Punctuation Marks

1. Period (.)    Purpose: Ends a declarative sentence or statement. Example: "I love reading books." Also used in: o Abbreviations: "Dr.", "Inc." o Decimal numbers: "3.14" 2. Comma (,)    Purpose: Separates items in a list, clauses, or phrases within a sentence. Example: "I bought apples, oranges, and bananas." Also used in: o After introductory words or phrases: "After lunch, we went for a walk." o Before conjunctions in compound sentences: "I wanted to go, but I was too tired." o To set off non-essential information: "My brother, who is a doctor, lives in New York." 3. Colon (:)    Purpose: Introduces a list, explanation, or quotation. Example: "She brought three things: a pen, a notebook, and a camera." Also used in: o Introducing a definition or elaboration: "There’s one thing I want: honesty." o In formal letters after the greeting: "Dear Sir:" 4. Semicolon (;)    Purpose: Links two independent clauses that are closely related or separate items in a complex list. Example: "I have a meeting at 10 AM; I'll be late." Also used in: o To separate items in a list where commas are already used: "The countries I want to visit are France, Paris; Germany, Berlin; and Japan, Tokyo." 5. Em Dash (—)    Purpose: Used to create a strong break or interruption in a sentence, often for emphasis or an abrupt change in thought. Example: "I finally found it—the book I've been looking for!" Also used in: o To set off parenthetical information more dramatically than commas: "She is— let's face it—a genius." 6. En Dash (–)    Purpose: Used to represent a range of values (e.g., time, dates) or connections between related things. Example: "The meeting is scheduled for 3:00–4:00 PM." Also used in: o Connecting scores or spans: "The score was 4–2." o To show a connection or contrast: "The London–Paris flight." 7. Parentheses (())    Purpose: Enclose additional information, clarifications, or asides that are not essential to the main sentence. Example: "She finally answered the phone (after several attempts)." Also used in: o Inserting an abbreviation or acronym: "The CEO (Chief Executive Officer) gave a speech." 8. Exclamation Point (!)    Purpose: Indicates strong feelings, excitement, surprise, or urgency. Example: "Wow! That was amazing!" Also used in: o To express a command or warning: "Watch out!" 9. Question Mark (?)    Purpose: Used at the end of a direct question. Example: "What time is the meeting?" Also used in: o In rhetorical questions or uncertainty: "Is he really coming?"