There are 14 common punctuation marks in English.

1. The Full Stop (.)

2. The Question Mark (?)
3. Quotation Marks/Speech Marks (‖ ―)
4. The Apostrophe (‗)
5. The Comma (,)
6. The Hyphen (-)
7. The dash ( en dash (–) em dash (—) )
8. The Exclamation Mark (!)
9. The Colon (:)
10. The Semicolon (;)
11. Parentheses ()
12. Brackets []
13. Ellipsis (…)
14. The Slash (/)

Punctuation Marks with Rules & Examples

* Full Stop (.)

A full stop, also known as a period (.) in American English, is one of the
most commonly used punctuation marks in the English language. Analysis
of texts indicates that approximately half of all punctuation marks used are
full stops.

The punctuation rules:

 Mostly used at the end of a declarative sentence, or a statement

that is considered to be complete.
 This punctuation mark is also used following an abbreviation.
 A full stop can also show the end of a group of words that don‘t
form a typical sentence.

The full stop examples:

 My name‘s Beth and I was 18 in July.

 Mr. White was talking with Mr. Smith.
* Question Mark (?)

We use a question mark (?) after an interrogative sentence in English.

Examples:

 ―Have you a pen I can borrow?‖ she asked.

 Where are you from?

Quotation Marks/Speech Marks (” “)

We use quotation marks (‖ ―) for direct quotations in English.

Examples:

 ―I feel I‘ve really earned this, ‖ she said, taking up her mug of tea.
 ‖ I told a fib about my age, ‖ little Tom said.
 ―It is a historic moment,‖ he told journalists.
 ―Fine, thanks,‖ he replied in a cheerful manner.

* Apostrophe (‘)

An apostrophe (‘) is used to show that certain letters have been omitted
from a word. The punctuation symbol can also be used to show the
possessive form of a noun, in addition to indicating the plural form of
lowercase letters.

The apostrophe rules:

(1) Use an apostrophe in contractions

 He is = He‘s
 I am = I‘m
 Do not = Don‘t
 They have = They‘ve
 I would = I‘d
 Let us = Let‘s
 She has = She‘s
 Who is = Who‘s
(2) Use an apostrophe to indicate possession

The apostrophe examples:

 He joined Charles‘s army in 1642.

 We have put together an anthology of children‘s poetry.
 The boy‘s sister traveled by bus to meet us.

* Comma (,)

A comma (,) is used to show the difference between two separate ideas or
elements within a sentence. Commas have other uses as well, as they can
be used to separate numbers, and write dates.

The comma rules and examples:

(1) Add a comma when two separate sentences are combined

Example: We purchased some cheese, and we purchased some fruit.

(2) Use commas between words in a series. Notice that a comma does
not follow the last word in the series

Example: He was tall, dark, and handsome.

(3) Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of

the sentence

Example: As the day came to an end, the firefighters put out the last spark.

(4) Use the comma to set off the words ―yes‖ and ―no‖.

Example: No, thank you.

(5) Use a comma to set off a tag question from the rest of the sentence.

Example: She is your sister, isn‘t she?

(6) Use a comma to indicate a direct address.

Example: Is that you, Mary?

(7) Add a comma when a participle phrase clause is used.

Example: Walking slowly, I could see the beautiful flowers.

(8) Use a comma to separate parts of the date.

Example: Tuesday, May 2, 2016, was when I graduated.

* Hyphen (-)

A hyphen (–) is a punctuation mark with three main uses. Many people
confuse this punctuation mark with the dash, but the two are quite different.
The hyphen can be used in compound words, to link words to prefixes, and
also as a way to show word breaks.

The hyphen rules and examples:

(1) Use a hyphen to join two or more words together into a compound
term. Do not separate the words with spaces.

Examples:

 My eight-year-old boy loves reading.

 I work part-time.
 Self-expression
 Self-confidence
 Self-consciousness
 Nineteenth-century history
 Old-furniture salesman
 Off-the-peg suits
 Self-paced learning exercises

(2) To link prefixes to words.

For example: These things happened before the pre-enlightenment era.

