PUNCTUATION

We can break down the punctuation marks into five categories, as follows:
 Sentence endings: period, question mark, exclamation point
 Comma, colon, and semicolon
 Dash and hyphen
 Brackets, braces, and parentheses
 Apostrophe, quotation marks, and ellipsis
The Punctuation Marks in English Grammar

What Are The 14 Punctuation Marks You Need To Know?

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 Sentence example

mark 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
marks before 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.
• Usage: Ends a declarative sentence, abbreviations, or indirect
questions.

• Examples:

 Declarative: The class begins at 9 AM.

 Abbreviation: Dr., Mr., St.

 Indirect Question: She asked if we were ready.

 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.

When to use commas

Commas have quite a few uses in English:

Separating items in a list of three or more

Connecting two independent clauses with a coordinating
conjunction
Setting apart non-restrictive relative clauses
Setting apart nonessential appositives
Setting apart introductory phrases
 Setting apart interrupters and parenthetical elements
Setting apart question tags
Setting apart names in direct address
Separating parts of a date
Separating parts of a location, like a city and its country
Separating multiple coordinating adjectives
Separating quotations and attributive tags

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!
Dashes are used to separate groups of words, not to separate parts of
words like a hyphen does. (Learn more about the difference between a
dash and a hyphen here).
There are three kinds of dashes: the em dash, the en dash, and the
double hyphen.

What are em dashes?

Em dashes save the day when other punctuation would be awkward. For
instance, a single em dash can replace a pair of parentheses around
material at the end of a sentence, or a pair of em dashes can replace a
pair of commas around a clause that contains other commas, to make the
sentence easier to understand.

o After a split second of hesitation, the second baseman leaped for

the ball (or, rather, limped for it).
o After a split second of hesitation, the second baseman leaped for
the ball—or, rather, limped for it.

o The rain in the forecast, because it came after a long, unbroken

stretch of sunny days, at a time of year that is usually quite wet,
made the gardeners happy even though they had to reschedule the
event.
o The rain in the forecast—because it came after a long, unbroken
stretch of sunny days, at a time of year that is usually quite wet—
made the gardeners happy even though they had to reschedule the
event.

Colons enable a writer to introduce a clause that amplifies whatever came

before the colon. They are more formal than em dashes. However, em
dashes are more emphatic than colons. When you want to generate
strong emotion in your writing or create a more casual tone, use em
dashes. Compare these sentences:
o He is afraid of two things: spiders and senior prom.
o He is afraid of two things—spiders and senior prom.
What are en dashes?
Recall that en dashes are slightly narrower in width than em dashes. En
dashes may look similar to em dashes, but they function in a much
different way.

En dash indicating spans or ranges

The en dash is often used to indicate a span of time or a range of
numbers. In this context, the dash should be interpreted as meaning
either “to” or “through.” Consider the examples below:
 The teacher assigned pages 101–181 for tonight’s reading material.
 The scheduled window for the cable installation is 1–3 p.m.
 The 2021–2022 fiscal year was the most profitable one on record for
the new business.
En dash indicating a connection
The en dash may also be used to indicate a connection between two
words. You can use an en dash in a complex compound adjective when
one or both of its elements are already hyphenated compounds, although
it’s also acceptable to use hyphens in these kinds of constructions—just
be consistent.

The pro-choice–anti-abortion argument is always a heated one.

The pro-choice-anti-abortion argument is always a heated one.
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.
BRACKETS

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

Fill in the Punctuation

Instruction: Add appropriate punctuation to the following sentences.

1. she is coming home tomorrow

2. where is my book
3. wow what a beautiful painting
4. the shop sells pens pencils notebooks and erasers
5. my brother who lives in delhi is coming to visit us
6. she said i will meet you at 5 pm
7. please close the door when you leave
8. is the movie starting now
9. oh no i forgot my wallet
10. i need the following items apples bananas and milk
11. he asked me how are you doing today
12. johns car is parked outside
13. the teacher asked can you solve this problem
14. she will travel to paris her dream destination
15. wait i have something to tell you
16. the meeting starts at 10 am and ends at 1 pm
17. have you been to mumbai before
18. my father who is a doctor works at the hospital
19. the weather is perfect for a picnic dont you think
20. take a right turn at the traffic light
Error Identification and Correction

Instruction: Identify the punctuation errors and correct them.

