Punctuation Marks

Punctuation Marks

Definition of punctuation mark: Punctuation marks indicate how a piece of written text should be read and, consequently, understood. The oldest known punctuation marks, consisting of points between the words and horizontal strokes between sections, were found in the Mesha Stele from the 9th century BC.

There are many punctuation marks in English

  • The Full Stop (.)  
  • The Comma (,)
  • Introgative Question mark(?)  
  • The Semi-Colon (;)  
  • The Colon (:)  
  • The Question Mark (?)  
  • The Dash (_)  
  • The Exclamation Mark (!)  
  •  Inverted Comma ('') or (" "), The Apostrophe (')  
  • The Hyphen (-)
  • The Parentheses ()  Asterisk (*)


Use Of Full Stop (.)

Many animals make noise for protection. A gorilla pounds and taps its beak on a tree. Both sounds warn nearby animals. They tell them to stay away. What signals do fish use to protect themselves from danger and attract? Think about it.

Periods or Full stops signal the end of all sentences except questions and exclamations.    It can also be used to end an indirect question and to end a mild command. We use a full stop to express abbreviations/initials:

  • He has an M.A. degree in Mathematics.  
  • The U.S.A. stands for the United States of America.  
  • Mr. Sharif Ahmed and Mrs. Najma Ahmed are both engineers.  
  • My Father is an M.A.  Mr N. Alam went to Dhaka.  
  • Dr. Rahman is an honest man.

Use of Comma (,):

We use a comma to separate the items in a list:  

  • I like mango, banana, guava, and pineapple.  
  • I eat rice, fish, vegetables, and milk.  

We use a comma with the vocative case.  

  • Kamal, come and show me your homework.  
  • Halim, Selim, and Rasel are going to school.  

We use a comma in direct speech: 

  • The teacher said, " The Earth is round".   
  • He said,  " Thanks a lot. That's very kind of you." 

We use a comma to separate the date, address. 

  • He lives at Kishorganj, Nilphamari.   
  • He was born on March 18,1997.  

We use a comma to separate numbers.   

  • The car cost TK 4,00,000.  

More Example: 

  • The girl walked, ran, and stopped several times.  
  • High and low, rich and poor, wise and foolish, must all die.  
  • The Sun having set, we went home.  
  • Mr Shahjahan, headmaster of our school, is a learned man.  
  • Boys, come here.  
  • Do it, Hasan. Yes, he will attend the meeting.  
  • He is, after all, an honest man.  
  • If it rains, I shall not go out.

Use of a semicolon (;)

We use the semicolon to express something longer than a comma:

  • We went to a party; it was a big gathering; we enjoyed much.
  • United we stand; divided we fall.

When some coordinating clause is joined with therefore, yet, however,so,otherwise, still,nevertheless, etc and express opposite mwaning, we use semi-colon.

  • He worked hard, yet he could not come out successful.
  • To err is human; to forgive divine.
  • The girl looks happy; she has stood first.

More Example 

  • You did not work hard; she has stood first.
  • The music came to an end, and the musician was greeted heartily.

Use of Colon (:)

We use a colon to explain anything:

  • We wanted to attend the party: We had enough time.
  • We use a colon between the speaker and the dialogue.
  • Kamal: Would you like to go for a walk in the woods?
  • Jamal: That would be great.

Use of note of interrogation/ question mark (?):

A question mark is used to form and direct a question:

  • What do you want to be when you grow up?
  • Unclw Karim asked, " What profession do you think you will enter? 
  • Medicine? Law? Business?

When to Use An Exclamation  Mark(!)

Now that this lesson has defined the significance of an exclamation mark in text, this section will explain when to use an exclamation mark. The best way to understand this grammatical tool is through the use of a few examples.  

The exclamation point is used to display strong emotions. These can include happiness, sadness, anger, fear, or surprise. These emotional uses can be seen in the following examples:  

  • I can't wait to go on vacation next week! 
  • Watch out for that car! 
  • I can't believe you did that! 
  • I want you to apologize for your behavior!
An example of an exclamation mark (!) used in a sentence is:  
  • "Watch out!"  
  • The exclamation mark is used to show strong emotion, such as excitement, surprise, or warning. Want a few more examples with different tones?

Use of Dash (_)

Using punctuation marks accurately is the key to writing error-free and meaningful sentences. A dash is commonly used to do the following:  
  • It can sometimes be used in place of a comma, a colon, and a semicolon. 
  • It is used after an independent clause, most often, to conclude the thought. 
  • It is used in pairs instead of brackets to distinguish extra or unessential information from the rest of the sentence. 
  • It is used in dialogue writing to separate a comment from the rest of the dialogue. 
  • It is used before a series within a phrase. 
  • It is also used to indicate a range or a transport route. 
  • It is used between two country names or adjectives.

Example of Dash
Here are some sentence examples to show you how a dash can be used in a sentence.  
  • My work timings are from 8–5. 
  • The trek will be organised from May 12 to 15. 
  • We know one thing for sure — something unexpected is coming our way. 
  • Many children living in orphanages do not know what love feels like. 
  • People — both young and old — were advised to take vaccinations at the earliest. 
  • The mathematician—philosopher has won the Nobel Prize this year. 
  • A lot has changed since last year — probably for the better. 
  • The Chennai—Mumbai flight will leave at 10:00 a.m. 
  • Dinesh — the boy from Thanjavur — has arrived.

Use of Inverted Commas

There are some rules for using inverted commas in a sentence. Let us understand the rules one by one with examples.   

  • To write a direct quotation, use double quotation marks.  
  • “I hope you will come home on your vacation,” she said, is the correct sentence.  
  • Incorrect Sentence: She said that she “hoped you would be there.” (The quotation marks are not used correctly because this sentence is not in direct speech.   

Whenever you use a quotation mark at the beginning of a sentence or in a sentence, ALWAYS capitalize the first word.   

Example:  
  • My mother said to me, “Always work hard and you will definitely succeed.”  

Use commas before introducing or interrupting direct quotations.  

Example:   
  • Hari said, “I will leave.”  This rule is optional when you use one-word quotations.   
Example:  
  • Hari said, “Stop.”  

If the quotation comes before Hari said or a similar attribute, then end the quoted text with a comma.

Example: 
  • “I will leave,” Hari said.  
  • “Stop,” Hari said.  
If the quotation used in a sentence functions as a subject or object, then a comma may not be used.
   

Full Stops and commas are ALWAYS written inside the quotation marks.  

Example:  
  • The board said, “Walk.”  
  • The teacher shouted, “Hurry up.”   

When a question needs to be written within the quotes, the question mark should be placed inside the quotation marks.  

Example:  
  • Anjali asked, “Will you be my dance partner?”.   
  • The question ‘Will you be my dance partner?’ is part of the quotation.  
  • If a question within the quotes ends in a mid-sentence, then the question mark replaces a comma.

Quotation marks can be used as components like the title of a chapter in a book, the name of a song, or the heading of an essay or stories or poem.   
Example:   
  • “The Merchant of Venice” was written by Shakespeare.

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