Great!

Let's go through 14 common punctuation marks in English, one by one, with

definitions, many examples, and finally exercises with answers at the end.

1. Period (.)
Use: Ends a declarative sentence or a statement.

Examples:

 I went to the market.

 She loves to read books.

2. Comma (,)
Use: Separates parts of a sentence, items in a list, clauses, or extra info.

Examples:

 I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.

 After lunch, we went to the park.

3. Question Mark (?)

Use: Ends a direct question.

Examples:

 What is your name?

 Are you coming today?

4. Exclamation Mark (!)

Use: Expresses strong feelings or surprise.

Examples:

 Watch out!
 That’s amazing!
5. Colon (:)
Use: Introduces a list, explanation, or example.

Examples:

 She needs the following items: eggs, milk, and bread.

 There is one thing I need: sleep.

6. Semicolon (;)
Use: Connects related independent clauses or separates items with internal commas.

Examples:

 I have a big test tomorrow; I can’t go out tonight.

 The meeting included John, the CEO; Mary, the CFO; and James, the
CTO.

7. Apostrophe (’)
Use: Shows possession or forms contractions.

Examples:

 John’s book is on the table.

 It’s raining (It is raining).

8. Quotation Marks (“ ”)
Use: Encloses direct speech or quotations.

Examples:

 She said, “I am tired.”

 “Honesty is the best policy,” he told me.

9. Hyphen (-)
Use: Joins words or splits a word at the end of a line.
Examples:

 It’s a well-known fact.

 My sister-in-law is visiting.

10. Dash (—)

Use: Adds emphasis or shows an abrupt break.

Examples:

 I was going to—well, never mind.

 She is my best friend—no doubt about it.

11. Parentheses ( )
Use: Adds extra information.

Examples:

 I visited Paris (the capital of France) last summer.

 She finally passed (after three attempts).

12. Ellipsis (…)

Use: Shows omitted words or a trailing thought.

Examples:

 I don’t know what to say…

 He began to speak but…

13. Brackets [ ]
Use: Adds clarification inside quoted material.

Examples:

 “He [the mayor] was not available for comment.”

 She said, “They [the students] need help.”
14. Slash (/)
Use: Shows alternatives or fractions.

Examples:

 You can bring your notebook and/or tablet.

 The ratio is 3/4.

EXERCISES
Add the correct punctuation mark.

1. Where are you going

2. I need to buy milk eggs and bread
3. He said I will be there soon
4. This is incredible
5. She loves dancing reading and writing
6. It s not my fault
7. We arrived at 5 00 p m
8. My friend the one from Kenya is coming
9. The answer is simple work hard
10. I don t know what to do

CORRECTIONS
1. Where are you going? → Question mark
2. I need to buy milk, eggs, and bread. → Commas
3. He said, “I will be there soon.” → Quotation marks + comma +
period
4. This is incredible! → Exclamation mark
5. She loves dancing, reading, and writing. → Commas
6. It’s not my fault. → Apostrophe + period
7. We arrived at 5:00 p.m. → Colon + periods
8. My friend (the one from Kenya) is coming. → Parentheses
9. The answer is simple: work hard. → Colon
10. I don’t know what to do… → Apostrophe + ellipsis

Would you like more exercises to practice, maybe with different levels of difficulty?
Sure ! Let’s go over the 9 parts of speech in English with explanations, examples, and
exercises (with corrections at the end).

1. Nouns

Definition : Names of people, places, things, or ideas.

Examples :

Person : Alice, doctor

Place : school, Africa

Thing : book, phone

Idea : freedom, love

Example sentence : The dog chased the ball in the park.

2. Pronouns

Definition : Words that take the place of nouns.

Examples : he, she, it, they, we, I, you, who, which

Example sentence : Anna is kind. She helps everyone.

3. Verbs

Definition : Words that show action or state of being.

Examples : run, jump, think, is, are, eat

Example sentence : He runs every morning.

