Punctuation CSS
Punctuation CSS
CSS ENGLISH
Basics
◦ Punctuation is the use of spacing, conventional signs, and certain typographical
devices as aids to the understanding and correct reading of written text, whether read
silently or aloud.
◦ Using punctuation in your writing helps the reader to clearly understand the message
that is being conveyed. Punctuation primarily helps to indicate the pauses and the
emphasis on certain ideas or thoughts that are discussed in the text.
◦ Punctuation shows how the sentence should be read and makes the meaning clear.
Every sentence should include at least a capital letter at the start, and a full stop,
exclamation mark or question mark at the end. This basic system indicates that the
sentence is complete.
14 Punctuation Marks
◦ The period
◦ Question mark
◦ Exclamation point
◦ Comma
◦ Colon
◦ Semicolon
◦ Dash
◦ Hyphen
◦ Brackets
◦ Braces
◦ Parentheses
◦ Apostrophe
◦ Quotation mark
◦ Ellipsis
Period (.)
◦ This one is probably the most straightforward. Also referred to as a full stop, the period
denotes the end of a sentence. A full sentence is considered as one that is complete
and declarative.
◦ The dog ran under the fence.
◦ Periods are also used in abbreviations, such as in names or titles.
◦ Here are examples of how to use a period in abbreviations:
◦ Dr. Smith read his patient’s chart.
◦ Mr. H. Potter opened his front door.
◦ Etc.
Question Mark (?)
◦ A question mark also ends a sentence, however it ends a sentence that is a direct
question. Typically, sentences that are questions begin with what, how, when, where,
why, or who.
◦ Here’s how to use a question mark in a sentence:
◦ How do you like your eggs?
◦ Why didn’t you like the movie last night?
◦ It’s good. Isn’t it?
Exclamation Point (!)
◦ An exclamation point or exclamation mark is also used at the end of a sentence when
that sentence expresses an intense emotion. The expression can be a variety of things,
from excitement, disgust, anger, joy, or anything else. Exclamation points are meant to
add emphasis to a sentence.
◦ Here’s how to use one in a sentence:
Commas are used to insert a pause into a sentence. The purpose of the pause can be
for different reasons, such as to separate ideas, phrases, or even alter the structure of a
sentence.
◦ Commas have a few different uses. Commas are used for a direct address, such as:
◦ Joe, it was nice to see you again.
◦ They’re also used to separate two complete sentences:
◦ He went to the library, and then he went out for lunch.
◦ Commas can also be used to list items in a sentence:
◦ She went shopping and bought shoes, a dress, two shirts, and a pair of pants.
Colon (:)
◦ There are two types of dashes that vary in size and use.
◦
◦ En dash: Typically shorter in length, the en dash is used to denote a range, such as
between numbers or dates. For example:
◦ The company was operational from 1990-2000.
◦ He took the Chicago-New York train last night.
◦ Em dash: this dash is longer, and is sometimes used instead of other punctuation marks,
like commas, colons, or parentheses. Here’s an example:
◦ Her answer was clear — Yes!
Hyphen (-)
◦ Not to be confused with a dash, a hyphen is used in compound words when two or
more words are connected. Here are some examples of hyphenated words:
◦ Step-by-step
◦ Mother-in-law
◦ Ex-boyfriend
Brackets ([ ])
◦ Brackets are used to clarify something or for technical terms or explanations. It can also
be used to clarify a subject when quoting another person or text. For example:
◦ She [Mrs. Smith] agrees that cats are better than dogs.
◦ Adam said that “[summer] is my favorite time of year.”
Braces ({ })
◦ It’s unlikely you’ll need to use braces very often unless you’re writing a mathematical or
technical text. However, it’s still good to know so you don’t accidentally use them
instead of brackets or parentheses. Braces are usually used in operations, for example:
◦
◦ 6{3x+[28+2]}=xy
Parentheses (( ))
◦ Apostrophes are meant to show that a letter or letters have been omitted and also to
indicate the possessive or contractions. It can also be used to pluralize lowercase
letters. Here are some examples:
◦
◦ I’ve been working from home for 6 months and it’s great.
◦ Rebecca’s dog had surgery yesterday.
◦ All that’s left to do is dot the i’s and cross the t’s.
Quotation Marks (“)
◦ Quotation marks are used to denote text, speech, or words spoken by someone else. It
is also used to indicate dialogue.
◦ “I don’t like this,” said Mark.
◦ She told him that she “prefers not to think about that.”
◦ Single quotation marks (‘ ’), not to be confused with apostrophes, are often used for a
quote within a quote.
◦ Jill told her mother “Jack ran up the hill and he said he was going to ‘fetch a pail of
water’ before he fell.”
Ellipsis (…)