Mark:
1) Apostrophe '
2) Colon :
3) Comma ,
4) Dash --
5) Ellipsis ...
6) Exclamation Point !
7) Hyphen -
8) Parentheses ( )
9) Period .
10) Question Mark ?
11) Quotation Marks " "
12) Semicolons ;
Description:
1) Use it to show possession, to take the place of missing letters in contractions, and to show the plural of letters and numerals.
2) Use it after the greeting in a business letter; to introduce a list; between numbers in time; and to introduce an important quotation in a report, essay, or news story.
3a) Use to separate three or more items in a series.
3b) Use to separate adjectives that modify the same noun.
3c) Use between a city and a state.
3d) Use between the day and year in a date.
3e) Use after the greeting and closing of a friendly letter.
3f) Use before a conjunction that joins the independent clauses in a compound sentence.
3g) Use after the dependent clause at the beginning of a complex sentence.
3h) Use after introductory words or a mild interjections at the beginning of a sentence.
3i) Use to set off the name of the person to whom you are speaking.
3j) Use to set off an appositive or appositive phrase.
3k) Use with words that interrupt a sentence's basic idea.
3l) Use in front of a short, direct quotation in the middle of a sentence.
3m) Use at the end of a direct quotation that is a statement when it comes at the beginning of a sentence.
4a) Use it to separate and stress elements in a sentence.
4b) Use it after an interrupted or unfinished statement of thought or to introduce a list of items.
4c) Use it after an introductory list.
4d) Use before or after comments inserted into a sentence to give information or add emphasis.
5) Three dots in a row used to replace words that have been left out. If something is left out at the end of a sentence, use a period and then an ellipsis.
6) Use it after strong interjections, exclamatory sentences, and strong imperative sentences.
7) Use it to break a word between syllables at the end of a line, in two-part numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine, in spelled out fractions, and in some compound nouns and adjectives.
8) Use it to give the reader added information. Also use before and after an abbreviation or an acronym of a company or organization once its full name has been written.
9) Use it at the end of declarative sentences, at the end of an imperative sentence that does not require an exclamation point, and after most initials and abbreviations. Also use as a decimal point.
10) Use it at the end of interrogative sentences, after a direct question, at the end of an incomplete question, and when a statement is intended as a question.
11) Use it before and after a direct quotation or to set off words or phrases used in a special way. Also use before and after the names of book chapters, essays, short stories, songs, poems, and magazine and newspaper articles.
12a) Use it to join independent clauses in a compound sentence without a comma and conjunction.
12b) Use before some conjunctions that join two simple sentences into one compound sentence. Use a comma after the conjunction.
12c) Use to separate a series of items when one or more of the items includes commas.
Example:
1) Sam's best friend never got straight A's, but Sam didn't care.
2) Dear Sir: Here are the rules: no gum, no baseball caps, no talking.
The police office stated: "We found the suspects fingerprints at the scene of the crime."
3a) Marge loves spinach, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus.
3b) The loud, beeping buzzer woke me before school.
3c) Miami, Florida
3d) July 2, 2011
3e) Dear Susie,
Yours truly,
3f) I tried to call you on Saturday afternoon, but you did not answer.
3g) When it began to storm, I knew our swim meet would be cancelled.
3h) Yes, you can borrow my new CD.
Oh, I didn't know that test was today.
3i) Jason, can you have dinner at my house tonight?
3j) Mr. Hodgens, my math teacher, won the teaching award.
3k) Dad, of course, had to brag about our roller derby team to everyone.
3l) Callie asked, "Is that your mother sitting on the bench?"
3m) "Mr. Timlin is giving a seminar today," explained Mrs. Graham.
4a) The cafeteria -- and no other room- may be used for school lunches.
4b) You'll need three things -- a pencil, an eraser, and paper.
4c) Toys, hairbrushes, chewing gum -- these things must be left at home.
4d) Rolling Arsenal of Derby -- currently ranked number one in the region -- uses progressive training and teamwork to win.
5) Mary, Mary...how does your garden grow?
Four score and seven years ago our forefathers brought forth this nation....
6) Sarah! Get off that desk immediately!
7) Four-fifths of the twenty-two drive-in movies in town have closed.
8) Read the first story (pages 4-17) today.
A representative from American Airlines (AA) will visit our class.
9) Dr. A.C. Ross will visit the clinic today.
10) What is your name?
Really? When? No kidding?
Your name is Peter?
11) Sue said, "Pass the pepper, please."
Cori hummed, "Row, row, row your boat" as he washed the car.
12a) One cousin is driving here from Colorado; another will take a plane from Maine.
12b) He cooked a huge dinner; therefore, he invited the neighbors over.
12c) The art supplies we need for class are paintbrushes; red, yellow, and blue paint; a charcoal pencil; and an art smock.
