PUNCTUATION SHEET
Complete Guide to Punctuation Rules
1. PERIOD (.)
Basic Uses:
● End of declarative sentences: "She went to the store."
● End of imperative sentences: "Close the door."
● After abbreviations: "Dr. Smith", "etc.", "i.e."
● In decimal numbers: "3.14", "$25.99"
● After initials: "J.F. Kennedy"
Rules:
● Always place periods inside quotation marks in American English
● Use only one period at the end of a sentence, even after abbreviations
● Don't use periods after headings or titles
2. COMMA (,)
Primary Uses:
A. Series/Lists
● Oxford comma (recommended): "I bought apples, oranges, and bananas."
● Without Oxford comma: "I bought apples, oranges and bananas."
B. Compound Sentences
● Before coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet): "I studied hard, but
I still failed the test."
● Exception: Don't use comma with very short clauses: "I ran and she walked."
C. Introductory Elements
● Introductory phrases: "After the meeting, we went to lunch."
● Introductory clauses: "When it rains, I stay inside."
● Introductory words: "Yes, I will attend." "However, I disagree."
D. Non-restrictive Clauses
● Non-restrictive (extra information): "My brother, who lives in Boston, is a doctor."
● Restrictive (essential information): "The student who studies hard will succeed." (no
commas)
E. Appositives
● Non-restrictive: "My friend, Sarah, is coming." (if you have one friend)
● Restrictive: "My friend Sarah is coming." (if you have multiple friends)
F. Direct Address
● "John, please come here."
● "Thank you, Mary, for your help."
G. Dates and Addresses
● Full dates: "March 15, 2024, was a Friday."
● Addresses: "123 Main Street, Boston, MA 02101"
H. Contrasting Elements
● "The weather was cold, not warm."
● "I want coffee, not tea."
Advanced Comma Rules:
● Coordinate adjectives: "The tall, dark stranger" (can reverse: dark, tall)
● Non-coordinate adjectives: "The big red car" (can't reverse: red big)
● Quotation tags: "I'm tired," she said.
● Participial phrases: "Running quickly, he caught the bus."
3. SEMICOLON (;)
Uses:
A. Independent Clauses
● Related independent clauses: "I have a meeting at 2:00; I need to prepare."
● With conjunctive adverbs: "She studied hard; therefore, she passed."
B. Complex Lists
● When items contain commas: "I've lived in Boston, Massachusetts; Austin, Texas;
and Miami, Florida."
Rules:
● Don't capitalize the word after a semicolon unless it's a proper noun
● Use semicolons to fix comma splices
4. COLON (:)
Uses:
A. Introducing Lists
● After complete sentences: "I need three things: milk, bread, and eggs."
● NOT after verbs or prepositions: ❌"I need: milk, bread, and eggs."
B. Introducing Explanations
● "Remember this rule: always be honest."
● "The reason is simple: we ran out of time."
C. Time and Ratios
● Time: "3:45 PM"
● Ratios: "The ratio is 2:1"
D. Formal Letters
● "Dear Sir or Madam:"
E. Subtitles
● "The Book: A Complete Guide"
Rules:
● Capitalize the first word after a colon if it begins a complete sentence
● Don't use a colon after "including," "such as," or "like"
5. APOSTROPHE (')
Uses:
A. Possession
● Singular nouns: "The cat's toy"
● Plural nouns ending in 's': "The cats' toys"
● Plural nouns not ending in 's': "The children's books"
● Singular names ending in 's': "James's car" or "James' car" (both acceptable)
B. Contractions
● Cannot: "can't"
● It is: "it's"
● They are: "they're"
● You are: "you're"
Common Mistakes:
● Its vs. It's: "Its" is possessive; "It's" means "it is"
● Your vs. You're: "Your" is possessive; "You're" means "you are"
● Theirs, hers, ours: No apostrophes (already possessive)
Rules:
● Don't use apostrophes for plural nouns: ❌
"apple's for sale"
● Don't use apostrophes with possessive pronouns: ❌
"her's"
6. QUOTATION MARKS (" ")
Uses:
A. Direct Speech
● "I'll be there soon," she said.
● She asked, "Are you coming?"
● "Stop!" he shouted.
B. Titles
● Short works: "The Gift of the Magi" (short story)
● Articles: "How to Write Better"
● Songs: "Yesterday" by The Beatles
● Poems: "The Road Not Taken"
C. Special Terms
● Irony/Sarcasm: He's a "genius" at math. (implying he's not)
● Unusual usage: The "mouse" on your computer
Punctuation Rules:
● Periods and commas: Always inside quotation marks (American English)
● Semicolons and colons: Always outside quotation marks
● Question marks and exclamation points: Inside if part of the quote, outside if not
○ She asked, "Are you ready?" (question is part of quote)
○ Did you read "The Great Gatsby"? (question is not part of quote)
7. QUESTION MARK (?)
Uses:
● Direct questions: "What time is it?"
