Use of punctuation

1. Period (.)

The period is one of the most common punctuation marks. Anyone knows the answer to “What is a
period used for?” because it’s simply for ending declarative sentences. You can also use it to finish
imperative sentences.

A period also indicates complete sentences. Using it to separate sentences helps make your writing
clearer. Here are some examples:

 Please take care of the shoes I’m lending you.

 She’s going to the gym tomorrow.

 Monte Carlo is my comfort movie every time I feel lonely.

You’ll also find a period in abbreviations, as in “Mrs.” and “Mr.”

2. Question Mark (?)

In grammar, a question mark is a familiar punctuation used to end interrogative sentences. It’s known
for being a one-job punctuation mark because it simply communicates questions. These sentences can
be in the form of a direct question or an indirect question.

A direct question is an interrogative sentence that asks an “ordinary” question. For example:

 How does it feel to be living my dream?

 What are the parts of a plant cell?

 Why do I have to retake this subject?

An indirect question is a more polite way of making a request or asking for information. For example:

 Could you give me your mobile number for future transactions?

 Do you know where I can find Mr. Johnson?

 Would you mind grabbing a few vegetables before you go home?

3. Exclamation Point (!)

One of the most basic punctuation marks is the exclamation point. The punctuation symbol for this is a
straight vertical line with a period at the bottom. Use it at the end of an exclamatory sentence to show
strong emotion.

Examples:

 Happy birthday, Emma!

 Ugh! I can’t stop myself from spending money on books.

  Wow! The sunset is breathtaking.

4. Comma (,)

One common cause of grammar mistakes in American English is the lack of commas. Use the comma to
separate ideas and independent clauses. It’s usually found before a coordinating conjunction (for, and,
nor, but, or, yet, so).

You can also use the comma to set off nouns as direct addresses. You need to include this punctuation
mark, whether the name is at the beginning or end of the sentence.

Examples:

 Millie, you look stunning in your beaded dress.

 This house used to be orange and blue, but they changed it to lilac and yellow.

 The partner I have chosen is you, Jacob.

5. Colon (:)

A colon is used to introduce additional information. It can also connect clauses like an em dash and a
comma. You’ll find this punctuation mark in any kind of writing. For example:

 Meg has three options after college: apply as an instructional designer, learning engineer, or
curriculum specialist.

 Somehow, everyone forgot the important announcement: Jade and Ryan are getting married.

Colons also have other uses on a regular basis:

 I started working at 8:30 p.m.

 The correct rice-to-water ratio is 1:2.

6. Semicolon (;)

Like commas, parentheses, and em dashes, a semicolon’s function is separating elements within
sentences. Use it to join a clause and a larger clause without a conjunction.

Example:

 Let’s go to the library to finish the essay; Tuesday would be great.

7. Hyphen (-)

In the English language, hyphens are used to form compound words. Another usage of the hyphen is to
divide a word where there’s not enough space for the whole word. You can also use it to avoid the
awkward doubling of vowels in a compound term.

Examples:

 The president-elect withdrew his candidacy after being exposed for plunder.

 The correct spelling of goodbye is g-o-o-d-b-y-e.

  My mother has a well-stocked pantry.

8. Dash

There are types of dashes to consider.

En Dash (–)

The en dash is one of the different types of dashes used to indicate a range in time periods, distance,
and more.

Examples:

 Please refer to pages 60–73.

 The conference will take place on July 15–17.

Some people also use it to separate complex compound words. The symbol is longer than a hyphen but
shorter than an em dash. The odd name comes from the simple fact that it has the same width as the
lowercase letter n.

Examples:

 Incorrect: Chicago-New York train (hyphen)

 Correct: Chicago–New York train (en dash)

 Incorrect: She’s a National Book Award-winning author.

 Correct: She’s a National Book Award–winning author.

One of the most common punctuation mistakes we make is getting confused between a hyphen and a
dash. Note that the en dash doesn’t join compound words the way hyphens do.

Em Dash (—)

An em dash is one of the three kinds of dashes that functions like a comma, a colon, or parentheses in
introducing a clause. It can separate independent clauses from subordinate clauses to help a writer
expand on an idea.

Some people consider the em dash as more suitable for informal writing. But you’ll find this double
hyphen in different types, even in the most formal writing.

Example:

 The operating hours—9 a.m. to 9 p.m.—are the best choice for this business and its customers.

9. Brackets []

Square brackets are rarely found in any piece of writing. But you use them to clarify information within
quotes. In short, it’s like parentheses for direct quotations to make the quote clearer. For example:

 According to the author, “grammar resources [should be] widely accessible to language
learners.”
10. Braces or Curly Brackets {}

Curly brackets, braces, or squiggly brackets are used to group a set. They’re commonly found in
mathematical sets.

Example:

 I already have some venue options {Pier Sixty, Tribeca Rooftop, The Foundry} for the wedding.

