by removing a letter. e.g:
  You are ⟶ You 're.
  have not ⟶ haven't.
• to indicate plurals of letters, numbers, and symbols. e.g: A's, 5's etc.

16. Forward Slash or Stroke ( / ):
We use it:

• to separate lines of poetry.
• to make to have a choice among stuffs etc.

17. Ellipsis ( … ):
We use them to show that:

• left something deliberately.
• writer has offered a thought that isn't complete.
• time has passed.
• a speech was all over the place.

18. Bullets ( • ):
We use it:

• in important lists