● Tag questions: "You're coming, aren't you?"
● Rhetorical questions: "Who knows?"
Rules:
● Don't use with indirect questions: "I wonder what time it is." (no question mark)
● Only one question mark per sentence
● Use with questions in quotation marks: "She asked, 'Are you ready?'"
8. EXCLAMATION POINT (!)
Uses:
● Strong emotion: "Help!"
● Emphasis: "What a beautiful day!"
● Commands: "Stop!"
● Interjections: "Oh! I forgot."
Rules:
● Use sparingly in formal writing
● Only one exclamation point per sentence
● Don't use with mild emotions or statements
9. HYPHEN (-)
Uses:
A. Compound Words
● Compound adjectives before nouns: "well-known author"
● NOT after the noun: "The author is well known."
● Numbers: "twenty-one", "ninety-nine"
● Fractions: "one-third", "two-thirds"
B. Prefixes
● Some prefixes: "ex-president", "self-confident"
● Before proper nouns: "anti-American"
● To avoid confusion: "re-creation" vs. "recreation"
C. Word Division
● At line breaks: "beauti-ful" (break between syllables)
Common Hyphenated Compounds:
● Mother-in-law, father-in-law
● Twenty-one through ninety-nine
● Self-confidence, self-esteem
● Well-known, up-to-date
● State-of-the-art
10. DASH (—)
Em Dash (—):
Uses:
● Sudden breaks: "I was thinking—oh, never mind."
● Emphasis: "The weather was perfect—absolutely perfect."
● Parenthetical information: "The CEO—who was very busy—couldn't attend."
● Instead of commas: "My three favorite colors—red, blue, and green—are bright."
En Dash (–):
Uses:
● Ranges: "pages 15–30"
● Compound adjectives with proper nouns: "New York–based company"
11. PARENTHESES ( )
Uses:
● Additional information: "The meeting (which lasted three hours) was productive."
● Clarification: "The CEO (Chief Executive Officer) spoke."
● References: "Shakespeare wrote many plays (Hamlet, Macbeth, etc.)."
● Numbers in lists: "(1) First item, (2) Second item"
Rules:
● Punctuation goes outside parentheses unless the entire sentence is in parentheses
● "I went to the store (it was closed)."
● "(I went to the store.)"
12. BRACKETS [ ]
Uses:
● Editorial comments in quotes: "He said, 'I love this [restaurant].'"
● Clarification in quotes: "She stated, 'The meeting [in January] was cancelled.'"
● Sic notation: "The sign read, 'Tomorow [sic] is the deadline.'"
13. ELLIPSIS (...)
Uses:
● Omitted words in quotes: "The Constitution begins, 'We the people...'"
● Trailing off: "I was thinking..."
● Hesitation: "Well...I'm not sure."
Rules:
● Use three dots with spaces: ". . ." or "..."
● Four dots if omitting end of sentence: "She said she would come...."
14. SLASH (/)
Uses:
● Alternatives: "and/or", "he/she"
● Dates: "12/25/2024"
● Fractions: "1/2", "3/4"
● Poetry line breaks: "Roses are red / Violets are blue"
COMMON PUNCTUATION ERRORS TO AVOID
1. Comma Splices
● ❌ "I went to the store, I bought milk."
● ✅ "I went to the store, and I bought milk."
● ✅ "I went to the store; I bought milk."
2. Run-on Sentences
● ❌ "I went to the store I bought milk I came home."
● ✅ "I went to the store, bought milk, and came home."
3. Apostrophe Misuse
● ❌ "The cat's are sleeping." (plural)
● ✅ "The cats are sleeping."
● ❌ "It's tail is long." (possessive)
● ✅ "Its tail is long."
4. Unnecessary Commas
● ❌ "The tall, red, car sped away." (non-coordinate adjectives)
● ✅ "The tall red car sped away."
5. Quotation Mark Errors
● ❌ "She said, 'I'm happy.'"
● ✅ "She said, 'I'm happy.'"