11. Parentheses ()

In English grammar, parentheses are used to add information to a sentence. Such a piece of information
may not fit in—hence the use of this punctuation makes the sentence clearer. For example:

 The family’s arrival (which I only learned about now) was shocking.

 I swear I saw the ghost (Do you believe in them?) during our stay at the old house.

12. Apostrophe (’)

There is a wide variety of apostrophe rules you need to follow. First, you need to use the apostrophe in
contractions. A contraction is when two words are shortened by omitting one or more letters to form
one word. For example:

 Do not—don’t.

 I am—I’m.

 She will—she’ll.

Another one of the apostrophe’s functions is to show the possessive form of a noun.

Examples:

 That bag is Cornelia’s.

 Will’s dedication is impressive.

A note on apostrophes is that you can also use them to form the plurals of letters and numbers.

Examples:

 Three A’s.

 Ten 12’s.

You’ll also find the apostrophe in foreign languages. French uses it in articles when a vowel has been
dropped.

A common misuse of the apostrophe is placing it before an S to make nouns plural. Here’s an example:

 Incorrect: I ate bacon’s for breakfast.

 Correct: I ate bacons for breakfast.

13. Quotation Marks (“ ”)

The common quotation marks or inverted commas are used to make direct quotations or repetitions of
someone’s exact words or famous quotes.

The two types of quotation marks are single quotes (‘ ’) and the more common double quotation marks
(“ ”). Single quotation marks are used to enclose a quote within a quote, while double quotation marks
are used to indicate a direct quote.

Punctuation styles differ between British English and American English. In American English, periods and
commas are placed inside the quotations, even if they’re not in the original material, while British
English places them outside quotations.

Here are some examples of sentences:

 “The teacher told me, ‘You are one of my best students,’” I said to my mother.

 Thomas Edison once said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent
inspiration.”

14. Ellipses (…)

The ellipses are a writing tool used for indicating words removed from a quote. It shows sentence
endings while letting the reader know it’s incomplete.

Example:

 “I can’t believe it,” she whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief and excitement. “This is
truly a dream come true…”

What Are Typographical Marks?

Typographical marks are punctuation marks 2.0. They’re common symbols we use in typography that
help with legibility and accessibility. Here are some of the most popular ones:

1. Asterisk (*)

The asterisk is a symbol that looks like a star. It’s used to show a footnote in formal writing, primarily
scientific and academic writing.

Example:

 25% of the respondents prefer lavender over mint.

*According to survey data from the Essential Oils Center.

2. Ampersand (&)

The ampersand replaces the word “and,” but it is not encouraged by different style guides. Use it within
specific formal references like official names.

Examples:

 His fiancé gave her a Tiffany & Co ring as a birthday gift.

  The law firm that Justine sought help from is Miller & Associates.

 They gave a short performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

3. Bullet Point (•)

The bullet point is used for creating lists. Example:

For this project, you will need:

 Fabric of your choice.

 Peltex.

 Fusible fleece.

 Washable ink marker.

 Coordinating thread.

 Sewing needle.

4. Pound Symbol (#)

The pound sign is the punctuation mark for marking the number of something. It’s also now used for
hashtags online.

It’s not to be confused with the pound symbol for the British currency. The British pound symbol
represented the libra pondo, the unit of measurement for weight in the Roman Empire.

Examples:

 Candace is a #1 Internationally Bestselling Author.

 The hashtags #writing and #publishing are trending.

5. Tilde (~)

One of the many forms of punctuation you won’t always see is the tilde. Previously known as the
twiddle or squiggly, this character’s informal usage means “about” or “approximately.” It also functions
as an accent mark in Portuguese and Spanish words.

Example:

 They plan to visit São Paulo this summer, but the crowd is giving them second thoughts.

 I think Jane and I met ~3 years ago.

6. Backslash (\)

You won’t find the backslash in letter writing, business writing, and other forms of writing. This
punctuation mark is used for programming or coding, so don’t mix it with the forward slash.

However, if you’re writing fiction and your character is coding in the story, and you want to include it,
then a backslash is important. The same applies to non-fiction, especially if you’re writing about coding.
  Example: C:\programfiles

7. At Symbol (@)

The “@” symbol is a substitute for the word “at,” but only for informal writing. Its only purpose in
informal writing is when you’re writing email addresses.

Example:

 C u @ the mall.

 My email address is dogcat@mouse.edu.

8. Caret Symbol (^)

The caret symbol may indicate an exponent if you can’t use the superscript function on the computer.
You can also use it in proofreading.

Example:

 2^2 is 4, and 2^3 is 8.

9. Pipe Symbol (|)

The pipe symbol has no real place in fiction writing. Its function lies in the disciplines of computing,
physics, and math. But, it’s often used stylistically in online copywriting.

Example:

 Candace Osmond | Bestselling Author