PUNCTUATION

PUNCTUATION

1. Period

   • .
     • Abbreviation
       • Jones Jr. was born on Dec. 6, 2008.
     • Sentence ender
       • The all cryed.

2. Question marks

   • • Expressing confusion
       • Why do we have so much homework?
     • Interrogative sentence
       • When did Jane leave for the market?

3. Excloamation poit

   • • Sudden outcry
       • "Holy cow!" screamed Jane.
     • To emphasize a point
       • My mother-in-law's rants make me furious!

4. Comma

   • • Separating elements in a list
       • Suzi wanted the black, green, and blue dress.
     • Separating two complete sentences
       • We went to the movies, and then we went out to lunch.
     • Direct address
       • Thanks for all your help, John.

5. Samicolon

   • • Connecting independent clauses
       • John was hurt; he knew she only said it to upset him.
     • Items in a list
       • I’ve visited Cleveland, Ohio; Los Angeles, California; and St. Louis, Missouri.

6. Colon

   • • Clarifying information
       • I didn't have time to get changed: I was already late.
     • Introducing a series
       • He was planning to study four subjects: politics, philosophy, sociology, and economics.
     • Emphasizing an important phrase
       • There was one thing she loved more than any other: her dog.

7. Em dash

   • • Setting off information
       • My best friend — whom I’ve known since I was a kid — is moving away.
     • Showing emphasis
       • The house was beautiful — but haunted.

8. En dash

   • • Indicating range
       • The Civil War (1861–1865) made a lasting impact in the United States.
     • Indicating connection
       • When does the Denver–Dallas flight arrive?

9. Hyphen

   • • Compound noun
       • My sister-in-law works as a pastry chef.
     • Compound adjective
       • The well-known author signed autographs for his fans.
     • Compound number
       • Cory can count all the way to ninety-nine.

10. Parentheses

    • • Further thought
        • John and Jane (who are brother and sister) both have red hair.
      • Qualifying remarks
        • Add any special skills (typing, organization, training, and so on) to your resume.

11. BRackets

    • • Adding words to a quote
        • He [Mr. Jones] was the last person seen at the house,” reported the detective.
      • Adding sic to a quote
        • Our team issues no further statments [sic] at this time.
      • Nesting parentheses
        • We decided to go to the Grand Canyon (my [childhood] dream) this summer.

12. Braces

    • • Grouping numbers
        • The teacher wrote a set of numbers {6, 9, 12} on the board.
      • Mathematical expression
        • (2{1+[23-3]}=x)

13. Apostrophe

    • • Contractions
        • I've seen that movie several times.
      • Possessive case
        • Sara’s dog bit the neighbor.
      • Plural for lowercase letters
        • Mind your p's and q's.

14. Double Quotation Marks

    • • Quoted passage
        • Nathan Hale’s last words were, “I regret that I have but one life to live for my country.”
      • Dialogue
        • "Don't go outside," Katie said.

15. Single Quotation Marks

    • • Quotes within quotations
        • Marie told the teacher, "Marc said to me 'Bill started the fight,' and I believed him."
      • Quotes in headlines
        • President Declares, ‘War Is Over’

16. Ellipsis

    • • 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.

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