The Punctuation Marks in English Grammar

In English grammar, there are multiple punctuation marks that are used in
order to make your writing look sensible and easy to understand. A
punctuation mark is defined as “a sign or mark used in writing to divide
sentences and phrases”, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary. Let us
take a look at the various punctuation marks in English grammar.

 Period/Full stop
 Comma
 Colon
 Semicolon
 Apostrophe
 Quotation marks
 Hyphen
 Dash
 Parentheses
 Slash
 Exclamation mark
 Question mark
 Ellipsis
Furthermore, it is also important you understand that using capital letters
and spaces are also an integral part of punctuation.

Using Punctuation in Sentences – Examples

Using punctuation is vital to make your writing look professional, logical

and well-founded. Using no punctuation at all will not make sense; overuse
of punctuation can make your writing look distorted and vague.
Have a look at the following table to understand each punctuation mark and
to see how they can be used in sentences.

Punctuation Punctuation mark Sentence example

mark (Symbol)

Full stop / . I am a student.

Period

Comma , Ashlin, my sister’s daughter, came home today.

Colon : You have two options: Take a bus or hire a cab.

Semicolon ; I did not like the dish; however, I ate it since I

did not want to waste it.

Apostrophe ’ Ritu’s brother is moving to Sydney.

Quotation “” My mom said, “Make sure you get home before

marks 7 p.m.”

Hyphen – We have a black–eyed white bunny.

Dash — My mom’s friends — Sheela, Immaculate and

Agnes — visited her today.

Parentheses () Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (popularly known as

‘Mother Teresa’) was born on August 26, 1910.

Slash / You can use a noun/pronoun to start a

sentence.

Exclamation ! Wow! That is great news.

mark

Question mark ? What would you like to have for dinner?

Ellipsis … We wrote in the comments section, “We were

here. This is the … again.”

Among all punctuation marks, three marks are used as sentence endings.
Full stops/periods, Question Marks, and Exclamation Marks.

Period/Full stop ( . ):

The period mark is also called a full stop that is always used to end a
sentence. It shows that the sentence is completed or declared.

Examples:

 She went to school.

 He plays football.
 Ramesh is a good boy.

Question mark ( ? ):

Any sentence that begins with Wh-type words asks a question or an

interrogative sentence ends with a question mark. It expresses that the
given sentence is a direct question/interrogative statement.

Examples:

 Who is the principal of this college?

 What do you want to form us?
 How do you know my address?

The exclamation mark ( ! ):

The exclamation mark is used to end the statements to show emphasis. It

can also be used in the middle of the sentence. It expresses intense emotion,
strong feelings, joy, sorrow, and excitement or command by the sentence.

Examples:

 You are Fantastic!

 I’m so excited today!
 Hooray! We won the tournament.

The comma ( , ):

A comma is used to pause a statement or differentiate two separate ideas,

phrases, elements, or even alter the statement structure. It can also express
with numbers, dates, etc.

Examples:

 You are a handsome, shy, and romantic person.

 We’ve seen the Tajmahal, Red Fort, and the Qutub Minar in a row
when we are out for a tour of historical places.
  She was born on Wednesday, September 25, 1996.

Colon ( : ):

A colon is a punctuation mark that separates two independent clauses to

show emphases, such as quotations, series, or even explanations. It is also
used to link two different clauses where any of the clauses satisfy the other.

Examples:

 Jayson has three kids: Joseph, Robin, and Mathews.

 She prepared her science project with random things: recycling
wastes, old newspapers, empty syringes.
 I don’t want to eat anything: my stomach is full.

Semicolon ( ; ):

A semicolon is used in a sentence to separate two independent clauses or

within a list where commas are used.

It shows a better relationship between those two clauses.

Examples:

 I don’t want to go outside; I’m suffering from a headache.

 On this trip, we are visiting pilgrims such as Haji Ali, Mumbai;
Kaashi, Uttar Pradesh; and Amarnath, Himachal Pradesh.
 My father is an architect; my mother is an engineer.

