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Punctuation handout

The document provides an overview of basic punctuation marks, including full stops, commas, question marks, exclamation marks, apostrophes, and quotation marks, along with their rules and examples. It emphasizes the correct usage of these punctuation marks in sentences, lists, and direct speech. Additionally, it suggests researching other punctuation marks like colons and semicolons for further understanding.

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12 views

Punctuation handout

The document provides an overview of basic punctuation marks, including full stops, commas, question marks, exclamation marks, apostrophes, and quotation marks, along with their rules and examples. It emphasizes the correct usage of these punctuation marks in sentences, lists, and direct speech. Additionally, it suggests researching other punctuation marks like colons and semicolons for further understanding.

Uploaded by

mosesclinton899
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Basic Punctuation Marks

What is a Full Stop?


A full stop (also known as a period) is a punctuation mark used to indicate the end of a sentence.
Important Rules for Using Full Stops
1. End of Sentences: Use a full stop at the end of a complete sentence.
o Example: "The dog is happy."
2. Abbreviations: Full stops can be used in abbreviations to show that words have been
shortened.
o Example: "Dr." for Doctor or "Mr." for Mister.
3. Acronyms and Initialisms: Full stops can be used in acronyms and initialisms, though
this practice is becoming less common in modern usage.
 Example: "U.S.A." for United States of America or "P.M." for Prime Minister.
Comma
A comma is a punctuation mark used to indicate a pause or to separate items in a list.
Important Rules for Using Commas
1. Lists: Use commas to separate items in a list.
o Example: "I bought apples, oranges, bananas, and grapes."
2. Introductory Phrases: Use a comma after an introductory word or phrase.
o Example: "After dinner, we went for a walk."
3. Combining Sentences: Use a comma before conjunctions like "and," "but," or "or" to
connect two independent clauses.
o Example: "I wanted to go out, but it started raining."
Question Mark
A question mark is a punctuation mark used at the end of a sentence to indicate a question.
Important Rules for Using Question Marks
1. End of Questions: Use a question mark at the end of a direct question.
o Example: "What is your name?"
2. Question Tags: Use a question mark at the end of a sentence with a question tag.
o Example: "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"
Exclamation Mark
An exclamation mark is a punctuation mark used to show strong emotion or excitement.
Important Rules for Using Exclamation Marks
1. Strong Emotion: Use an exclamation mark at the end of a sentence to show strong
feelings.
o Example: "Wow, that was amazing!"
2. Interjections: Use an exclamation mark after an interjection.
o Example: "Oh no! I forgot my keys."
Apostrophe
An apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to show possession or to form contractions.
Important Rules for Using Apostrophes
1. Possession: Use an apostrophe to show that something belongs to someone.
o Example: "That is Sarah's book."
2. Contractions: Use an apostrophe to form contractions by combining words.
o Example: "Don't" for "do not" or "it's" for "it is."
Quotation Marks
Quotation marks are punctuation marks used to indicate direct speech or quotations. They look
like this: " " or ‘ ’
Important Rules for Using Quotation Marks
1. Direct Speech: Use quotation marks to enclose what someone says directly.
o Example: "She said, 'I am happy.'"
2. Titles: Use quotation marks for titles of short works like poems, articles, and short
stories.
o Example: "I read 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost."
Upper- and Lower-Case Letters
Upper- and lower-case letters refer to the big and small versions of letters, respectively.
Important Rules for Using Upper- and Lower-Case Letters
1. Sentences: Always start a sentence with an uppercase letter.
o Example: "The cat is sleeping."
2. Proper Nouns: Use uppercase letters for proper nouns, which are specific names of
people, places, or things.
o Example: "Tokyo," "John," and "Microsoft."
3. Titles: Capitalize the first and main words in titles.
For homework research the following: colon, semicolon, hyphen, dash, round brackets, brace
(curly brackets), ellipsis marks, slash, asterisk. Then write short definitions on them.
Basic Punctuation Marks
o Example: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

For homework research the following: colon, semicolon, hyphen, dash, round brackets, brace
(curly brackets), ellipsis marks, slash, asterisk. Then write short definitions on them.

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