PUNCTUATION End Marks -- Period -- Exclamation Point -- Question Mark

The Period The end of a sentence. Barney went into the navy.

Some Period Rules #1 If a sentence ends with an abbreviation, do not add another period. Margot is from the U.S.A. Lionel works for the C.I.A.

Some Period Rules #2 If the sentence ends in a title of something and that title ends in a question mark or an exclamation point, do not add a period. Liza gained twenty pounds to play the leading role in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Question Mark Used when the sentence is a question Used to show skepticism or surprise. Do you have any deodorant? (Question) You don’t have any deodorant? (Surprise) You came here without deodorant? (Skepicism)

Question Mark Rules #1 Introducing a question within a longer sentence, being the sentence with a capital letter, use a comma and end with a Question Mark. The question was, “How long should she wait for her luggage?” Tina cried, “What next?”

Question Mark Rules #2 If a sentence continues to go on after a question, do not use a comma after the question mark. “What will I do without my hair dryer?” she asked. “Are you kidding me?” he cried.

Exclamation Point Used for emphasis – when you are saying something really important. Most abused punctuation mark Shows weakness in the writer ▫Says you are not confident that what you are saying is important and you need a ! to prove it is important ▫Says that you do not know a startling idea when you see one and you need a ! to prove it. Only use in quoted dialogue

Exclamation Point Rule #1 When you have an exclamation point that comes before the rest of the sentence do not use a comma after the exclamation point. “Holy cow!” said Phil. “Watch out!” screamed Rudy.