(3) To indicate word breaks

For example: Unlike what some people might think, the twentieth-century
was very different from other preceding time periods.
* Dash

The dash is used to separate words into statements.

There are two kinds of dashes, the en dash, and the em dash.

The en dash shows range or connections. On the other hand, the em dash is
used in places where a comma could also be used. The dash can also be
used to mark off words or statements that are not important to the meaning
of the statement. The dash can also be used in places where a comma
would be typically used.

En dash (–)

Slightly wider than a hyphen, the en dash is a symbol (–) that is used in
writing or printing to indicate a range or connections.

Examples:

 1880 –1945
 Princeton–New York trains

Em dash (—)

Twice as long as 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.

Example: She gave him her answer—No!

* Exclamation Mark (!)

An exclamation mark is used to show emphasis. It can be used in the

middle of a sentence or at the end of a sentence. When used at the end of
a sentence, it also takes on the role of a full stop or a period.

We often use an exclamation mark (!) to show strong emotion or give

a command.
Examples:

 Stop!
 Yeah!
 Sit down!
 What a lovely view you have here!
 That‘s fantastic!
 Johnny, don‘t touch that!
 Help!
 Good heavens!

* Colon (:)

A colon (:) is a fairly common punctuation mark with a varied number of

uses. It can be used to introduce a quotation, an example, a series, or even
an explanation. Secondly, it can be used to separate two independent
clauses. Finally, a colon can be used to show emphasis.

Examples:

 You have two choices: finish the work today or lose the contract.
 That‘s because we have one goal: for you to consider your website
a success.
 John has all the ingredients: minced clams, milk, potatoes, and
onions.

* Semicolon (;)

A semicolon (;) is used to separate two independent clauses while still

demonstrating that a close relationship exists between them. The semicolon
does a better job of showing the connection between two statements than
a full stop would.

Examples:

 My daughter is a teacher; my son is a doctor.

 There are eight members in the team: two from China, Japan;
three from France, Spain; two from Brazil; and one from India.
* Parentheses ( )

Parenthesis, ( () ) are quotation marks that show additional thoughts about

a statement. In many scenarios, they can be replaced by commas without
any changes to the meaning of the sentence.

We also often use parentheses to set off less important details.

Example: The two brothers (Richard and Sean) were learning how to play
guitar.

* Brackets [ ]

Brackets are squared off quotations ([]) that are used to show information
of a technical nature. Even if this information is omitted entirely, the
sentence would still make sense.

For example: Was he [the defendant] there when you arrived?

* Ellipsis (…)

An ellipsis is usually represented by three dots (…), although it can also be

represented by three asterisks (***). This punctuation symbol is used to
show that there has been an omission of some letters or words. In many
cases, ellipses are used to cut statement short to avoid unnecessary or
irrelevant words that have no impact on the meaning of the statement being
made.

We often use an ellipsis to show that parts of sentences are left out.

Examples:

 To be continued…
 You‘ll never believe what I saw…
Slash (/)

A slash, which is also known as a forward slash, a virgule, or even an

oblique dash, has a number of uses. The slash can be used to separate lines
in a song or poem when they are written in a continuous line. The slash (/)
is also used in place of the word. The slash can also be used to show two
contradictory notions.

The slash punctuation rules and examples:

(1) Use slashes to separate parts of the internet (web) addresses and
file names for some computer programs.

Example: http://www.example.com/

(2) Use slashes for fractions

Example: 1/3 = one-third

(3) Use a slash to separate the day, month, and year in date.

Examples:

 w/o = without
 n/a or N/A = not applicable or not available
 R/C = radio control

(4) Use a slash to show the word ―per‖ in measurements.

Example: 80 miles/hour = 80 miles per hour

(5) Use a slash to separate lines of poetry or rhymes in regular text.

Example: Twinkle, twinkle, little star, / How I wonder what you are. / Up
above the world so high, / Like a diamond in the sky.

(6) Use a slash to show alternatives in a sentence.

Example: Please press your browser‘s Refresh/Reload button.