1. I love cooking eating and reading.

2. The teacher asked when will the exam begin.
3. Its raining heavily outside.
4. What time does the class end
5. Sarahs presentation is tomorrow.
6. Wow that’s an incredible performance.
7. Can you tell me how to solve this.
8. The cake was delicious creamy and sweet.
9. Please call me tomorrow Ill be free after 5 pm.
10. This is not my bag whose is it
11. Lets meet at 5 o clock
12. I bought a red pen a blue pen and a green pen
13. The flowers garden were beautiful.
14. Is she coming to the party? she didn’t say anything.
15. We visited the museum, the park, and the zoo
16. I need to buy, milk bread and eggs.
17. My friend lives in london England.
18. Oh no. I forgot my ticket at home
19. They are preparing for the event its going to be big
20. When are we leaving

PUNCTUATE THE FOLLOWING

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

Match the Rules with Sentences

Instruction: Match the punctuation rule to the sentence.

Sentences:

1. I bought a camera, a tripod, and a microphone.

2. "Can you help me with this task?" she asked.
3. My teacher’s advice was very helpful.
4. I love reading books — it’s my favorite hobby.
 5. The event will take place from March 1–10.
6. After the rain stopped, we went outside.
7. The weather is cold but pleasant.
8. This is my decision: I will move abroad.
9. Let’s meet at 6 PM; we’ll discuss everything then.
10. She said, "This is the best coffee I’ve ever had!"
11. It’s been a long day, hasn’t it?
12. He failed the exam; however, he didn’t give up.
13. Have you seen the movie Inception?
14. We’re looking for a place (preferably near the park).
15. He paused… then continued his story.

Rules:

 List items separated by commas.

 Direct speech enclosed in quotation marks.
 Possession indicated by an apostrophe.
 Dash used for emphasis.
 Ellipsis shows hesitation.
 Semicolon separates independent clauses.

5. Paragraph Writing with Missing Punctuation

Instruction: Add punctuation to the following paragraphs.

Paragraph 1:

My favorite hobbies are reading writing and painting I spend most of my

weekends exploring new books or trying out new painting techniques last
week I painted a sunset scene and everyone loved it

Paragraph 2:

He said lets go to the park for a walk after the rain stops I agreed and
added we can also stop by the cafe for some coffee it’s been a while since
we caught up

Paragraph 3:

There are many reasons why I love living in this city the vibrant culture
the friendly people and the delicious food every street corner has
something interesting to offer whether it’s a small cafe or a street artist
Add Punctuation to a Paragraph

Instruction: Add appropriate punctuation to the paragraphs below.

Paragraph 4:

The dog barked loudly as the cat climbed the tree the children watched in
amazement but they couldn’t help laughing suddenly the cat jumped
down and ran away

Paragraph 5:

We are going on a trip to the mountains we will need to pack warm

clothes hiking shoes and some snacks I am so excited to see the sunrise
from the peak it’s going to be amazing

Paragraph 6:

Yesterday I met Sarah she told me about her new job at the hospital she
said it’s a challenging role but she enjoys it I asked her when we could
catch up again and she said let’s plan something for next week

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

Fill in the Punctuation

1. She is coming home tomorrow.

2. Where is my book?
3. Wow! What a beautiful painting!
4. The shop sells pens, pencils, notebooks, and erasers.
5. My brother, who lives in Delhi, is coming to visit us.
6. She said, "I will meet you at 5 PM."
7. Please close the door when you leave.
8. Is the movie starting now?
9. Oh no! I forgot my wallet.
10. I need the following items: apples, bananas, and milk.
11. He asked me, "How are you doing today?"
12. John’s car is parked outside.
13. The teacher asked, "Can you solve this problem?"
14. She will travel to Paris, her dream destination.
15. Wait! I have something to tell you.
16. The meeting starts at 10 AM and ends at 1 PM.
17. Have you been to Mumbai before?
18. My father, who is a doctor, works at the hospital.
19. The weather is perfect for a picnic, don’t you think?
20. Take a right turn at the traffic light.

