1. Period (.)
•
Use: Indicates the end of a declarative sentence.
o Example: She went to the store.
2. Question Mark (?)
•
Use: Indicates the end of a direct question.
o Example: What time is it?
3. Exclamation Mark (!)
•
Use: Expresses strong emotion or emphasis.
o Example: Watch out!
4. Comma (,)
•
Uses:
o
o
o
o
Separates items in a list.
§ Example: We bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
Sets off introductory elements.
§ Example: After the movie, we went to dinner.
Separates independent clauses joined by a conjunction.
§ Example: She wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain.
Sets off nonessential information.
§ Example: My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting us.
5. Semicolon (;)
•
Uses:
o
o
Links closely related independent clauses.
§ Example: She loves to read; her favourite book is "Pride and Prejudice."
Separates items in a complex list.
§ Example: On our trip, we visited Paris, France; Rome, Italy; and Berlin, Germany.
6. Colon (:)
•
Uses:
o
o
Introduces a list, explanation, or quotation.
§ Example: She brought three things: a book, a pen, and a notebook.
Separates two independent clauses when the second explains or illustrates the first.
§ Example: He had one goal: to win the championship.
7. Dash (—)
•
Uses:
o
o
8. Hyphen (-)
•
Uses:
Indicates a break or interruption in thought.
§ Example: She was going to—oh, never mind.
Adds emphasis or introduces additional information.
§ Example: There was one thing she needed—sleep.
o
o
Joins words in a compound adjective.
§ Example: She has a part-time job.
Links words in certain compound nouns.
§ Example: Mother-in-law.
9. Parentheses (())
•
Uses:
o
Encloses additional or explanatory information.
§ Example: He finally answered (after taking five minutes to think).
10. Brackets ([])
•
Uses:
o
Adds explanatory information within a quotation.
§ Example: She said, "He [the teacher] was very strict."
11. Ellipsis (...)
•
Uses:
o
o
Indicates the omission of words in a quotation.
§ Example: "To be or not to be... that is the question."
Suggests a trailing off or unfinished thought.
§ Example: I'm not sure what to do...
12. Quotation Marks ("")
•
Uses:
o
o
Encloses direct speech or quotations.
§ Example: "I'll be there soon," she said.
Indicates titles of short works (articles, poems, short stories).
§ Example: She read "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe.
13. Apostrophe (')
•
Uses:
o
o
Indicates possession.
§ Example: The cat's toy.
Forms contractions.
§ Example: Don't (do not), it's (it is).
14. Slash (/)
•
Uses:
o
o
Indicates alternatives.
§ Example: Please press the enter/return key.
Separates lines of poetry in text.
§ Example: "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, / But I have promises to keep."