PUNCTUATION

Download this worksheet from here:Punctuation Chart

This chart is taken from a website ,of which the address I have forgotten.It is modified slightly to meet the needs of my students.

It gives you a tutorial about the different punctuation marks and how they are used with examples.

Different punctuation marks with examples

COMMA (,):Use a comma after introductory words, phrases, or clauses (e.g., “When I first arrived in Calgary, I thought that the city was too big. However, I’m now used to it.”)

Use a comma to separate items in a list. A comma before the conjunction (and or or) is optional (e.g., “He is tall, thin (,) and blue-eyed”).

Use commas around words or phrases-including appositives–that are not essential to the meaning of a sentence. (An appositive renames in different words a nearby noun.) Study the comma use in the following examples: “The teacher, however, did not agree.” “Bob Alien, who is the city’s mayor, spoke at the library today.” “Ottawa, the country’s capital, is beautiful.”

Use a comma before a final clause or phrase when it is not essential to the meaning of the first part of the sentence (e.g., “Jason is still fat, although I’m sure that going to Weight Watchers will help.”) When the final phrase or clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence, do not use a comma before it (e.g., “You won’t win the lottery unless you buy a ticket.”)

Apart from the rules outlined above, in rare cases, it may be necessary to use a comma to prevent misreading.

SEMICOLON [;].Use a semicolon to join closely-related independent clauses that could each stand as a sentence (e.g., “The semicolon has a number of uses; one use is to separate independent clauses.” Used correctly in this way, the semicolon could be replaced by a period.

Use a semicolon to join independent clauses (which could each stand as a sentence) when the second clause begins with a conjunctive adverb (however, therefore, moreover, nevertheless etc.) (e.g., “The team practised every day; however, it still lost the championship.”)

Use semicolons to separate long items in a list, especially when the items contain commas (e.g., “The conference on AIDS featured John Adams, a doctor; Sue Brown, a lawyer; and Ed Olson, a dentist.”)

COLON [:].Use a colon to set off lists that follow a main clause that could stand as a sentence (e.g., “He has three favourite hobbies: reading, jogging, and dancing.” “Our itinerary is as follows: Montreal on Monday, Fredericton on Tuesday, and St. John’s on Friday.” Note: use a colon after “as follows” but not after the words “such as” or after a verb (e.g., “are” or “includes”).

After an independent clause that could stand as a sentence, use a colon to introduce a quotation or a word, phrase, clause, or another independent clause that amplifies or explains the opening clause (e.g., “She is a very energetic woman: she teaches full-time and also writes several book reviews a year.”)

PARENTHESES.(  ) Use parentheses to enclose added information of LITTLE  importance (e.g., “More than 1,000 years ago, the Hopis (the word means ‘the peaceful ones’) settled in Arizona.”)

QUOTATION MARKS.(“…..“) Use quotation marks when quoting directly (e.g. The critic said, “That’s the best Canadian novel we’ve seen in years.” The prime minister argues that “something can be learned from the opposition party’s policies.”)

For quotations within quotations, use single marks (e.g., She turned to her daughter and said, “Remember that Bill always says, ‘The only people who are worth anything are the people who take chances.’”)

Use quotation marks to mark words being used in a special sense (e.g., What does “freedom” really mean?) For emphasis, use italics or underlining–not quotation marks.

HYPHEN [-].Use a hyphen to indicate the division of a word at the end of a line. Divide only between syllables. Consult a dictionary when you’re unsure of the correct division.

Use a hyphen to join words serving as a single adjective before a noun (e.g., “a well-deserved raise”).

QUESTION MARK. ( ? )Use a question mark to end an interrogative sentence, even if it is a rhetorical question (e.g., “What kind of world would that be?”) Do not use a question mark after an indirect question (e.g., “My parents asked me if I planned to attend university.”)

EXCLAMATION MARK. ( ! )The exclamation mark is used to indicate strong emotion; it rarely appears in formal writing. Use it very sparingly.

PERIOD.( . ) Use a period to end a complete sentence.