Overview of Punctuation Marks
Punctuation marks are symbols used in writing to separate sentences, clarify
meaning, and indicate pauses or emphasis. Mastering punctuation is key to clear,
effective communication.
2. Common Punctuation Marks and Their Functions
a. Period (.)
Function: Marks the end of a declarative sentence or a statement.
Example: The cat is sleeping.
b. Comma (,)
Function: Separates items in a list, introduces clauses, or indicates a pause
within a sentence.
Examples:
o I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
o After the rain stopped, we went outside.
c. Question Mark (?)
Function: Indicates a direct question.
Example: Are you coming to the party?
d. Exclamation Mark (!)
Function: Expresses strong feelings or high volume.
Example: Wow! That’s amazing!
e. Colon (:)
Function: Introduces a list, explanation, or quotation.
Example: She had three options: stay, leave, or negotiate.
f. Semicolon (;)
Function: Links closely related independent clauses or separates complex
items in a list.
Example: She loves reading; he enjoys sports.
g. Quotation Marks (" ")
Function: Denote spoken or quoted speech or phrases.
Example: She said, "I'm going to the market."
h. Apostrophe (')
Function: Indicates possession or forms contractions.
Examples:
o John’s book (possession).
o It’s raining (contraction for "it is").
i. Hyphen (-)
Function: Joins words or splits a word at the end of a line.
Examples:
o A well-known author.
o Re-form (to form again).
j. Dash (— or –)
Function: Separates or emphasizes a part of a sentence.
Examples:
o I’ll go—if you really want me to.
o She was the fastest runner—by far.
k. Parentheses ( )
Function: Enclose additional information or an aside.
Example: He finally answered (after taking five minutes to think).
l. Ellipsis (…)
Function: Indicates the omission of words or a trailing off of thought.
Example: He didn’t know what to say…
3. Drills: Practicing Punctuation
Drill 1: End-of-Sentence Punctuation Insert the correct punctuation mark at the
end of each sentence.
1. Where are you going
2. I have a test tomorrow
3. That’s fantastic
4. Will you help me with this
5. It’s so exciting
Drill 2: Commas and Semicolons Add commas or semicolons where needed.
1. I went to the store to buy milk eggs bread and butter.
2. She wanted to go to the beach but it started raining.
3. We visited Paris France Berlin Germany and Rome Italy.
4. I am happy to help however I’m quite busy.
5. He is my best friend we grew up together.
Drill 3: Apostrophes Correct the use of apostrophes in the following sentences.
1. Its been a long day.
2. The dogs bone is missing.
3. Whos coming to the meeting?
4. She cant find her phone.
5. The childrens toys are scattered everywhere.
Drill 4: Quotation Marks Place the quotation marks in the right position in these
sentences.
1. She said I’ll be there in five minutes.
2. Do you know what time the event starts asked Mark.
3. He whispered I think I forgot my keys.
4. I love the song called Let it Be.
5. Can you believe she shouted I won the race!
4. Additional Exercises
Exercise 1: Fix the Punctuation Rewrite the following paragraph with proper
punctuation.
Original: i went to the store to buy some things when I realized I forgot my wallet I
was so embarrassed I had to tell the cashier sorry i’ll be right back then I ran home
luckily the store wasn’t far
Corrected: I went to the store to buy some things when I realized I forgot my
wallet. I was so embarrassed! I had to tell the cashier, "Sorry, I’ll be right back."
Then I ran home. Luckily, the store wasn’t far.
5. Review
1. What are the primary functions of punctuation marks?
2. How do commas help clarify a sentence?
3. When should a semicolon be used instead of a comma?
4. What’s the difference between a dash and a hyphen?
5. Give examples where an apostrophe can be used for both contraction and
possession.
Quiz
1. Which punctuation mark is used to indicate possession?
a) Hyphen
b) Apostrophe
c) Semicolon
d) Period
2. What punctuation mark should you use to end a direct question?
a) Exclamation mark
b) Period
c) Question mark
d) Colon
3. Choose the sentence with the correct use of commas.
a) I bought apples, oranges and, bananas.
b) I bought, apples oranges, and bananas.
c) I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
d) I, bought apples oranges, and bananas.
4. Which of the following sentences uses a semicolon correctly?
a) She loves reading; but he enjoys sports.
b) She loves reading; he enjoys sports.
c) She loves reading; and enjoys sports.
d) She loves reading, he enjoys sports.
5. In which sentence are quotation marks used correctly?
a) "I can't believe it," she said, "It's raining again."
b) I can't believe it, "she said," it's raining again.
c) I can't believe it she said, "It's raining again."
d) "I can't believe it," she said. "It's raining again."
6. What punctuation mark can be used to connect two closely related
independent clauses?
a) Comma
b) Semicolon
c) Hyphen
d) Dash
7. Choose the sentence where the apostrophe is used correctly.
a) The dog’s bone is missing.
b) The dogs bone is missing.
c) The dogs’ bone is missing.
d) The dogs’s bone is missing.
8. Which punctuation mark can be used to introduce a list?
a) Semicolon
b) Colon
c) Ellipsis
d) Comma
9. Which sentence correctly uses a dash?
a) I think I’ll go to the park—it's sunny outside.
b) I think I’ll go to the park, it's sunny outside.
c) I think I’ll go to the park—it’s sunny, outside.
d) I think—I’ll go to the park, it’s sunny outside.
10. What is the primary function of parentheses?
a) To emphasize a point
b) To introduce a list
c) To enclose additional information
d) To indicate a pause
