Punctuation Marks
Punctuation Marks:- In this section we will read about Punctuation Marks. What is Punctuation Marks, what are the uses and examples of Punctuation Marks, we will read in detail about these all.
In the previous post we have read in detail about “Most Common Four Letter Words”.
Are you searching for names of common punctuation marks in English? Here we’re going to explain how and when to use these punctuation marks correctly with examples.
In English language there are many punctuation marks, and you will usually learn to use many of them as you master the language. Still, there are some punctuation mark uses you might still not know about despite using and seeing them on a regular basis.
Here are common punctuation marks in English:-
No.-1. The Full Stop (.)
No.-2. The Question Mark (?)
No.-3. Quotation Marks/Speech Marks (” “)
No.-4. The Apostrophe (‘)
No.-5. The Comma (,)
No.-6. The Hyphen (-)
No.-7. The dash (—)
No.-8. The Exclamation Mark (!)
No.- 9. The Colon (:)
No.-10. The Semicolon (;)
No.-11. Parentheses ()
No.-12. Brackets []
No.-13. Ellipsis (…)
No.-14. The Slash (/)
Punctuation Marks with Rules & Examples
No.-1. The Full Stop (.):-
A full stop, also known as a period (.) is one of the most commonly used punctuation marks in the English language.
rules:
Mostly used at the end of a declarative sentence, or a statement that is considered to be complete.
Examples:
1-. Mr. White was talking with Mr. Smith.
No.-2. The Question Mark (?):-
We use a question mark (?) after an interrogative sentence in English.
Examples:
1-. Where are you from?
No.-3. Quotation Marks/Speech Marks (” “):-
We use quotation marks (” “) for direct quotations in English.
Examples:
1-. ”I told a fib about my age, ” little Tom said.
2-. “It is a historic moment,” he told journalists.
Punctuation Marks Chart:-
No.-4. The Apostrophe (‘):-
An apostrophe ‘ is used to show that certain letters have been omitted from a word.
The apostrophe rules:
No.-1. Use an apostrophe in contractions
Example:-
1-. He is = He’s
2-. I am = I’m
3-. Do not = Don’t
4-. They have = They’ve
5-. It is = It’s
6-. I would = I’d
7-. Let us = Let’s
8-. She has = She’s
9-. Who is = Who’s
No.-2. Use an apostrophe to indicate possession
Example:-
1-. He joined Charles’s army in 1742.
2-. We have put together an anthology of children’s poetry.
3-. The boy’s sister traveled by bus to meet us.
No.-5. The Comma (,):-
A comma (,) is used to show the difference between two separate ideas or elements within a sentence. Commas have other uses as well, as they can be used to separate numbers, and write dates.
The comma rules and examples
1-. Add a comma when two separate sentences are combined
Example:
1-.We purchased some cheese, and we purchased some fruit.
2-. Use commas between words in a series. Notice that a comma does not follow the last word in the series
Example:
1-.He was tall, dark, and handsome.
3-. Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of the sentence
Example:
1-.As the day came to an end, the firefighters put out the last spark.
4-. Use the comma to set off the words “yes” and “no”.
Example:
1-.No, thank you.
5-. Use a comma to set off a tag question from the rest of the sentence.
Example:
1-.She is your sister, isn’t she?
6-. Use a comma to indicate a direct address.
Example:
1-.Is that you, Mary?
7-. Add a comma when a participle phrase clause is used.
Example:
1-.Walking slowly, I could see the beautiful flowers.
8-. Use a comma to separate parts of the date.
Example:
1-.Tuesday, May 2, 2016, was when I graduated.
No.-6. The Hyphen (-):-
A hyphen (–) is a punctuation mark with three main uses. Many people confuse this punctuation mark with the dash, but the two are quite different. The hyphen can be used in compound words, to link words to prefixes, and also as a way to show word breaks.
The hyphen rules and examples
1-. Use a hyphen to join two or more words together into a compound term. Do not separate the words with spaces:-
Examples:
1-. My eight-year-old boy loves reading.
