Punctuation Lesson 1: Periods
1. At the end of a declaratory sentence (a sentence that just makes a statement):
Example: I like snow cones.
2. After initials:
Example: Alfred E. Neuman
3. After the letters and numbers of an outline:
Example: I. Native Americans
A. Plains Indians
B. Indians of the Southwest
4. After abbreviations:
Examples: Mon. Jan. A.M. N.
S.
Dr.
Mr.
S.
Rd.
U.S.
P.T.A.
Punctuation Lesson 2: Comma Rules 1-6
1. To set off a noun if it is the name of a person you are speaking to:
Examples: Mrs. Batsford, I need your help. I am going with you, La Toya.
Have you gone, Mike, to the new movie?
2. To set off introductory words:
Examples: Well, I changed my mind. No, I don't want it. Yes, I will go. Oh, I’m so sorry.
3. To set off interrupters in a sentence. Surround them if they are in the middle of a
sentence: Examples: The calendar is, in fact, an old one. My brother, on the other hand, is a
vegetarian.
4. After the greeting (salutation) in a friendly letter:
5. After the close of any letter: Example: Sincerely,
6. To separate words in a series:
Example: Dear Carol,
Example: Yesterday I went shopping, exercised at the gym, and watched a movie. The store sold pots,
pans, plates, glasses, and other kitchen items.
Punctuation Lesson 3: Comma Rules 7-10
7. Between 2 or more descriptive adjectives:
Example: Bright, sparkling diamonds twinkled.
 Note: If one adjective is a color, no comma is needed:
Example: A white fluffy puppy ran by.
8. To surround an appositive:
Appositive: a phrase that stops the sentence to give a little more information about a noun.
 If the appositive is in the middle of a sentence, surround the appositive with commas:
Example: My mom, the president of her club, is late.
 If it is at the end of the sentence, put a comma in front of it:
Example: The cutest boy in school is Greg, the guy who refuses to wear saggy pants.
9. For parts of addresses:
A. Separate the city and the state: Etiwanda, California
B. Separate the city and country: London, England
C. If the state or country appears in the middle of a sentence, put a comma after the state or country:
Have you been to London, England, in the spring?
D. To separate parts of an address: 123 Sesame St., Chino, CA.
10.For dates:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Between a month and year: February, 1980
Between a day of the week and year: June 1, 2000
Between a day of the week and a day: Monday, August 3
If the month, day, and year appear in a sentence, use a comma after the date and after the year:
On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed.
Punctuation Lesson 4: Comma Rules 11-15
11.Direct quotations (someone’s EXACT words)
A. At the end of most direct quotations inside the quotation marks:
Example: “I would like a hamburger,” Gloria said.
B. If the person who is making this statement is given first, place a comma after the verb that comes
after the person's name: Example: Gloria said, “I would like a hamburger.”
C. For a split quotation, place a comma after the first part of the quotation and also after the verb + the
person’s name who is speaking, or place a comma after the verb:
Examples: “I agree,” replied Mark, “that it is time to go.”
“I agree,” Mark replied, “that it is time to go.
12.To surround a title that follows a person’s name:
Example: Gloria Kole, D.D.S., is opening up a new dental office.
13.To separate a last and first name, if the last name appears first while sorting things
alphabetically: Example: Smith, Joseph
14.To attach a dependent clause to an independent clause if it comes at the
beginning.
Dependent clause: a group of words that can't stand alone as a sentence
Independent clause: a group of words that can stand alone as a sentence
Example: After we ate lunch, we went to the movie.
^
^
Dependent clause
Independent clause
We went to the movie after we ate lunch. (No comma required; independent clause comes 1st.)
15.Before the conjunction (and, but, or) that joins two sentences (independent
clauses) together.
Example: Our trip to Europe was fun, but we were glad to come back to our cozy home in California.
^
^
^
Indep. Clause
conjunction
Indep. Clause
Punctuation Lesson 5: Apostrophe Rules
1. In a contraction to show where letters have been added:
Contraction: When 2 words are put together to form one word, and some letters are dropped.