Dash ( _ ):

A dash is used for separating the words in a sentence.

Dashes are of two types; En type dash and Em type dash differ by size and
usage.

1. The ‘En’ dash (–) is used for expressing range or connection between
two units.
2. The ‘Em’ dash is longer (—) is used in such places where we can also
use a comma, colons, and parentheses.

Examples:

 He completed his graduation in the session 2012-2016.

 We just heard the news of an airstrike near the Indo-Nepal border.
 All players shouted lastly — Hooray!
Hyphen ( – );

The hyphen is a punctuation mark that is used in a sentence to show three

main uses.

It is used with compound words that link with prefixes and the word breaks.

Examples:

 He is a nine-year-old genius with many records.

 My brother-in-law went to the US last week.
 We need a pre-planning for his wedding ceremony.

Parentheses/Round bracket ( ( ) ):

The punctuation mark parenthesis is also called a round bracket used to

show additional thought regarding a statement. It can also be used instead
of using commas without affecting the meaning of the sentence. It is also
used to provide extra information regarding certain things.

Examples:

 The new railway track has been built to connect two states (Himachal
Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir) for trade and services.
 Two friends (Ram and Shyam) have prepared for the Olympics that
will be held this year.
 Jeff Becoz (owner of the Amazon company) helped the people who
suffered from floods last month.

Square bracket ( [ ] ):

A square bracket as a punctuation mark is used to highlight or specify the

information with technical details in any sentence. It is also used to define a
subject in a sentence that recites any other person.

Examples:

 Wasn’t she [the lecturer] there when you arrived?

 He [Mr. Rakesh Sharma] was the first person from India who traveled
to space.
 A fan said that “[M.S.Dhoni] is his favorite cricket player.”
Slash ( / ):

Most of the time, a slash is also called a forward slash, an oblique dash, or a
virgule. It is used in a sentence to discriminate between alternative words. It
separates parts of the internet web links, addresses, or writing any file
names. It is used for fractions in mathematical equations or to show the
word “per” in measurements or units in formulae.

Examples:

 https://www.alphabet.com/
 two-third= 2/3.
 The speed of commercial airplanes in the air is around 800-950
km/hr (450-575 mph).

Apostrophe ( ‘ ):

An apostrophe is a punctuation mark that refers to the need for any

appropriate letter in a word, possessive case, to show plurals or reveal the
lowercase letter. It is used to contract certain words.

Examples:

 I’ve told you earlier to stop blaming each other.

 I like to watch the Helicopter’s shot played by Dhoni.
 My friend’s sister’s mother is suffering from cancer!

Quotation marks/Speech marks ( “ ):

Quotation marks are used to mark certain words or any sentence, phrase in
a sentence. Quotations are also used to highlight meanings. Single
Quotation marks are used while writing quotes.

Examples:

 “Don’t touch my Laptop,” my brother shouted.

 An Australian cricketer once said during interviews, “M.S.Dhoni is my
favorite cricket player.”
 “They went to the US last week,” said his mother.

Ellipsis ( … ):

Ellipses are a set of three periods that are commonly used in a sentence to
indicate an omission or used to switch from one phrase to another phrase.
In some cases, it is also used to shorten the length of the sentence, where
the text is not needed.

Examples:
  He starts counting, “One, two, three, four…” until he finishes up to
10.
 To be continued…
 You won’t believe what I saw there…

QUIZ

1. Insert the correct punctuation:

The weather is great today lets go for a walk.

