The general rule is that a sentence ends with a punctuation mark, and punctuation mark is used to arrange and organize your writing.
What are the punctuation marks?
Punctuation (or sometimes interpunction) is the practice, action, or system of inserting points or other small marks into texts in order to aid interpretation; division of text into sentences, clauses, etc., by means of such marks.
The punctuation marks are:
- Apostrophe (')
- Colon (:)
- Comma (,)
- Exclamation Point (!)
- Quotation Marks (")
- Semicolon (;)
- Hyphen (-)
- En dash (–) em dash (—)
- Slash (/)
- Question mark (?)
- Parentheses ( )
- At @
- And &
- Star (*)
- Hashtag (#)
- The sign dollar ($)
- Angle brackets (< >)
- Full stop (.)
- Square brackets []
- Curly brackets {}
20 Punctuation marks
There are 20 commonly used punctuation marks in English grammar. Using the correct usage will make your writing easier to read and more attractive.
1. Apostrophe (')
Apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to indicate either possession or the omission of letters or numbers:
- Let's go over to John's house.
- We're = we are.
2. Colon (:)
The colon is a punctuation mark (:) used to precede a list of items, a quotation, or an expansion or explanation:
- There are three things you must remember: never give up on yourself, always do your best work, and respect those who have come before you.
3. Comma (,)
The comma is a punctuation mark (,) indicating a pause between parts of a sentence. It is also used to separate items in a list and to mark the place of thousands in a large numeral:
- Although he is so rich, he is unhappy.
- Some foods, sugar for example, are not good for us.
4. Exclamation Point (!)
The exclamation point is a punctuation mark indicating an exclamation:
- Something is really important!
5. Quotation Marks (")
Quotation Marks is each of a set of punctuation marks, single (") or double (" "), used either to mark the beginning and end of a title or quoted passage, or to indicate that a word or phrase is regarded as slang or jargon or is being discussed rather than used within the sentence:
- "It's time to find a new car," my wife said.
6. Semicolon (;)
Semicolon is a punctuation mark indicating a pause, typically between two main clauses, that is more pronounced than that indicated by a comma:
- Most of the students were happy about the results on their test; the others were disappointed.
7. Hyphen (-)
Hyphen is used to join words to indicate that they have a combined meaning or that they are linked in the grammar of a sentence (as in pick-me-up, rock-forming ), to indicate the division of a word at the end of a line, or to indicate a missing or implied element (as in short- and long-term):
- They live in a four-bedroom apartment.
8. En dash (–) em dash (—)
There are two different kinds of dash you probably use fairly regularly in your writing—and one you don’t.
1. En dash is used in writing or printing to indicate a range or connections:
- 1880 –1945
2. Em dash is a long dash, used especially when typing on a computer or in printing to separate parts of a sentence:
- Thousands of children—like the girl in this photograph.
9. Slash (/)
Slash is an oblique stroke (/) in print or writing, used between alternatives (e.g. and/or ), in fractions (e.g. 3/4 ), in ratios (e.g. miles/day ), or between separate elements of a text:
- Each guest must present his/her ticket prior to entry.
10. Question mark (?)
Question mark is a punctuation mark indicating a question:
- What are you doing today?
11. Parentheses ( )
Parentheses is used to surround the word or sentence added to the sentence:
- The president (and his assistant) traveled by private jet.
12. At @
The punctuation marks "@" is added to the email address:
- Postsline@mail.com
13. And &
The sign & (standing for and, as in Smith & Co., or the Latin et, as in &c):
- She works for H&M.
14. Star (*)
The punctuation mark "*" makes the reader notice something else on the page or delete a letter from an expletive:
- f*ck
15. Hashtag (#)
The punctuation mark "#" a word or phrase preceded by a hash sign (#), used on social media websites and applications, especially Twitter, to identify digital content on a specific topic. It is also used instead of the word "Number":
- Fathi was #15 in line.
16. The sign dollar ($)
The sign $, representing a dollar:
- The repair will cost $400.
17. Angle brackets (< >)
Either of a pair of marks in the form < > used to enclose words or figures so as to separate them from their context:
- Please visit my website <https://www.postsline.com/>
18. Full stop (.)
A full stop, also known as a period (.) is perhaps the easiest punctuation mark to master at the end of a sentence. Analysis of texts indicates that approximately half of all punctuation marks used are full stops. The difficulty generally arises only when the period is used with other punctuation marks:
- Correct: He is a vice president at Apple Inc.
- Incorrect: He is a vice president at Apple Inc..
- Correct: Sara said, “We will continue this tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.”
- Incorrect: Sara said, “We will continue this tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.”.
19. Square brackets []
Use square brackets to indicate that you added words or comments that were not in the original article:
- I appreciate it [the nomination], but cannot accept.
20. Curly brackets {}
Curly brackets , also known as braces or squiggly brackets are used in mathematics, physics, and web development. You are unlikely to see them in business writing:
- {/ any statement(s) }
References