Period ( . )
Separates sentences
Comma ( , )
Sets off items in a series, subordinate clauses, quotations,
parenthetical phrases, interjections. Used to eliminate confusion.
Examples:
"Bring book, paper, and pens."
"Because we had a fire, classes are cancelled."
"Tom said, 'The exam is tough.'"
"Ann, born in Paris, speaks French."
"No, we won't leave."
Semicolon ( ; )
Joins sentences not linked with and, or,
yet, but, so. Sets off items with
commas in a list.
Examples:
"Ask Bill; that's his job."
"We sell Corona, from Mexico; Becks, from Germany; and
Harp, from Ireland."
Colon ( : )
Indicates beginning of a list following a sentence.
Example:
"We need spare parts: spark plugs, filters, and screws."
Parentheses ( )
Encloses extra information.
Example:
"Michael Collins (1890-1922) was a great leader."
Quotation Marks ( " " )
Indicate direct quotes from oral or written source and titles
of short works.
Example:
"Let's go," he said.
We saw Van Gogh's "The Night Cafe."
Underlining ( _____ )
Indicates italics in printed text and used for titles of
long works.
Example:
Did you read The Great Gatsby?
Dash ( -- )
Informal mark used for emphasis, usually instead of commas.
Example:
The drivers -- both drunk -- were arrested.
Hyphen ( - )
Used to indicate breaks in syllables or paired words.
Example:
Irish-American
Question Mark ( ? )
Shows the sentence is a question.
Apostrophe ( ' )
Shows possession and indicates missing letters or numbers.
Example:
Don't sell Tom's '64 Mustang!
