Punctuation is a system of signs and symbols to show the construction of a sentence and better convey what it means. The basic parts of punctuation are:
Comma (,)
Full stop (.)
Exclamation mark (!)
Question mark (?)
Semi-colon (;)
Colon (:)
Apostrophe (‘)
Quotation marks (“”)
Hyphen (-)
Brackets ( ()/ {})
Slash (/, \)
Comma
Commas are used to indicate a pause in the sentence, and is used in multiple situations, it is the most common part of punctuation used. The main uses of commas are:
Before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, yet, so, or, nor, for)
For example:
I bought the red shoes, and the white dress.
I bought the red shoes, but not the white dress.
For example:
After he came home from a very long day, he was met with the news of his sister’s engagement.
Before and after a non restrictive/ non essential clause. A non restrictive clause is a clause in the middle of a sentence that adds unimportant information, that if removed, would not impact the sentence whatsoever, and the sentence would still make sense without it.
For example:
John, who spent three years in Paris, just came back to Egypt.
For example:
I got fruits on my way back home, I got apples, strawberries, bananas, and oranges.
For example:
She promised she would finish all her homework, do all her chores, and eat her lunch before she went to the party.
For example:
“Mary, I think your research paper was great.”
Lastly, commas are used in dates, addresses, titles, and numbers.
For example:
18 of March, 1994
9434 Trout St., Selden, NY 11784
1,234,000
Full Stop
A full stop is used at the end of any sentence, and in the end of a speech before closing with a quotation mark if no further addition to the sentence will be added.
For example:
The professor gave his class no homework to allow them to enjoy their homework.
She said, “I think I will order the steak.”
Exclamation mark
Exclamation marks are used to express strong emotions, whether of anger, frustration, or extreme happiness and excitement.
For example:
“I can’t believe you lied to me!”
“This is the happiest day of my life!”
Question mark
A question mark is added at the end of a sentence when a question is being asked.
For example:
“When did you come back home last night?”
“Why were you crying last week?”
Semicolon
A semicolon is mainly used to connect two independent clauses instead of a comma or a conjunction. However, in order to use a semicolon, the relation between the two independent clauses must be obvious and clear without the addition of the semicolon.
For example:
“I have a final exam tomorrow; I can’t go to the party tonight.”
Colon
There are four main cases where a colon is used:
For example:
When you go to the supermarket, don’t forget to get: napkins, orange juice, and toast.
For example:
When I said I wasn’t going, she said: “If you aren’t going, then neither will I.”
To join two sentences where the second sentence elaborates or summarizes the first one.
And lastly, to express time.
Apostrophe
Apostrophes are used under three conditions:
For example:
This is Mary’s notebook.
For example:
Don’t (do not)
Won’t (will not)
Can’t (Can not)
For example:
I got straight A’s in my finals last year.
Quotation marks
Quotation marks are used to indicate that someone is speaking, or to quote something someone has said.
For example:
“This is one of the most emotional movies I have ever seen,” she said.
Hyphen
A hyphen is used to join two words or two parts of words together, or to join compound words.
For example:
That was such a well-written book.
Mother-in-law
Brackets
Brackets are used to elaborate and further explain a noun or pronoun that is unclear, or to translate a part of a sentence or quote that is written in another language.
For example:
“The year they (Anne and her family) moved to London was a very hard year on them.”
“The only phrase I could say in french was je ne sais pas (i don’t know).”
Slash
There are two types of slashes, a backslash (\) and a forward slash (/). A backslash is used in computer programming, whereas a forward slash is used in punctuation. A slash is used in the following:
For example:
Hello/ it’s me/ I was wondering if after all these years you’d like to meet/ to go over everything..
For example:
Are you pro-life/ pro-choice?
For example:
w/o (without)
a/c (air conditioner)
For example:
18/3/1994
Learn Everything About Punctuation!
Learn Everything About Punctuation!
Punctuation is an essential part of the English language in order to properly indicate the meaning of a sentence. Click here to see more.
