• To make our written language more structured and organized

• Tone, stress and pauses to be observed when reading aloud

• To determine the meaning of sentences

Correct punctuation can save a person’s life……… HOW???????

Let’s eat children.

Let’s eat, children.

 FOR EXAMPLE
Once a teacher told the students to punctuate the following sentence.

A wife without her husband is incomplete.

All the male students wrote:
A wife, without her husband, is incomplete.
All the female students wrote:
A wife: without her, husband is incomplete.
I love cooking, my I love cooking my
family, and my friends. family, and my friends.
PUNCTUATION MARKS

Full Stop Comma Semi Colon

Question Exclamation
Colon
Mark Marks

Quotation Hyphen and

Apostrophe
Mark Dash

Ellipsis Parentheses
FULL STOP / PERIOD
.
 RULES
1. Use a full stop at the end of a complete sentence that is a statement.
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pale of water.
I know that you would never break promises.

2. After an abbreviation
Mr. White was talking with Mr. Smith.
Did you enjoy visit at D.C.?
I enjoyed my visit at D.C.
3. Use a period at the end of an indirect question.
The teacher asked why he had left out the easy exercises.
COMMA
,
 RULES
1. to separate words and word groups with a series of three or more.
Suzi wanted the black, green, and blue dress.
He took her to movie first, bought her flowers, and went for dinner later.

If the list has only two items, do not use comma

Suzi wanted a black and red dress.

2. Use commas before or surrounding the name or title of a person

directly addressed.
Will you, Jack, do that assignment for me?
Thanks for all your help, John.
Paula, come here.
 3 to separate the day of the month from the year and after the year.
She met her friend on December 5, 2020, in Moghbazar, Dhaka.
July 4, 1776, is regarded as the birth date of American liberty.

4. When multiple adjectives modify a noun to an equal degree and are

coordinated
The man was an arrogant, haughty , annoying idiot.
The elegant, distinguished, gorgeous lady entered the hall.

Do not use comma if the adjectives are no coordinated.

It was a small red brick building.
 5. Thoughts that pop up in the middle/ interrupts the sentence to show
emotion, tone or emphasis
The girl, I am relieved to see, stopped crying.
I am, as you have probably noticed, very nervous about this.
.
6. Use a comma to separate two strong clauses joined by a conjunction—and,
or, but, for, nor.
We purchased some cheese, and we purchased some fruit.
He is poor, but he is an honest man.

If the conjunction is not joining two independent clause, leave the comma.
Life is but a rollercoaster ride.
 7. Use a comma to set off introductory elements
Running toward the dress, she suddenly realized how silly she looked.
Drinking the coffee, I stopped to watch my friend smiling at the baby.
8. to set off parenthetical elements, additional information that can be
removed without affecting the sentence
Eleanor, his wife of thirty years, suddenly decided to open her own business.
The Founders Bridge, which spans the Connecticut River, is falling down.

9. Use a comma to set off quoted elements.

"I should like to buy an egg, please," she said timidly.
10. Use commas to set off phrases that express contrast.
It was her money, not her charm or personality, that first attracted him.
SEMI COLON
;
 RULES

1. Use a semicolon in place of a full stop to separate two sentences.

where the conjunction has been left out.
I have paid my dues; I expect all the privileges listed in the contract.
Richard always slept with the light on; he was afraid of the dark.

2. To connect related independent clause

Money is the root of all evil; I do not believe the reverse is necessarily
true.
3. Use the semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the
units contain commas.
This conference has people who have come from Dhaka, Bangladesh;
Bombay, India; and Lahore, Pakistan.
The winner of the quiz are Lima, Class 6; Moly, class 8; Tom, class 7; and Tia,
class 9.

3. Use the semicolon between two sentences that are joined by a

conjunction but already have one or more commas within the first sentence.
When I finish here, I will be glad to help you; and that is a promise I will keep.
If she can, she will attempt that accomplishment; and if her husband is able,
he will be there to see her.
QUESTION MARK
?
1. Use a question mark only after a direct question.
What is your name?
Will you go with me?