QUICK REFERENCE CHECKLIST
Before submitting any writing:
● Every sentence ends with appropriate punctuation
● Commas separate items in series
● Semicolons join related independent clauses
● Apostrophes show possession or contractions correctly
● Quotation marks enclose direct speech and titles
● Hyphens connect compound words and numbers
● No comma splices or run-on sentences
● Consistent punctuation style throughout
Memory Tips:
● FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) - coordinating conjunctions that need
commas
● It's = It is / Its = possessive (like his, hers)
● You're = You are / Your = possessive
● They're = They are / Their = possessive / There = location
Instructions
For each question, choose the correctly punctuated sentence or add the appropriate
punctuation marks.
Commas (Questions 1-25)
1. Which sentence is correctly punctuated? a) The weather was cold, wet, and windy.
b) The weather was cold wet and windy. c) The weather was cold, wet and windy.
2. Add commas where needed: "My sister who lives in Boston is a doctor."
3. Which is correct? a) Yes, I will attend the meeting. b) Yes I will attend the meeting.
4. Punctuate correctly: "After the game we went to dinner."
5. Which sentence needs a comma? a) The book that I borrowed is overdue. b) The
book which I borrowed is overdue.
6. Add commas: "On March 15 2024 we moved to our new house."
7. Which is correct? a) I bought apples, oranges, and bananas. b) I bought apples
oranges and bananas.
8. Punctuate: "Dear Mr. Johnson I am writing to inform you of the changes."
9. Which sentence is correctly punctuated? a) The tall, dark stranger walked into the
room. b) The tall dark stranger walked into the room.
10. Add commas: "Before you leave please turn off the lights."
11. Which is correct? a) My friend, Sarah, is coming to visit. b) My friend Sarah is coming
to visit.
12. Punctuate: "The meeting however will be postponed until next week."
13. Which sentence needs commas? a) Students who study hard usually succeed. b)
Students, who study hard, usually succeed.
14. Add commas: "I went to the store and I bought milk bread and eggs."
15. Which is correct? a) The car, which was red, sped down the highway. b) The car
which was red sped down the highway.
16. Punctuate: "In the morning I like to drink coffee."
17. Which sentence is correctly punctuated? a) She studied hard, therefore she passed
the exam. b) She studied hard; therefore, she passed the exam.
18. Add commas: "The concert was loud exciting and memorable."
19. Which is correct? a) My brother, who is a teacher, lives in California. b) My brother
who is a teacher lives in California.
20.Punctuate: "After running for an hour John was exhausted."
21. Which sentence needs a comma? a) The dog ran quickly across the yard. b) The dog
ran quickly, across the yard.
22.Add commas: "Yes we can complete the project by Friday."
23.Which is correct? a) The students, tired from studying, went home. b) The students
tired from studying went home.
24.Punctuate: "Having finished his homework Tom went to bed."
25.Which sentence is correctly punctuated? a) The weather was beautiful, so we went
to the beach. b) The weather was beautiful so we went to the beach.
Semicolons and Colons (Questions 26-40)
26.Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly? a) I have a meeting at 2:00; I need to
prepare. b) I have a meeting at 2:00, I need to prepare.
27. Add the correct punctuation: "The recipe calls for three ingredients flour sugar and
eggs."
28.Which is correct? a) She loves reading; her favorite genres are mystery and
romance. b) She loves reading, her favorite genres are mystery and romance.
29.Punctuate correctly: "Dear Sir or Madam I am writing to apply for the position."
30.Which sentence needs a semicolon? a) The rain was heavy, we stayed inside. b) The
rain was heavy; we stayed inside.
31. Add the correct punctuation: "I need to buy the following items milk bread cheese
and butter."
32.Which is correct? a) The conference starts at 9:00 AM; registration begins at 8:30
AM. b) The conference starts at 9:00 AM, registration begins at 8:30 AM.
33.Punctuate: "Remember this important rule always be honest."
34.Which sentence uses a colon correctly? a) The team includes: John, Mary, and Sarah.
b) The team includes three members: John, Mary, and Sarah.
35.Add the correct punctuation: "The exam covers four topics grammar vocabulary
reading and writing."
36.Which is correct? a) I finished my work early; consequently, I went home. b) I
finished my work early, consequently, I went home.
37. Punctuate: "The time is 3 45 PM."
38.Which sentence needs a colon? a) She bought groceries including apples and
oranges. b) She bought groceries, including apples and oranges.
39.Add the correct punctuation: "The meeting agenda includes these items budget
review project updates and new proposals."
40.Which is correct? a) The book was excellent; I couldn't put it down. b) The book was
excellent, I couldn't put it down.
Apostrophes (Questions 41-55)
41. Which sentence uses apostrophes correctly? a) The dog's bone is buried in the yard.
b) The dogs bone is buried in the yard.
42.Add apostrophes where needed: "The childrens toys are scattered everywhere."