4. Adjectives

Definition : Words that describe nouns or pronouns.

Examples : happy, tall, blue, smart

Example sentence : She wore a red dress.

5. Adverbs

Definition : Words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They often answer
« how, » « when, » « where, » or « to what extent. »

Examples : quickly, very, always, here

Example sentence : He speaks softly.

6. Prepositions

Definition : Words that show the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and another word
in the sentence.

Examples : in, on, at, over, under, beside, during

Example sentence : The book is on the table.

7. Conjunctions

Definition : Words that join words, phrases, or clauses.

Examples : and, but, or, so, because

Example sentence : I like tea and coffee.

8. Interjections

Definition : Words or phrases that express emotion or exclamation.

Examples : Wow ! Ouch ! Hey ! Oh no !

Example sentence : Wow ! That was amazing !

 9. Articles

Definition : Words that define a noun as specific or unspecific.

Examples : a, an, the

Example sentence : She found a key under the couch.

EXERCISES

Part A : Identify the part of speech of the underlined word

1. (She) runs every day.

2. He walked (quickly) to the station.

3. (Wow !) That’s incredible !

4. The cat is (under) the table.

 5. He bought (a) new phone.

6. They (and) we will go together.

7. She is a (brilliant) student.

8. (Books) are on the shelf.

9. (We) enjoyed the movie.

Part B : Choose the correct word

1. I saw (he/him) at the market.

 2. She writes (good/well).

3. The ball is (in/on) the box.

4. (Ouch/And) ! That hurt.

5. He is (a/an) honest man.

CORRECTIONS

Part A : Answers

1. Pronoun – « She »

2. Adverb – « quickly »
 3. Interjection – « Wow ! »

4. Preposition – « under »

5. Article – « a »

6. Conjunction – « and »

7. Adjective – « brilliant »

8. Noun – « Books »

9. Pronoun – « We »

Part B : Answers
 1. Him

2. Well

3. In

4. uch

5. An

Would you like more exercises, or a printable summary chart of the parts of speech ?

Great! Let’s dive into the 3 main tenses in English: Past, Present, and Future. Each tense
helps show when an action happens.
1. Present Tense
Use:

 For actions happening now.

 For habits and routines.
 For general truths.

Structure:

 Subject + base verb (+s/es for he/she/it)

Examples:

 I eat rice every day.

 She goes to school at 7 a.m.
 Water boils at 100°C.

2. Past Tense
Use:

 For actions that happened and finished in the past.

Structure:

 Subject + past form of verb

Examples:

 I ate rice yesterday.

 She went to school last week.
 They played football after class.

3. Future Tense
Use:

 For actions that will happen later.

Structure:

 Subject + will + base verb

Examples:

 I will eat rice tomorrow.

 She will go to school next week.
 They will play football later.

Tense Comparison Table

Example (Verb:
Tense
to eat)

Presen
I eat breakfast.
t

Past I ate breakfast.

Future I will eat breakfast.

EXERCISES
Part A: Identify the tense

1. He drinks milk every morning.

2. We played video games yesterday.
3. I will visit my grandma tomorrow.
4. She writes in her diary daily.
5. They watched a movie last night.

Part B: Fill in the blank with the correct verb form

1. He __________ (go) to church on Sundays.

2. They __________ (travel) to Nigeria last month.
3. I __________ (call) you later.
4. She __________ (dance) beautifully yesterday.
5. We __________ (meet) again next week.
CORRECTIONS
Part A: Answers

1. Present
2. Past
3. Future
4. Present
5. Past

Part B: Answers

1. He goes to church on Sundays. (Present)

2. They traveled to Nigeria last month. (Past)
3. I will call you later. (Future)
4. She danced beautifully yesterday. (Past)
5. We will meet again next week. (Future)

Would you like to learn the progressive (continuous) and perfect tenses too?

Sure ! In English, sentences are mainly classified by purpose (function) and

structure (form).