2. Add punctuation:
My favorite colors are blue green and purple.

3. Correct the punctuation:

Whos coming to the party tonight

4. Insert punctuation:
She said I will be there in five minutes

5. Add the correct punctuation:

On my vacation I visited Paris France London England and Rome Italy

6. Correct the punctuation:

The book which I read last week was fascinating

7. Insert punctuation:
Can you please bring these items to the picnic sandwiches chips
drinks and napkins

8. Add punctuation:
Its raining outside so we should probably cancel the picnic
9. Correct the punctuation:
I need to buy a new dress I have a wedding to attend

10. Insert punctuation:

Wow that movie was amazing

11. Add punctuation:

The following are my hobbies reading painting and hiking

12. Correct the punctuation:

When she arrived at the airport her flight had already departed

13. Insert punctuation:

I cant believe I won the lottery

14. Add punctuation:

The teacher asked Who can tell me the answer

15. Correct the punctuation:

If its too late we can go tomorrow instead

16. Insert punctuation:

The concert starts at 8 pm dont be late

17. Add punctuation:

This is the last call for flight 302 to New York City

18. Correct the punctuation:

Youre going to love this restaurant its the best in town
19. Insert punctuation:
What time is the meeting scheduled for

20. Add punctuation:

Although it was raining we decided to go hiking anyway
PUNCUTATE THE PARAGRAPHS

 yesterday i went to the park it was a beautiful day and the sun was
shining brightly i saw many people enjoying the weather families
having picnics children playing games and couples strolling hand
in hand suddenly a dog ran past me chasing a ball what a lively
place it was

 as i entered the room i heard someone say welcome to the party

looking around i noticed my friends gathered near the fireplace
chatting and laughing come join us they called waving me over i
felt instantly at home and excited to be there

 i have several favorite books pride and prejudice to kill a

mockingbird and 1984 each offers something unique for example
pride and prejudice is a classic love story while 1984 explores
dystopian themes i could read them all over and over again

 its amazing how quickly time flies before you know it another year
has passed i cant believe its already august there are so many
things i want to do before summer ends like visiting the beach and
hiking in the mountains lets make the most of it

 do you know what time the movie starts i think its at 700 pm but i
should probably double check if were going we should leave by 630
pm to get good seats let me know if that works for you

Answers
 1. The weather is great today; let's go for a walk.
2. My favorite colors are blue, green, and purple.
3. Who's coming to the party tonight?
4. She said, "I will be there in five minutes."
5. On my vacation, I visited Paris, France; London, England; and Rome,
Italy.
6. The book, which I read last week, was fascinating.
7. Can you please bring these items to the picnic: sandwiches, chips,
drinks, and napkins?
8. It's raining outside, so we should probably cancel the picnic.
9. I need to buy a new dress; I have a wedding to attend.
10. Wow! That movie was amazing!
11. The following are my hobbies: reading, painting, and hiking.
12. When she arrived at the airport, her flight had already departed.
13. I can't believe I won the lottery!
14. The teacher asked, "Who can tell me the answer?"
15. If it's too late, we can go tomorrow instead.
16. The concert starts at 8 p.m.; don't be late.
17. This is the last call for flight 302 to New York City.
18. You're going to love this restaurant; it's the best in town.
19. What time is the meeting scheduled for?
20. Although it was raining, we decided to go hiking anyway.

 Comma, Period, and Exclamation Mark

Yesterday, I went to the park. It was a beautiful day, and the sun was
shining brightly! I saw many people enjoying the weather: families having
picnics, children playing games, and couples strolling hand in hand.
Suddenly, a dog ran past me, chasing a ball. What a lively place it was!

 Quotation Marks and Commas

As I entered the room, I heard someone say, "Welcome to the party!" Looking
around, I noticed my friends gathered near the fireplace, chatting and
laughing. "Come join us," they called, waving me over. I felt instantly at
home and excited to be there.

 Semicolon and Colon

I have several favorite books: "Pride and Prejudice," "To Kill a Mockingbird,"
and "1984." Each offers something unique; for example, "Pride and
Prejudice" is a classic love story, while "1984" explores dystopian themes. I
could read them all over and over again!

 Apostrophe and Dash

It's amazing how quickly time flies—before you know it, another year has
passed. I can't believe it's already August! There are so many things I want
to do before summer ends, like visiting the beach and hiking in the
mountains. Let's make the most of it!
 Question Mark and Parentheses
Do you know what time the movie starts? I think it's at 7:00 p.m. (but I
should probably double-check). If we're going, we should leave by 6:30 p.m.
to get good seats. Let me know if that works for you!