1. Strategies for Writers Grade 7 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Punctuation Marks Punctuation is very important in writing. Missing or incorrect punctuation marks can make your writing confusing for the reader. Let’s look at out how to use punctuation to improve your writing.

2. Strategies for Writers Grade 7 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Punctuation Marks Use a period at the end of a declarative sentence. Use a period at the end of an imperative sentence. Maria planted a tree in the backyard. Give me the newspaper.

3. Strategies for Writers Grade 7 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Punctuation Marks Use a question mark at the end of an interrogative sentence. Use an exclamation point at the end of an exclamatory sentence. What are you doing? I’ve got it!

4. Strategies for Writers Grade 7 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Punctuation Marks Use a comma to separate the items in a series. Use a comma to separate an introductory word from the rest of the sentence. We saw dolphins, manatees, and sea horses at the aquarium. No, I didn’t pick up milk at the grocery store.

5. Strategies for Writers Grade 7 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Punctuation Marks Use a comma to separate independent clauses in a compound sentence. Use a comma to separate a noun of direct address from the rest of a sentence. I stayed at camp, but my brother left early. Fran, did you finish writing your research report?

6. Strategies for Writers Grade 7 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Punctuation Marks Add an apostrophe (’) and s to form the possessive of a singular noun. Ricardo’s bicycle lay in the grass. Add an apostrophe to plural nouns that end in s. Paul washed the painters’ brushes in the basement sink. Add an apostrophe and s to plural nouns that do not end in s. I picked up the children’s toys off the floor.

7. Strategies for Writers Grade 7 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Punctuation Marks Use apostrophes in contractions, or two words that have been shortened and combined. can’t won’t didn’t let’s would’ve

8. Strategies for Writers Grade 7 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Punctuation Marks Use quotation marks around the beginning and end of a direct quotation. Use a comma to separate the speaker’s exact words from the rest of the sentence. Roberta said, “Let’s go to the park.” “There’s a concert playing tonight,” Chuck said. “Wait,” Ilona said, “let me go home and change first.”

9. Strategies for Writers Grade 7 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Punctuation Marks Use a colon after an independent clause that introduces an explanation, an example, or a series. Use a semicolon instead of a comma and conjunction to separate the independent clauses in a compound sentence. Tim likes two kinds of dogs: cocker spaniels and poodles. We waved goodbye to José; he would be away for a long time.

10. Strategies for Writers Grade 7 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Punctuation Marks Use a hyphen to link the parts of some compound words. Use a hyphen to link word pairs that precede a noun and act as an adjective. no-man’s landdaughter-in-law best-known attractionlow-budget movie

11. Strategies for Writers Grade 7 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.