Punctuation is a system of signs and symbols to show the construction of a sentence and better convey what it means. The basic parts of punctuation are: Comma (,)Full stop (.)Exclamation mark (!) Question mark (?) Semi-colon (;) Colon (:) Apostrophe (‘) Quotation marks (“”) Hyphen (-) Brackets ( ()/ {}) Slash (/, \) Comma Commas are used to indicate a pause in the sentence, and is used in multiple situations, it is the most common part of punctuation used. The main uses of commas are: Before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, yet, so, or, nor, for) For example: I bought the red shoes, and the white dress. I bought the red shoes, but not the white dress. After an introductory clause or phrase, which aims to convey the fact that the clause or phrase is coming to an end and that the main part of the sentence is about to start. For example: After he came home from a very long day, he was met with the news of his sister’s engagement. Before and after a non restrictive/ non essential clause. A non restrictive clause is a clause in the middle of a sentence that adds unimportant information, that if removed, would not impact the sentence whatsoever, and the sentence would still make sense without it. For example: John, who spent three years in Paris, just came back to Egypt.To separate between items in a list. For example: I got fruits on my way back home, I got apples, strawberries, bananas, and oranges. To separate between a series of clauses of phrases. For example: She promised she would finish all her homework, do all her chores, and eat her lunch before she went to the party. When the speaker in the sentence names the person he/she is talking to. For example: “Mary, I think your research paper was great.”Lastly, commas are used in dates, addresses, titles, and numbers. For example: 18 of March, 1994 9434 Trout St., Selden, NY 11784 1,234,000Full Stop A full stop is used at the end of any sentence, and in the end of a speech before closing with a quotation mark if no further addition to the sentence will be added. For example: The professor gave his class no homework to allow them to enjoy their homework. She said, “I think I will order the steak.” Exclamation markExclamation marks are used to express strong emotions, whether of anger, frustration, or extreme happiness and excitement. For example: “I can’t believe you lied to me!” “This is the happiest day of my life!” Question mark A question mark is added at the end of a sentence when a question is being asked. For example: “When did you come back home last night?”“Why were you crying last week?” Semicolon A semicolon is mainly used to connect two independent clauses instead of a comma or a conjunction. However, in order to use a semicolon, the relation between the two independent clauses must be obvious and clear without the addition of the semicolon. For example: “I have a final exam tomorrow; I can’t go to the party tonight.”Colon There are four main cases where a colon is used: To introduce a list For example: When you go to the supermarket, don’t forget to get: napkins, orange juice, and toast. To introduce a quotationFor example: When I said I wasn’t going, she said: “If you aren’t going, then neither will I.”To join two sentences where the second sentence elaborates or summarizes the first one. And lastly, to express time. Apostrophe Apostrophes are used under three conditions: To form possessive nouns For example: This is Mary’s notebook. In contractions For example: Don’t (do not) Won’t (will not) Can’t (Can not) PluralsFor example: I got straight A’s in my finals last year. Quotation marks Quotation marks are used to indicate that someone is speaking, or to quote something someone has said. For example: “This is one of the most emotional movies I have ever seen,” she said. Hyphen A hyphen is used to join two words or two parts of words together, or to join compound words. For example: That was such a well-written book.Mother-in-lawBracketsBrackets are used to elaborate and further explain a noun or pronoun that is unclear, or to translate a part of a sentence or quote that is written in another language. For example: “The year they (Anne and her family) moved to London was a very hard year on them.”“The only phrase I could say in french was je ne sais pas (i don’t know).” Slash There are two types of slashes, a backslash (\) and a forward slash (/). A backslash is used in computer programming, whereas a forward slash is used in punctuation. A slash is used in the following: To represent a line break in a song, play, or poem.For example: Hello/ it’s me/ I was wondering if after all these years you’d like to meet/ to go over everything.. A synonym for the word “or”For example: Are you pro-life/ pro-choice?As an abbreviation For example: w/o (without) a/c (air conditioner) Dates For example: 18/3/1994