43.Which is correct? a) It's going to rain today. b) Its going to rain today.
44.Punctuate correctly: "The womens department is on the second floor."
45.Which sentence needs an apostrophe? a) The cats are sleeping. b) The cats food is in
the kitchen.
46.Add apostrophes: "Cant you see that its time to go?"
47. Which is correct? a) The Jones's house is for sale. b) The Jones' house is for sale.
48.Punctuate: "Whos responsible for this mess?"
49.Which sentence uses apostrophes correctly? a) The student's books were left in the
classroom. b) The students book's were left in the classroom.
50.Add apostrophes: "Theyre going to visit their grandparents house."
51. Which is correct? a) The company's profits increased this year. b) The companys
profits increased this year.
52.Punctuate: "The mens bathroom is down the hall."
53.Which sentence needs an apostrophe? a) The birds are singing. b) The birds nest is
in the tree.
54.Add apostrophes: "Shouldnt we leave soon? Its getting late."
55.Which is correct? a) The babies' bottles need to be sterilized. b) The babies bottles
need to be sterilized.
Quotation Marks (Questions 56-70)
56.Which sentence uses quotation marks correctly? a) "I'll be there soon," she said. b)
"I'll be there soon", she said.
57. Add quotation marks: The teacher said Please open your books to page 50.
58.Which is correct? a) Did you read the article "The Future of Technology"? b) Did you
read the article "The Future of Technology?"
59.Punctuate correctly: She asked Are you coming to the party
60.Which sentence uses quotation marks correctly? a) "Where are you going?" he
asked. b) "Where are you going"? he asked.
61. Add quotation marks: My favorite song is Imagine by John Lennon.
62.Which is correct? a) The sign read "No Smoking." b) The sign read "No Smoking".
63.Punctuate: He said I don't understand the assignment.
64.Which sentence uses quotation marks correctly? a) "Help!" she screamed. b) "Help"!
she screamed.
65.Add quotation marks: The poem The Road Not Taken is by Robert Frost.
66.Which is correct? a) "I can't believe it," she whispered. b) "I can't believe it", she
whispered.
67. Punctuate: The chapter titled Introduction to Grammar is very helpful.
68.Which sentence uses quotation marks correctly? a) She said, "I love this book." b) She
said "I love this book."
69.Add quotation marks: He wrote the short story The Gift of the Magi.
70.Which is correct? a) "Stop!" the police officer shouted. b) "Stop"! the police officer
shouted.
Hyphens and Dashes (Questions 71-85)
71. Which sentence uses hyphens correctly? a) She is a well-known author. b) She is a
well known author.
72. Add hyphens where needed: The twenty five year old man won the race.
73. Which is correct? a) The ex-president gave a speech. b) The ex president gave a
speech.
74. Punctuate correctly: The state of the art equipment was expensive.
75. Which sentence needs a hyphen? a) The self confident student answered the
question. b) The self-confident student answered the question.
76. Add hyphens: The anti inflammatory medication helped reduce the swelling.
77. Which is correct? a) The CEO—who was very busy—couldn't attend the meeting. b)
The CEO-who was very busy-couldn't attend the meeting.
78. Punctuate: The ninety nine problems were finally solved.
79. Which sentence uses dashes correctly? a) The weather was perfect—sunny and
warm. b) The weather was perfect-sunny and warm.
80.Add hyphens: The one way street was blocked by construction.
81. Which is correct? a) The pre-existing condition was covered by insurance. b) The
pre existing condition was covered by insurance.
82.Punctuate: The mother in law visited for the holidays.
83.Which sentence needs a dash? a) The concert was amazing, the best I've ever heard.
b) The concert was amazing—the best I've ever heard.
84.Add hyphens: The forty three year old woman started a new career.
85.Which is correct? a) The behind-the-scenes footage was interesting. b) The behind
the scenes footage was interesting.
Mixed Punctuation (Questions 86-100)
86.Which sentence is correctly punctuated? a) "Are you ready?" she asked; "We need to
leave soon." b) "Are you ready?" she asked. "We need to leave soon."
87. Add all necessary punctuation: After the meeting which lasted three hours we went
to lunch
88.Which is correct? a) The students' homework—all thirty assignments—were graded
overnight. b) The students homework, all thirty assignments, were graded overnight.
89.Punctuate correctly: My favorite subjects are English math and science however I
struggle with chemistry
90.Which sentence uses punctuation correctly? a) Dr. Smith's office is located at 123
Main St., Suite 200. b) Dr. Smiths office is located at 123 Main St. Suite 200.
