Punctuation

You will meet up with some punctuation marks every day, while you will almost never see some of the other ones. Get to know the common marks well, and if you have to use the uncommon ones, look them up before you use them.

. Period

A period is used at the end of a sentence which is a statement, command, or indirect question. A period also ends an abbreviation. Always put a space after a period.

, Comma

A comma is used to separate or set off things inside a sentence. Commas make meaning clearer. Things a comma can set off are introductory phrases, independent clauses using conjunctions, interjections, added information, items in a list, series of adjectives, quotations, addresses, and dates. Always put a space after a comma.

“ ” Quotation marks

Use quotation marks to set off spoken or quoted language. Quotation marks always travel in pairs. Periods and commas always go inside the right-hand quotation mark. Single quotation marks set off quoted material inside quotations. Don't use quotation marks if you aren't quoting. There are rules for using other punctuation with quotation marks. Look here for more about these useful but confusing little things.

‘ ’ Single quotation marks

Single quotation marks set off quotations inside other quotations.

’ Apostrophe

An apostrophe is used to create possessives and contractions. Don't use contractions in formal work you're going to hand in, unless it is a story. Possessive pronouns (mine, its) and determiners (your, its) don't have apostrophes. Possessive nouns do (dog's, teacher's).

? Question Mark

Use a question mark at the end of a direct question.

! Exclamation Mark

Use an exclamation mark at the end of an strong declaration, interjection, or command. Most students use them too often. Let your words do the work. As Lynne Truss says in her funny book Eats, Shoots & Leaves, using exclamation marks is like laughing at your own jokes.

: Colon

Use a colon before a list, or before an explanation that could stand by itself. Use a colon after a formal salutation in a letter. If the explanation is more than one sentence, or is a quotation, start it with a capital letter. Always put a space after a colon.

; Semicolon

These marks are tricky and shouldn't be used too often. They are good for sorting out lists of things that have commas in them, and for joining independent clauses which have balanced ideas and are related.

- Hyphen

Hyphens are used for making compound words and after certain prefixes. Also, when you have to break a word between lines, a hyphen tells the reader the rest of the word is coming. My rule of thumb is: avoid end-of-line hyphens in handwritten work. Start a new line instead.

— Dash

A dash is a sort of long hyphen, or two hyphens. Some writers use them as a kind of super-comma or parenthesis. They show a break in thought, another idea jumping in for a moment, one that is important. My rule of thumb is to avoid them in work you are submitting to a teacher. I use them all the time in my writing journal.

( ) Parentheses

These marks show material that you are including which is not necessarily important. Inside a parenthesis, you should not capitalize the first letter or add a period at the end, even if it is a sentence. If it is important material, find a way to say it without using parentheses.

[ ] Brackets

If you need to explain something that appears in a quotation, you use brackets. However, save them for later in your life. Don't use them in your writing now. They're stuffy.

. . . Ellipsis

The main use of ellipsis is to show that you are leaving something out of a quotation. Some writers use it to show a break in speech. Many modern novelists use three dots ( . . . ) to indicate the passing of time, or to leave the reader hanging for a moment. Don't. It's affected and old-fashioned, and will annoy your reader.

/ Slash

A slash between words can show a choice between the two words. In a URL, it shows a path. Always use the slash exactly as it is written in a URL, without adding any spaces, and be sure you get the slant correct. Avoid using the slash in formal written work otherwise.