Let’s break down the 2 main types based on these categories :

I. Sentences by Purpose (Function)

These show why the sentence is used.

There are 4 subtypes :

1. Declarative Sentence
Purpose : To state a fact or opinion.

Ends with : a period (.)

Example : She loves reading.

Use : Most common type in writing and speaking.

2. Interrogative Sentence

Purpose : To ask a question.

Ends with : a question mark ( ?)

Example : Do you speak English ?

Types : Yes/No questions (Are you okay ?), WH-questions (What is your
name ?)

3. Imperative Sentence

Purpose : To give a command, request, or instruction.

Ends with : a period or exclamation mark (. Or !)

Example : Close the door. / Please be quiet.

Note : The subject you is usually understood and not stated.

4. Exclamatory Sentence

Purpose : To express strong emotion.

Ends with : an exclamation mark ( !)

Example : What a beautiful view !

Use : Shows excitement, anger, surprise, etc.

II. Sentences by Structure (Form)

These show how many clauses are in the sentence and how they are
connected.

There are 4 subtypes :

 1. Simple Sentence

Structure : 1 independent clause (complete thought)

Example : The sun rises in the east.

Note : It may have compound subjects/verbs but only one clause.

2. Compound Sentence

Structure : 2 or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating

conjunction (and, but, or, so, yet, for, nor)

Example : She studied hard, and she passed the exam.

3. Complex Sentence

Structure : 1 independent clause + 1 or more dependent (subordinate)

clauses

Example : Although it was raining, we went out.

 4. Compound-Complex Sentence

Structure : At least 2 independent clauses + 1 or more dependent clauses

Example : Although I was tired, I finished my homework, and I went to bed

early.

Summary Table

Type Subtypes (Examples)

By Purpose Declarative (She sings.)

Interrogative (Where are you ?)

Imperative (Sit down.)

Exclamatory (What a great day !)

By Structure Simple (I play soccer.)

Compound (I was late, but I caught the bus.)

Complex (Because I was sick, I stayed home.)

Compound-Complex (She smiled because she won, and I clapped.)

EXERCISES
Part A : Identify the purpose of each sentence

1. Do you like chocolate ?

2. Wow ! That’s amazing !

3. Please pass the salt.

4. The sky is blue.

Part B : Identify the structure

1. I watched a movie.

2. I wanted to go out, but it was raining.

3. Because she was angry, she didn’t speak to him.

 4. Although I was scared, I opened the door, and I walked in.

CORRECTIONS

Part A : Answers (Purpose)

1. Interrogative

2. Exclamatory

3. Imperative

4. Declarative

Part B : Answers (Structure)

1. Simple
 2. Compound

3. Complex

4. Compound-Complex

Would you like visual diagrams or a printable chart to help memorize these
better ?

Great choice ! Understanding dangling modifiers is key to writing clearly

and correctly in English. Let’s go through it step by step, with many
examples, exercises, and corrections.

What is a Dangling Modifier ?

A dangling modifier is a descriptive word or phrase (usually at the

beginning of a sentence) that does not clearly or logically refer to the word
it’s supposed to describe. As a result, the sentence becomes confusing or
illogical.
Basic Structure of a Modifier

A modifier gives extra information about a subject. It should always be

placed next to the word it modifies.

Correct :

Running fast, the athlete won the race.

(“Running fast” clearly refers to the athlete.)

Dangling (incorrect) :

Running fast, the race was won.

(Who was running fast ? The race can’t run !)

Common Forms of Dangling Modifiers

1. Introductory Participial Phrases

These are phrases that start with verbs ending in -ing or -ed.

Incorrect :

Walking to school, the rain soaked my clothes.

(Who was walking ? The rain ? Doesn’t make sense.)

Correct :

Walking to school, I got soaked by the rain.

 2. Infinitive Phrases

Phrases beginning with “to” + verb.

Incorrect :

To win the prize, the rules must be followed.