91. Add all necessary punctuation: The companys new policy which goes into effect
January 1 2025 will affect all employees
92.Which is correct? a) The weather forecast called for rain; however, it was sunny all
day. b) The weather forecast called for rain, however it was sunny all day.
93.Punctuate correctly: Johns sister in law who lives in New York is visiting this
weekend
94.Which sentence uses punctuation correctly? a) The recipe requires: 2 cups flour, 1
cup sugar, and 3 eggs. b) The recipe requires 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, and 3 eggs.
95.Add all necessary punctuation: She said I cant believe its already 5 30 PM
96.Which is correct? a) The team won the championship—their first in twenty years. b)
The team won the championship, their first in twenty years.
97. Punctuate correctly: The meeting scheduled for 2 00 PM was cancelled due to bad
weather
98.Which sentence uses punctuation correctly? a) "I don't understand," she said, "why
this is so difficult." b) "I don't understand" she said "why this is so difficult."
99.Add all necessary punctuation: The childrens museum which opened last month
features hands on exhibits
100. Which is correct? a) The deadline—March 15th—cannot be extended. b) The
deadline, March 15th, cannot be extended.
Answer Key
Commas (1-25)
1. a, 2. My sister, who lives in Boston, is a doctor. 3. a, 4. After the game, we went to
dinner. 5. b, 6. On March 15, 2024, we moved to our new house. 7. a, 8. Dear Mr.
Johnson, I am writing to inform you of the changes. 9. a, 10. Before you leave, please
turn off the lights. 11. a, 12. The meeting, however, will be postponed until next week.
13. Neither (no commas needed), 14. I went to the store, and I bought milk, bread,
and eggs. 15. a, 16. In the morning, I like to drink coffee. 17. b, 18. The concert was
loud, exciting, and memorable. 19. a, 20. After running for an hour, John was
exhausted. 21. Neither (no comma needed), 22. Yes, we can complete the project by
Friday. 23. a, 24. Having finished his homework, Tom went to bed. 25. a
Semicolons and Colons (26-40)
26.a, 27. The recipe calls for three ingredients: flour, sugar, and eggs. 28. a, 29. Dear Sir
or Madam: I am writing to apply for the position. 30. b, 31. I need to buy the
following items: milk, bread, cheese, and butter. 32. a, 33. Remember this important
rule: always be honest. 34. b, 35. The exam covers four topics: grammar, vocabulary,
reading, and writing. 36. a, 37. The time is 3:45 PM. 38. Neither (no colon needed), 39.
The meeting agenda includes these items: budget review, project updates, and new
proposals. 40. a
Apostrophes (41-55)
41. a, 42. The children's toys are scattered everywhere. 43. a, 44. The women's
department is on the second floor. 45. b, 46. Can't you see that it's time to go? 47. b,
48. Who's responsible for this mess? 49. a, 50. They're going to visit their
grandparents' house. 51. a, 52. The men's bathroom is down the hall. 53. b, 54.
Shouldn't we leave soon? It's getting late. 55. a
Quotation Marks (56-70)
56.a, 57. The teacher said, "Please open your books to page 50." 58. a, 59. She asked, "Are
you coming to the party?" 60. a, 61. My favorite song is "Imagine" by John Lennon.
62. a, 63. He said, "I don't understand the assignment." 64. a, 65. The poem "The Road
Not Taken" is by Robert Frost. 66. a, 67. The chapter titled "Introduction to
Grammar" is very helpful. 68. a, 69. He wrote the short story "The Gift of the Magi."
70. a
Hyphens and Dashes (71-85)
71. a, 72. The twenty-five-year-old man won the race. 73. a, 74. The state-of-the-art
equipment was expensive. 75. b, 76. The anti-inflammatory medication helped
reduce the swelling. 77. a, 78. The ninety-nine problems were finally solved. 79. a, 80.
The one-way street was blocked by construction. 81. a, 82. The mother-in-law
visited for the holidays. 83. b, 84. The forty-three-year-old woman started a new
career. 85. a
Mixed Punctuation (86-100)
86.b, 87. After the meeting, which lasted three hours, we went to lunch. 88. a, 89. My
favorite subjects are English, math, and science; however, I struggle with chemistry.
90. a, 91. The company's new policy, which goes into effect January 1, 2025, will
affect all employees. 92. a, 93. John's sister-in-law, who lives in New York, is visiting
this weekend. 94. b, 95. She said, "I can't believe it's already 5:30 PM." 96. a, 97. The
meeting, scheduled for 2:00 PM, was cancelled due to bad weather. 98. a, 99. The
children's museum, which opened last month, features hands-on exhibits. 100. a
