Punctuation Marks

• Punctuation is a method of using certain points or stops in a written or printed

composition – which guide us in understanding the meaning of the words and
sentences.
• Period ( . ) or Full Stop
• Three Periods--Ellipsis (…)
• Comma ( , )
• Semicolon ( ; )
• Colon ( : )
• Apostrophe ( ’ )
• Hyphen ( - )
• Dash ( — )
• Quotation Marks (“__” and ‘__’)
• Parentheses ( ) (round brackets)
• Brackets [ ]
• Slash ( / )
• Question Mark (?)
Period (.) or Full Stop.
• To indicate the end of a sentence.
Example: Here is the place.
I watched a movie.
I went to temple.
• To indicate that letters are used as abbreviations
Example: Dr. Suresh Biradar BA.LLB.
• To indicate decimal fractions
Example: 16.34 17.1 3.5 etc
Three Periods--Ellipsis (…)
• To indicate that a portion of quoted matter is omitted and starting of new
sentences - when you don’t want to continue the sentences.
Example:
I wasn’t really . . . well,
 what I mean . . . see,
the thing is . . . I didn’t mean it.
Comma (,)
To separate independent sentences joined by a conjunction. (E.g. and, but, if)
• Example: This is the street, but I don’t know the number of the house.
To separate parts of a series.
• Example: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Semicolon (;)
• We sometimes use a semi-colon instead of a full stop or period. This is to
separate sentences that are grammatically independent but that have closely
connected meaning.
• Example:
- Pooja likes coffee; Prema likes tea.
- You did your best; now let's hope you pass the exam.
- Sagar wants to go out; Dheeraj wants to stay in class.
Apostrophe (’)
There are two main cases to use Apostrophe
1) You use an apostrophe to show that a thing or person belongs or relates to someone or
something:
• instead of saying, the party of Nitesh or the weather of yesterday, -
--- You can write - Nitesh’s party and yesterday’s weather.
2) Apostrophes showing omission: An apostrophe can be used to show that letters or
numbers have been omitted.
Here are some examples of apostrophes that indicate missing letters:
• I’m - short for I am
• he’ll - short for he will
• she’d – short for she had
• it’s hot - short for it is hot
• It’s gone – short for it has gone
• didn’t - short for did not
Hyphen (-)
To join two or more words serving as a single adjective before a noun.
• Example: a one-way road, chocolate-covered wafers, mother-in-law, up-in-arms
Use a hyphen with compound numbers
• Example: forty-six, sixty-three,
Quotation Marks (“__” and ‘__’)
• We use quotation marks to show (or mark) the beginning and end of a word or
sentence that is somehow special or Important.
• Quotation marks can be double ("...") or single ('...') - that is really a matter of style.
1. Use quotation marks around the title or name of a book, film, ship etc:
• E.g - 'Titanic' is a 1997 movie directed by James Cameron about the sinking of the
ship 'Titanic'.
• Quotation marks can be double ("-") or single ('-'). If we want to use quotation
marks inside quotation marks, then we use single inside double, or double inside
single.
Ex-
• He said, “I thought 'Titanic' was a good film."
• He said, 'I thought "Titanic" was a good film.’
Slash (/)
• The slash is commonly used to: signify alternatives (or), separate the parts of a
fraction (2/3), date (1/1/2012), or Internet address (http:// . . .)
Example: Dear Sir/Madam (Sir or Madam)
1. Use a slash for fractions:
1/2 (one half)
2/3 (two thirds)
2. Use a slash to indicate "per" in measurements of speed, prices etc:
The speed limit is 100 km/h. (kilometres per hour)
The Rice is 50Rs/kg (Rupees per Kg)
Parentheses ( )
• Use parentheses to enclose words or figures that clarify and which provide extra
information.
E.g.- I expect five thousand rupees(Rs.5000).
 The distance from Bijapur to Bangalore is approx 550 kilometres (340 miles).
Brackets [ ]
• A bracket is used to make clear some explanation, which is not normally part of the
sentence.
• For instance: It was the 2nd half of the movie [Rakyesh Mehra’s Rang De Basanti] I
was watching.
• He [Traffic Cop] caught me while I parked my vehicle in no-parking area.
Question Mark (?)
• The main function of a question mark is to indicate a question or query.
1. Use a question mark at the end of all direct questions:
What is your name?
How much money did you transfer?
2. Use a question mark after a tag question:
You're French, aren't you?
Snow isn't green, is it?
3. In very informal writing (personal letter or email), people sometimes use a question mark
to turn a statement into a question:
See you at 9 pm?
Meeting is tomorrow?
Colon (: )
Use a colon [:] before a list or an explanation
E.g.- I made three rules: no mobile, no idle talk, and no sleeping.
E.g.- A rainbow consists of the following colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and
violet.

Exclamation mark
• To indicate strong feelings or high volume (shouting), and often marks the end of a
sentence.
• Get out!
• “Watch out!”
• What the hell !