2-. I work part-time.
3-. Self-expression
4-. Self-confidence
5-. Self-consciousness
6-. Nineteenth-century history
7-. Old-furniture salesman
8-. Off-the-peg suits
9-. Self-paced learning exercises
2-. To link prefixes to words:-
Example:
1-. These things happened before the pre-enlightenment era.
3-. To indicate word breaks:-
Example:
1-.Unlike what some people might think, the twentieth-century was very different from other preceding time periods.
No.-7. The dash (—):-
The dash is used to separate words into statements.
There are two kinds of dashes, the en dash, and the em dash.
The en dash shows range or connections. On the other hand, the em dash is used in places where a comma could also be used.
Examples:
1-.1780 –1845
1-.Princeton–New York trains
Em dash (—)
Example:
1-.She gave him her answer—No!
No.-8. The Exclamation Mark (!):-
An exclamation mark is used to show emphasis. It can be used in the middle of a sentence or at the end of a sentence. When used at the end of a sentence, it also takes on the role of a full stop or a period.
Examples:
1-. Stop!
2-. Yeah!
3-. Sit down!
4-. What a lovely view you have here!
5-. That’s fantastic!
6-. Johnny, don’t touch that!
7-. Help!
8-. Good heavens!
9-. Aaarrgh!
The Colon (:)
A colon (:) is a fairly common punctuation mark with a varied number of uses. It can be used to introduce a quotation, an example, a series, or even an explanation
Examples:
1-. You have two choices: finish the work today or lose the contract.
2-. That’s because we have one goal: for you to consider your website a success.
3-. John has all the ingredients: minced clams, milk, potatoes, and onions.
No.-10. The Semicolon (;):-
A semicolon (;) is used to separate two independent clauses while still demonstrating that a close relationship exists between them.
Examples:
1-. My daughter is a teacher; my son is a doctor.
2-. There are eight members in the team: two from China, Japan; three from France, Spain; two from Brazil; and one from India.
3-. Richard always slept with the light on; he was afraid of the dark.
No.-11. Parentheses ():-
Parenthesis, () are quotation marks that show additional thoughts about a statement.
In many scenarios, they can be replaced by commas without any changes to the meaning of the sentence.
Example:
1-. The two brothers (Richard and Sean) were learning how to play guitar.
No.-12. Brackets []:-
Brackets are squared off quotations ([]) that are used to show information of a technical nature. Even if this information is omitted entirely, the sentence would still make sense.
Example:
1-. Was he [the defendant] there when you arrived?
No.-13. Ellipsis (…)
An ellipsis is usually represented by three dots (…), although it can also be represented by three asterisks (***).
This punctuation symbol is used to show that there has been an omission of some letters or words.
We often use an ellipsis to show that parts of sentences are left out.
Examples:
1-. To be continued…
2-. You’ll never believe what I saw…
No.-14. The Slash (/)
The slash can be used to separate lines in a song or poem when they are written in a continuous line. Slash (/) is also used in place of the word or. The slash can also be used to show two contradictory notions.
Uses of slashes:-
1-. Use slashes to separate parts of the internet (web) addresses and file names for some computer programs.
Example:
(1) -. http://www.example.com/
2-. Use slashes for fractions
Example:
(1) -. 1/3 = one-third
3-. Use a slash to separate the day, month, and year in date.
Examples:
(1) -. w/o = without
(2) -. n/a or N/A = not applicable or not available
(3) -. R/C = radio control
4-. Use a slash to show the word “per” in measurements.
Example:
(1) -. 40 miles/hour = 40 miles per hour
5-. Use a slash to separate lines of poetry or rhymes in regular text.
Example:
(1) -. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, / How I wonder what you are. / Up above the world so high, / Like a diamond in the sky.
6-. Use a slash to show alternatives in a sentence.
Example:
(1) -. Please press your browser’s Refresh/Reload button.