2. Error Identification and Correction

1. I love cooking, eating, and reading.

2. The teacher asked, "When will the exam begin?"
3. It’s raining heavily outside.
4. What time does the class end?
5. Sarah’s presentation is tomorrow.
6. Wow! That’s an incredible performance.
 7. Can you tell me how to solve this?
8. The cake was delicious, creamy, and sweet.
9. Please call me tomorrow; I’ll be free after 5 PM.
10. This is not my bag. Whose is it?
11. Let’s meet at 5 o’clock.
12. I bought a red pen, a blue pen, and a green pen.
13. The flowers’ garden was beautiful.
14. Is she coming to the party? She didn’t say anything.
15. We visited the museum, the park, and the zoo.
16. I need to buy milk, bread, and eggs.
17. My friend lives in London, England.
18. Oh no! I forgot my ticket at home.
19. They are preparing for the event; it’s going to be big.
20. When are we leaving?

PUNCTUATE THE FOLLOWING

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.
Match the Rules with Sentences

Sentence Rule
I bought a camera, a tripod, and a List items separated by commas.
microphone.
"Can you help me with this task?" she Direct speech enclosed in quotation
asked. marks.
My teacher’s advice was very helpful. Possession indicated by an
apostrophe.
I love reading books — it’s my favorite Dash used for emphasis.
hobby.
The event will take place from March Dash shows range.
1–10.
After the rain stopped, we went outside. Introductory clause separated by a
comma.
The weather is cold but pleasant. Simple sentence with conjunction.
This is my decision: I will move abroad. Colon introduces an explanation.
Let’s meet at 6 PM; we’ll discuss Semicolon separates independent
everything then. clauses.
She said, "This is the best coffee I’ve Quotation marks for direct speech.
ever had!"
It’s been a long day, hasn’t it? Apostrophe in contraction.
He failed the exam; however, he didn’t Semicolon separates clauses with a
give up. transition.
Have you seen the movie Inception? Italics for titles.
We’re looking for a place (preferably Parentheses for additional
near the park). information.
He paused… then continued his story. Ellipsis shows hesitation.

Paragraph Writing with Missing Punctuation

Paragraph 1 (Corrected):
My favorite hobbies are reading, writing, and painting. I spend most of my
weekends exploring new books or trying out new painting techniques. Last
week, I painted a sunset scene, and everyone loved it!

Paragraph 2 (Corrected):

He said, "Let’s go to the park for a walk after the rain stops." I agreed and
added, "We can also stop by the cafe for some coffee. It’s been a while
since we caught up."

Paragraph 3 (Corrected):

There are many reasons why I love living in this city: the vibrant culture,
the friendly people, and the delicious food. Every street corner has
something interesting to offer, whether it’s a small cafe or a street artist.

Paragraph 1 (Corrected):

The dog barked loudly as the cat climbed the tree. The children watched
in amazement, but they couldn’t help laughing. Suddenly, the cat jumped
down and ran away.

Paragraph 2 (Corrected):

We are going on a trip to the mountains. We will need to pack warm

clothes, hiking shoes, and some snacks. I am so excited to see the sunrise
from the peak. It’s going to be amazing!

Paragraph 3 (Corrected):

Yesterday, I met Sarah. She told me about her new job at the hospital.
She said it’s a challenging role, but she enjoys it. I asked her, "When can
we catch up again?" and she said, "Let’s plan something for next week."

PUNCUTATE THE PARAGRAPHS

 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!