2. Use a question mark when a sentence is half statement and

half question.
You will come with me, won’t you?
They believed us, didn’t they?
EXCLAMATION
MARK
!
 1. to show emphasis or surprise.
What a lovely view you have here!
That’s fantastic!
"No!" he yelled. "Do it now!"

2. An exclamation mark will often accompany

mimetically produced sounds
All night long, the dogs woof! in my neighbor's yard
The bear went Grr!, and I went left.
COLON
:
 1. to introduce a list of items or elements
I want the following items: butter, sugar, and flour.
I want to visit these countries: Italy, Greece, France, and Egypt.

2. between independent clauses when the second explains the first

I didn't have time to get changed: I was already late
The research is conclusive: climate change is reality.

3. to emphasis
There was one thing she loved more than any other: her dog.
That’s because we have one goal: for you to consider your website a
success.
HYPHEN

-
A hyphen (-) is a punctuation mark that’s used to join words or parts
of words.
RULES
1. Use Hyphen when two words join together to function as one adjective.
He bought chocolate-covered nuts for his mom.
Your speech was the eye-opener for me.

2. To all compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine

Only twenty-four people attend the seminar.

3. To all spelled-out fractions

I need one-third of a cup of sugar to bake the cake.
4. When adverbs (other than “…ly” adverbs) used as compound words in front of
a noun.
(Do not use hyphen if the word come after the noun.)
The well-known singer is coming to our school.
The singer who is coming to our school is a well known singer.
He got a much-needed hair cut.
His hair cut was much needed.

5. Hyphenate a compound adjective, that come before a noun, including present

or past participle
There are few friendly-looking students in my new class.
I saw the beautiful-looking flowers in the garden.
 6. Use Hyphen With Prefixes: Ex-, Self-, All-
The ex-mayor came to our school as a chief guest.
Stay self-assured and continue to pursue your own interests.

7. Use hyphen with the prefix “re” only when the “re” means again
We re-covered the chairs and bed in our house.
She recovered from her illness.

8. Use Hyphen with “low” or “high”

The restaurant is low-key and basic, but the food is delicious.
She is a high-spirited woman.

9. Use hyphen in Compound Adjective with numbers

Our headmaster gave a long 40-minutes speech in the hall.
He is a thirteenth-century writer.

10. Use Hyphen In Compound Adjective With Fractions

He is a half-witted man.
 DON’Ts
• Do not use a hyphen in a compound using a comparative or superlative adjective.
a better built house, most easily impressed, least attractive place

• Do not use a hyphen in chemical terms.

calcium carbide solution, a hydrogen peroxide mixture

• Do not hyphenate words prefixed by non, un, in, dis, co, anti, hyper, pre, re, post,
out, bi, counter, de, semi, mis, mega, micro, inter, over, and under (EXCEPTIONS:
When the second element is capitalized, as in Un-American and non-English, a
hyphen is used.)
Uninfected, disorder, hyperactive, semifinal

• Do not (usually) hyphenate verb and preposition combinations.

Look out, belong to, call back, depend on
DASH
__
• Point out a pause or a range
• separate groups of words

2 Types
Em Dash & En Dash
 Em Dash
1. to generate strong emotion in your writing or create a more casual tone
You are the friend – the only friend – who offered to help me.
I had a great day at the zoo—hey! Is that a jaguar?

2. To replace comma, semicolon, colon and parenthesis

I talked to Mr. Johnson, my son's math teacher, at the game on Friday.
I talked to Mr. Johnson—my son's math teacher—at the game on Friday.

My sister loves chocolate; my brother loves vanilla.

My sister loves chocolate—my brother loves vanilla

Mom needs four things at the store: butter, milk, flour, and bread.
Mom needs four things at the store—butter, milk, flour, and bread.

Please call my lawyer (Richard Smith) on Tuesday.

Please call my lawyer—Richard Smith—on Tuesday.
 En Dash
1. to indicate spans of time or ranges of numbers
The teacher assigned pages 215 — 250 for weekend reading assignment.
Our class will be from 11:35—12:15pm.