 Summary
There are 14 common punctuation marks in English.
How and when to use different punctuation marks with useful examples.

Full Stop / Period (.)

This is the most popular punctuation mark because you simply cannot write a single
sentence without using it. There are two main uses of a full stop to indicate the end
of a sentence, or to follow an abbreviation.

Comma (,)
A comma is often used to separate different ideas in a sentence. However, it has
many other uses as well. For example:

 Commas separate items in a list: apples, peaches, grapes, and oranges.

 A comma is used after an introductory word or phrase: at the end of the day,
however, in contrast, etc.
 A comma is used to distinguish a tag question at the end of your sentence from
the rest of the sentence: You are going to the party this Saturday, aren’t you?
 Use a comma when you are directly addressing someone: Julia, what would you like
to eat for dinner?

Question Mark (?)

A question mark, as its name suggests, needs to go at the end of every interrogative
sentence instead of a full stop:

 What did you do today?

 How are you doing?
 Where is your little brother?
 Exclamation Mark (!)
When you add an exclamation mark at the end of a sentence, it shows emphasis.
An exclamation mark can also indicate anger, happiness, excitement, or any other
strong emotion, depending on the meaning of the sentence.

 Go away!
 I’m so excited to see you!
 I can’t wait to go to London!

Quotation Marks / Speech Marks (” “)

As you might expect form the name, quotation marks indicate direct quotations.
You can also use them to show that a word or a phrase is being used ironically, or
for titles of articles, book chapters, episodes of a TV-show, etc.

 ―You’ll never believe what happened last night,‖ Amy said.

Apostrophe (‘)
An apostrophe has two very important uses. First, it can be used in contractions in
place of omitted letters. Second, it can show possession.

 You don’t have to go to the store if you don’t want to.

 We should invite both of Tim's sisters to the party.

Hyphen (-)
Even though it looks very similar to a dash, a hyphen has very different uses. It‘s
most commonly used to create compound words.

 She has always been very self-conscious.

 My sister just started a new part-time job.
 Dash (– or —)
In fact, there are two different dashes, the en dash and the em dash.

The en dash is usually used to show a connection between two things, as well as a
range of numbers, years, pages, etc.

 The London–Paris flight takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

 For tomorrow’s lesson, I need to read pages 38–55 of the textbook.

The em dash can replace a comma, a colon, or parenthesis. You can also use it to
put emphasis on the ending of your sentence.

 This year, Linda has traveled to quite a few countries—China, Japan, South
Korea, and Vietnam.
 His answer was loud and clear—No!

Colon (:)
A colon is a punctuation mark used in many different circumstances. It can
introduce an example, a list, an explanation, or a quotation. Or, you can also use it to
emphasize a certain point.

 There are two things you can do: continue being miserable or move on with
your life.
 There’s only one person in the world who can tell you what you should do: you.

Semicolon (;)
A semicolon is a punctuation mark that creates a longer pause than a comma but a
shorter pause than a full stop. It can be used to create a pause between two
independent clauses that are still closely related to each other.

 My mother is a teacher; my father is an salesman.

 Sylvia spent the whole morning trying to figure out what to wear; she ended up
choosing the first outfit out of all that she tried on that day.
 Parentheses ( )
In most cases, you will see additional information in parentheses. Usually, it can be
omitted without creating any confusion for the reader.

Brackets []
Brackets are, in a way, similar to parentheses. However, they are mostly used in
academic writing and when presenting quotes. For instance, the writer can add extra
information or fix mistakes in brackets, without changing the original quotation.

 The girl said, ―I could hear him [my younger brother] but I couldn’t see him‖.

Ellipsis (…)
When you want to creates an intriguing and mysterious atmosphere in the text, you
use ellipsis. Additionally, it can be used to show that some letters or even words are
omitted.

 So… what happened next?

Slash (/)
You might need to write a fraction, a measurement, or to suggest alternatives in
your text. These are just three of the instances where you will have to use a slash.

 To make this cake, you will need 1/2 cup of milk, 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of sugar.
 The car was going as fast as 140 km/h.
 Just press the On/Off button.