Gracebreed Scribes 01/04/23 Writer’s Workshop

Course: Use of Punctuation in Writing

In English, there are 16 punctuation marks — the period,

question mark, exclamation point, comma, semicolon,
colon, em dash, en dash, hyphen, parentheses, brackets,
braces, apostrophe, double quotation marks, single
quotation marks, and ellipsis — and they’re not as scary
as they sound.

Each punctuation mark has a specific use and purpose in

a sentence's structure.

1) Period ( . )
The . is called a period. The period actually serves two
purposes in grammar.
When it appears at the end of a declarative sentence, it
ends the sentence. The period can also indicate that a
word is an abbreviation.
 As a sentence ender - Jane and Jack went to the market.
 After an abbreviation - John Jones Jr. was born on Dec. 6,
2008.

2) Question Mark ( ? )
 The ? is called a question mark. Question marks ask direct
questions, which are also known as interrogative
sentences. They can also express confusion.
 Interrogative sentence - When did Jane leave for the
market?
 Expressing confusion - Why do we have so much
homework?

3) Exclamation Point ( ! )
The ! is called an exclamation point. Exclamation
points are punctuation marks that show a sudden outcry
in writing.
They also emphasize a point more strongly than a period.
 Sudden outcry - "Holy cow!" screamed Jane.
 To emphasize a point - My mother-in-law's rants make me
furious!

4) Comma ( , )
The , is called a comma. Commas separate ideas or
elements within the structure of a sentence. They also
appear in numbers, dates, and letter writing after
the salutation and closing.
 Direct address - Thanks for all your help, John.
 Separating two complete sentences - We went to the
movies, and then we went out to lunch.
 Separating elements in a list - Suzi wanted the
black, green, and blue dress.
 Quick Tip
The final comma in a list, known as an Oxford or serial
comma, is optional. Some style guides prefer it, while
others consider it unnecessary.

An Oxford comma is always necessary when the sentence

is confusing without it.

5) Semicolon ( ; )
The ; is called a semicolon.
Semicolons are punctuation marks that connect
independent clauses to show a closer relationship
between the clauses than a period would. They can also
separate items in a list that already include commas.
 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 ( : )
The : is called a colon. Colons introduce a quotation, an
explanation, an example, or a series. They can also clarify
information or emphasize an important word or phrase.
 Introducing a series - He was planning to study four
subjects: politics, philosophy, sociology, and economics.
 Clarifying information - I didn't have time to get changed: I
was already late.
 Emphasizing an important phrase - There was one thing
she loved more than any other: her dog.

7) Em Dash ( — )
The — is called an em dash. Em dashes set off information
from the rest of the sentence. They can also show
emphasis to a word or phrase.
You can add spaces to either side of an em dash,
depending on your style guide.
 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 ( – )
The – is called an en dash. En dashes are shorter than em
dashes, and they indicate a range or connection between
numbers or words.
You don’t need to use spaces on either side of an 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 ( - )
The - is called a hyphen. Hyphens are even shorter than en
dashes. They join two or more words together to
 make compound nouns, compound adjectives, and
compound numbers.
 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 ( )
The ( ) are called parentheses.
Parentheses add further thoughts or qualifying remarks to
a sentence. They separate these phrases from the rest of
the sentence.
 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 [ ]
The [ ] are called brackets. Brackets clarify meaning in a
quote by adding words or the phrase sic. They also form
parenthetical statements inside larger parenthetical
statements (called nesting parentheses).
 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
statements [sic] at this time.”
 Nesting parentheses - We decided to go to the Grand
Canyon (my [childhood] dream) this summer.
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12) Braces { }
The { } are called braces. Braces contain sets of numerical
or specialized information to show that they are
considered as a unit.
You won’t often see braces in writing, but you’ll see them
around groups of numbers and mathematical expressions.
 Grouping numbers - The teacher wrote a set of numbers
{6, 9, 12} on the board.
 Mathematical expression - (2{1+[23-3]}=x)

13) Apostrophe ( ‘ )
The ' is called an apostrophe.
Apostrophes are punctuation marks that indicate the
omission of a letter or letters from a word.
They form contractions, show the possessive case, or
create plurals of lowercase letters.
 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) Quotation Marks (“ ”)

The " " are called quotation marks (or double quotation
marks). Quotation marks indicate the beginning and end
 of a quoted passage. They can also show dialogue in
fiction.
 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 (‘ ’)

The ' ' are called single quotation marks (or single
quotes). Single quotation marks show quotes within a
quotation, and they set off quotes in headlines.
 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 (...)

The .... is called an ellipsis. An ellipsis indicates an omission
of words or sentences.
Students writing research papers or newspapers quoting
parts of speeches will often employ ellipsis to avoid
copying lengthy text that is not needed.
 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