(Who wants to win ? The rules ? No.)

Correct :

To win the prize, you must follow the rules.

3. Misplaced Adjective/Adverbial Phrases

Incorrect :

Covered in syrup, Mary loved the pancakes.

(Was Mary covered in syrup ? Probably not.)

Correct :

Mary loved the pancakes covered in syrup.

More Correct vs. Incorrect Examples

Incorrect Sentence (Dangling) Corrected Sentence

Driving to work, the traffic was terrible. Driving to work, I found the traffic
terrible.

While reading the book, the TV was on. While reading the book, I left the
TV on.

After eating lunch, the dishes were washed. After eating lunch, we
washed the dishes.

Hoping to impress the teacher, the essay was rewritten. Hoping to

impress the teacher, she rewrote the essay.

How to Fix a Dangling Modifier

1. Identify the modifier (usually an intro phrase).

2. Ask : What is it describing ? Is that subject clear ?

3. Fix it by :

Adding the missing subject.

Rewriting the sentence for clarity.

EXERCISES

Part A : Identify if the sentence has a dangling modifier (Yes/No)

1. After finishing the homework, the TV was turned on.

2. Hoping for a raise, John updated his résumé.

3. While eating dinner, the phone rang.

4. To reach the station on time, the car was started early.

5. Smiling brightly, the baby was held by her mother.

Part B : Rewrite the dangling modifiers correctly

1. Flying over the jungle, the trees looked beautiful.

2. To make a good impression, the suit was worn.

 3. Running across the field, the goal was scored.

4. Buried under the sand, we found the old coin.

5. While typing the email, the computer crashed.

CORRECTIONS

Part A : Answers

1. Yes

2. No

3. Yes

4. Yes
 5. Yes

Part B : Corrected Sentences

1. Flying over the jungle, we saw beautiful trees.

2. To make a good impression, he wore the suit.

3. Running across the field, she scored the goal.

4. Buried under the sand, the old coin was found by us.

5. While typing the email, I experienced a computer crash.

Would you like a mini-quiz or flashcards to help practice more ?

Great ! Here’s a mini-quiz and a set of flashcards to help you master
dangling modifiers.

Mini-Quiz : Choose the correct sentence

Question 1

A. While walking in the park, the birds sang beautifully.

B. While walking in the park, I heard the birds sing beautifully.

Answer : ___

Question 2

A. To improve his English, the book was read every day.

B. To improve his English, he read the book every day.

Answer : ___

Question 3

A. After baking for hours, the cake was finally ready.

B. After baking for hours, she finally took the cake out of the oven.

Answer : ___

Question 4

A. Covered in cheese, Tim ate the pizza.

B. Tim ate the pizza covered in cheese.

Answer : ___

Question 5

A. Watching the movie, the popcorn was eaten quickly.

B. Watching the movie, we ate the popcorn quickly.

Answer : ___

Answers to Mini-Quiz

1. B
 2. B

3. B

4. B

5. B

Flashcards for Review

Flashcard 1

Q : What is a dangling modifier ?

A : A word or phrase that describes something not clearly stated in the

sentence.

Flashcard 2

Q : What’s wrong with this sentence : « Flying in the sky, the mountain
looked small. »
A : It sounds like the mountain is flying. It needs a clear subject like :
« Flying in the sky, we saw the mountain looking small. »

Flashcard 3

Q : How do you fix a dangling modifier ?

A : Add the missing subject or rewrite the sentence so the modifier is next
to the word it describes.

Flashcard 4

Q : Identify the dangling modifier : « Hoping to get the job, the application
was sent. »

A : “Hoping to get the job” is dangling because the sentence doesn’t say
who was hoping.

Flashcard 5

Q : Rewrite : « Driving down the road, the signs were hard to read. »

A : « Driving down the road, I found the signs hard to read. »

Would you like me to create a PDF with these quizzes and flashcards for
printing or offline study ?