1. Punctuation

2. Period, Question mark, and Exclamation Point
Use a period (full stop) to end declarative sentences and statements.
Use a question mark to end questions.
Use an exclamation point to end exclamatory sentences.

3. COMMA Use a comma to indicate a break or pause within a sentence.
Use a comma when listing three or more items in a series.
Use a comma to separate two or more adjectives describing a noun.
Use a comma to separate a larger geographical area from a smaller one located within it.
Use a comma to separate an introductory phrase from the rest of the sentence.
Use a comma to separate two independent clauses.
Use a comma when making a direct address.
Use a comma to separate a direct quotation from the sentence introducing it.

4. Examples:
The fruit basket contained apples, bananas, and oranges. (listing three or more items)
The big, red truck came our way. (separate two or more adjectives)
Oakland, California, is where I grew up. (separate a larger area from a smaller one)
On the back of my couch, my cat's claws have slowly been carving a large hole. (separate introductory phrase)
Ryan went to the beach yesterday, but he forgot his sunscreen. (separate two independent clauses)
Amber, could you come here for a moment? (direct address)

5. Colon: Semicolon: Use a colon to introduce a list.
Use a colon to introduce a new concept or example.
Use a colon to separate parts of a title.
Example:
The professor has given me three options: to retake the exam, to accept the extra credit assignment, or to fail the class.
There's only one person old enough to remember that wedding: grandma.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
Semicolon:
Use a semicolon to separate two related but independent clauses.
Use a semicolon to separate a complex series of items.
Example:
People continue to worry about the future; our failure to conserve resources has put the world at risk.
I went to the show with Jake, my close friend; his friend, Jane; and her best friend, Jenna.

6. Hyphens & Dashes Hyphen
1.Use a hyphen when adding a prefix to some words.
-Ex. Cara is his ex-girlfriend.
2. Use hyphens when creating compound words from several smaller words.
-Ex. The up-to-date newspaper reporters were quick to jump on the latest scandal.
3. Use a hyphen when writing numbers out as words.
-Ex. He lived to be one hundred twenty-one.
4. Use a hyphen to split a word between two lines.
-Ex. He just couldn't get the novel's elec- trifying surprise ending out of his head.
Dashes
1.Use a dash when making a brief interruption within a statement.
-Ex. This is the end of our sentence — or so we thought.

7. 1.Use the apostrophe together with the letter s to indicate possession.
-Ex. The hamster's water tube needs to be refilled.
2.Use the apostrophe to combine two words to make a contraction.
-Ex. Friends of hers explained that it's her idea, not theirs, to refill the hamster's water tube and change its bedding.
3.Use a single quotation mark within a regular quotation to indicate a quotation within a quotation.
-Ex. Ali said, "Anna told me, 'I wasn't sure if you wanted to come!'"
Important: Don't use an apostrophe with an s to make a singular noun into a plural noun.
-Ex. apple → apple's

8. Parentheses, Brackets, and Braces
1.Use parentheses to clarify.
-Ex. Steve Case (AOL's former CEO) resigned last night.
2.Use parentheses to denote an afterthought.
-Ex. You will need a flashlight for the camping trip (don't forget the batteries!).
3.Use parentheses for personal comments.
-Ex. Most grammarians believe that parentheses and commas are always interchangeable (I disagree).
Brackets:
1.Use brackets to signify an editor's note in a regular piece of writing.
-Ex. "'[The blast] was absolutely devastating!' said Susan Smith.
Braces:
1.Use braces to denote a numeric set in mathematics.
-Ex. { 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 }

9. Quotation marks & Ellipsis
1.Use the double quotation mark ( " ) to enclose a direct quotation derived from either a spoken or written source.
-Ex. "I can't wait to see him perform!" John exclaimed.
Ellipsis:
1.indicates that part of the text has been intentionally been left out.
-Ex. 0, 2, 4, ... , 100

10. http://faculty. southwest. tn