2. To show distance
The flight from Africa–America is long.

3. Use an en dash when you need to connect terms that are already
hyphenated or when you are using a two-word phrase as a modifier.
The pro-choice–pro-life argument is always a heated one.
APOSTROPHE

’
 1. Use apostrophe with contraction where one or letters have been removed
You are right.
You’re right.
They have gone to school.
They’ve gone to school.

It has been raining since morning.

It’s been raining since morning.

2. To show possession or ownership

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

If the thing or person is singular, add “s” after apostrophe

The girl’s hair is curly. (the hair of the girl)
If the thing or person is plural and ends with the letter “s”, just add an apostrophe (’)
The girls’ books are taken by the teacher. (the books belong to some girls)
3. Use the apostrophe and s after the second name only if two people
possess the same item.
Sara’s and Ana’s job contracts will be renewed next year.
(Indicates separate ownership.)
Sara and Ana’s job contracts will be renewed next year.
(Indicates joint ownership of more than one contract.)

4. Never use an apostrophe with possessive pronouns:

his, hers, its, theirs, ours, yours, whose
They already show possession so they do not require an apostrophe.
This book is hers.
I have a dog, and Its color is white.
Sincerely yours
Quotation Mark

“”
 1. To set off a direct quotation
“What is your name?”, asked the teacher.
“You must return home on time,” Said my mom.

2. with titles of certain works and to quote from text

Her favorite book is “The Little Mermaid”
By the words, “ The world’s a stage” the writer conveyed his idea about our life in this world.

3. Do not use quotation marks with quoted material that is more than three
lines in length.
Block Quotes ( a separate paragraph from the text)
Block quotations are not set off with quotation marks.
 Full stops and commas always go inside quotation marks.
She said, ‘‘you need to hurry up.’’
“You need to hurry up,” she said.

If a question is in quotation marks, the question mark should be placed inside

the quotation marks.
She asked, ‘‘Will you still be my friend?’’

If a question is applied to the whole sentence, the question mark should be

placed outside the quotation marks.
Did you read “Lord of the Rings” ?

When you have a question outside quoted material AND inside quoted material,
use only one question mark and place it inside the quotation mark.
Did she say, ‘‘May I go?’’

Use single quotation marks for quotes within quotes.

He said, ‘‘Mom said, ‘Do not be late.’’’
“‘The Battle of Hogwarts’ is my favorite chapter in the whole series,” Tom said.
Parentheses and Brackets

()
 to set off information within a text or paragraph,
or
provide extra information about something else in the sentence.
Curators from the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) have announced a new dinosaur
exhibit.
While walking down the street (paying more attention to her phone than to her feet), Catherine
tripped over the curb and sprained her ankle.

Periods, question marks, and exclamation points should go before the closing
parenthesis or bracket only if they belong to the words inside the parentheses or
brackets.
If the punctuation belongs to the surrounding sentence, put them outside the
parentheses or brackets.
Please read the analysis. (I have enclosed it as Attachment A.)
Please read the analysis (Attachment A).
Never put a comma immediately before a closing parenthesis. Put a comma after a
closing parenthesis.
After dinner (an enormous, healthy salad,) Peter treated himself to ice cream.
After dinner, (an enormous, healthy salad) Peter treated himself to ice cream.
INCORRECT
After dinner (an enormous, healthy salad), Peter treated himself to ice cream.
CORRECT

Brackets, sometimes called square brackets [ ], are most often used to show that
words have been added to a direct quotation.
To give additional information in a direct quote (not belonging to the quotation)
He said, “We went and had a great time.”
He said, “We went [to the zoo] and had a great time.”
Ellipsis

…
 To shows that something has been left out or omitted
Hamlet asked whether it was “nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of
outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles.”
Hamlet asked whether it was “nobler … to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous
fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles.”

To show a pause in speech or that a sentence trails off

Andrew, can you, um . . . never mind, I forgot what I was saying. So, do you think we
should . . . ?
THANK YOU