Punctuation marks like periods, question marks, and exclamation points are used to end sentences with different tones. Commas are used to separate parts of sentences, such as items in a list. Semicolons can connect related independent clauses or separate items in a series. Colons introduce lists or examples. Quotation marks set off direct quotes. Underlining or italics are used for titles. Slashes can show alternate terms. Ellipses, hyphens, dashes and parentheses are also used in specific contexts.

1. Punctuation
Notes and Rules

2. PERIOD
• Period .
• End of declarative sentence (and mild imperative)
• I am going to the grocery store.
• Pick up that paper.
• _______________________________________________
• After some abbreviations: Dr., Mrs., _____, ______
• Between dollars and cents
• $10.25 $109.47 __________
• After numbers and letters in a list or outline
1. A.
2. 1.
3. a.

3. QUESTION MARK
• Question Mark ?
• End of interrogative sentence
• Are you making that noise?
• ______________________________________
• ______________________________________
• ______________________________________
• ______________________________________

4. EXCLAMATION POINT
• Exclamation point !
• End of an exclamatory sentence (and emphatic
imperative)
• I thought that was exhilarating!
• Leave my house!
•
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
• After an emphatic interjection
• Wow! Those fireworks were awesome!
•
_______________________________________
_______________________________________

5. Apostrophe
• Apostrophe ’
• Use ‘s to show possession for singular nouns, plural
nouns not ending in –s, indefinite pronouns, and
acronyms
• Al’s farm someone’s car
NASA’s schedule children’s books
•
• Important note: Personal pronouns do not use
an apostrophe.
• his hers its

6. Apostrophe
• Use ‘ to show possession for plural nouns ending in –s.
• boys’ games babies’ toys
• Shows omissions in contractions and numbers
• don’t they’ll back in ‘98
• Shows plural of symbols
• A’s 5’s *’s
• For a quotation within a quotation
• He said, “Robert Frost wrote the poem ’The Road Not
Taken’.”
• Important note: An apostrophe is not used to indicate
plurals of words:
• The Smiths The Joneses the cows

7. Commas
• After direct address
Lily, let the kitty cat in, please.
• Before the coordinating conjunction in a compound
sentence
I like broccoli, but I love asparagus.
• After introductory phrases (can be omitted if not needed
for clear meaning)
From the deck, I could not see my father on the dock.
Seeing her father, the child ran up the steps.
• After introductory words
Yes, I can go.

8. Commas
• To separate words, phrases, and clauses in a series (Often
the comma before the conjunction is omitted.)
I bought soap, shampoo, and toothpaste.
• Separate adjectives you can put and between and not
change the meaning
I walked along the rushing, shallow creek. I sank
into the small, still pool.
• After geographical names (places)
He has lived in Walhalla, South Carolina, for ten
years.

9. Commas
• After items in dates
He wrote the letter on Monday, November
10, 1937, while in the hospital.
• After mild interjections
Gee, I like that.
• After the salutation of a friendly letter
Dear Billy, Dear Aunt Lola,
• After the closing of any letter
Sincerely, Your friend,

10. Semi-Colon
• To connect sentencess clauses not linked by a
coordinating conjunction in compound sentence I;I
My daddy fixed breakfast; my mommy packed my
lunch.
• To separate elements in a series that already contains
commas
I subscribe to a computer magazine that includes
reviews of new,better-designed hardware;
descriptions of inexpensive, easy-to-use software;
advice from experienced, clever experts; and
programs that help me keep track of my files.

11. Colon
• Introduce a list or example
We packed three things: a toothbrush, a
bathing suit, and a towel.
• Important note: Colons don’t usually follow
verbs.
• In time 11:25 A.M.
• After salutation in business letter Dear Sir:
• Between titles and subtitles. Walt Whitman:
Poet of America

12. Quotation Marks
• To set off direct quotations and dialogue
Benjamin Franklin said, “A penny saved is a penny
earned.”
“Do you own this land?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “The land belongs to Allah,” he
said.
• Enclose the titles of short works such as stories, essays,
poems, and magazine articles
“Flowers for Algernon”
“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”
“Eat Hot Dogs and Lose Weight”

13. Underline or Italics
• Titles of books, magazines, newspapers, plays,
movies, TV series, works of art , comic strips,
software
Gone With the Wind
Sports Illustrated
Camelot
Mona Lisa
• Names of specific ships, spacecraft, planes,
trains, etc.
the Yorktown Discovery

14. Slash
• Between terms to show either can be used
All students were supposed to bring a
sweater/jacket.

15. Ellipsis …
• Shows something is left out
He was speaking from the back of the
train … and saying he would
continue the race.
• Reflects hesitation
Merlin, … may I speak with you
privately?

16. Hyphen
• To link two words to form a compound
hard-boiled egg forget-me-nots
• Divide words at the end of a line
in-flate par-ty sci-ence
• Fractions written as words
three-fourths one-half
• In numbers 21 to 99
seventy-five

17. Dash
• Mark an abrupt break in thought or change in
tone
When I was six, I made my mother a little hat
— out of her new blouse.
She was — punchbuggy! — upside down on
the monkey bars.
• After an introductory list
Beautiful, talented, well-spoken — she was
all of these.

18. Parentheses
• Set off nonessential matter
Following the rules (up to a point), we
could spell fish this way: ghoti.

19. Brackets
• Replaces parentheses within parentheses
(Johnson notes, “At this time [Dickens]
began to weaken.”)