Example: can't = can not
2. When the first two digits are omitted from a year: Example: ‘10= 2010
3. When taking letters or words out of context (Underline or place those words in
italics): Example: You need to cross your T.’s There are too many well’s in this paragraph.
4. To show possession:
A. If the word is singular (only one), add an ‘s:
Example: waitress’s apron (even if the singular word ends in s)
Lady’s room (a room belonging to 1 lady)
B. If the word is plural and ends in s, add just an ‘:
Example: ladies’ room (a room belonging to more than 1 lady)
C. If the word is plural and does not end in s, add an ‘s:
Examples: women’s magazine (a magazine belonging to more than one woman)
Punctuation Lesson 6: Semicolons & Colons
Semicolons:
 Use a semicolon (;) to join 2 independent clauses
Independent clause: a group of words that can stand alone as a sentence
Example: The rain stopped; the sun came out.
^
^
Indep. Clause
Indep. Clause
Colons:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
After the greeting of a business letter: Example: Dear Mrs. Rinehart:
In writing the time: Example: 9:00 A.M.
To set off lists: Example: The following people must attend: Manny, Moe, and Jack.
Use a colon between the chapter and verse in the Bible: Example: John 3:16
After topics: Example: Rule 1: The customer is always right.
Punctuation Lesson 7: Quotation Marks
1. Use quotation marks to show someone’s exact words:
A. In a split quotation, use quotation marks around each part spoken:
Example: “I agree,” said Blake, “that you are a good driver.”
B. In a quotation that is not split, do not place the ending quotation mark until the speaker is
finished. This may involve many sentences:
Example: “Don’t talk. Look at me. I need your full attention,” said Kelly.
C. In dialogue, each time a person speaks, start a new paragraph:
Example:
“I like the mountains of Vermont, “ Keisha said. “They are lovely in the spring.
If we booked a flight in April, we could see them.”
“No, I would rather go there in winter, “ replied Kim. “Then we can go skiing and stay in
a ski lodge.”
D. If the entire sentence is a quotation, place the end punctuation inside the final quotation
mark: Example: The instructor asked, “Did you complete the project?”
E. If the entire sentence is not a quotation, place the end punctuation outside the quotation
mark: Example: Have you read the article, “Raising Healthy Children”?
2. Use quotation marks to enclose titles of chapters, articles, essays, stories,
poems, and songs:
Examples: “Rocks and Minerals”-chapter of a science text
“How to Save on Your Grocery Bill”-article
“What I Did This Summer”-essay
“Goldilocks and the Three Bears”-story
“The Road Not Taken”-poem
“The Star-Spangled Banner”-song
Punctuation Lesson 8: Question Marks, Exclamation
Points, & Hyphens
Question Marks:

-Use a question mark at the end of an interrogative sentence. An interrogative sentence
is one that asks a question:
Example: Does her niece live in Kansas?
Exclamation Points:
1. After an exclamatory sentence (one that shows a strong feeling): Example: We won the lottery!
2. After an interjection ( a word or phrase that shows strong feeling):
Examples: Yeah! Good grief! Gosh!
Hyphens:
1. Between fractions and certain numbers: Examples: two-fifths
twenty-one
2. When dividing a word of 2 or more syllables at the end of a line. You must have at least 2
letters on the first line and 3 letters on the following line.
Example: But Lincoln hesitated. He was afraid to alienate the large numbers of Northerners who supported the Union but opposed emancipation.
3. To combine some prefixes with a base word: Examples: ex-president vice-president
4. To combine some closely related words: Example: left-handed
Punctuation Lesson 9- Underlining or Italics
1. Ships, planes, trains: Spirit of St. Louis (plane) Polar Express (train) Old Ironsides (ship)
2. Letters, words or numbers used out of context (when you are talking about it like it’s a
thing):
Example: You forgot to dot your i. Your paragraph has too many sentences starting with
well.
3. Books: The Outsiders
4. Magazines: Reader’s Digest
5. Movies: Star Wars
6. Newspapers (periodicals): L.A. Times
7. Plays: Romeo and Juliet
8. T.V. shows: I Love Lucy
9. Record albums/C.D.’s: The biggest selling record album of all time is Thriller.
10. Works of art: Mona Lisa