Punctuation Marks

Definition: A punctuation mark is

defined as “a sign or mark used in
writing to divide sentences and
phrases” letter..word…
phrase..clause…sentence
g… group.. A group of boys….. I lost a
pen which I bought yesterday…. I lost
a pen which I bought yesterday
 1. FULL STOP OR PERIOD
• Full stop / period .
• A full stop is also called a period in American
English.
• Use a full stop at the end of a full sentence.
• Don’t put a space before the full stop; put one
after.
• Winters are very cold there. Temperature can
reach -40 degrees.
 Use of full stops in abbreviations
• Abbreviation: Abbreviations a shortened form of
a word or phrase
• Full stops are also used in some abbreviations—
when you make words shorter.
• Some abbreviations never have full stops, like
‘BBC’, ‘CIA’ or ‘UN’.

 BBC British Broadcasting Corporation.

 UN United Nations
 CIA Central Intelligence Agency
• Some abbreviations always use full stops, like
‘e.g.’, ‘i.e.’ or ‘etc.’
• e.g. an abbreviation for the Latin phrase exempli
gratia, which means "for example
• Global warming has many disadvantages, e.g.
floods and irregular rainfalls.
• i.e. The abbreviation “i.e.” stands for id est, which
is Latin for “that is.”
• etc. “Etc.” is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase
“et cetera.” In Latin, “et” means “and.” The word
“cetera” means “the rest.” It's pronounced “et SET
uh ruh.”
• 3. Some abbreviations are sometimes written with full stops, and sometimes
without.
• For example, mister, doctor, or AM and PM for talking about the time.
• Titles, like ‘mister’, ‘Mrs’ or ‘doctor’, are generally written without a full stop in
British English, and with one in American English.
• e.g., "Mr Smith," "Mrs Davies," "Dr Jones". ( British English without full stops)
• e.g., "Mr. Smith," "Mrs. Davies," "Dr. Jones"( American English, WITH FULL
STOPS)
• In British English, it’s more common to write AM and PM in lower-case letters
with full stops.
• In American English, it’s more common to use capital letters and no full stops.
• a.m. british
• p.m. BRITISH
• AM american
• PM AMERICAN
• am stands for the Latin ante meridiem, translating to "before midday". This is
the time before noon. pm stands for post meridiem or "after midday" – the
time after noon.
 2. Comma
• Commas have three main jobs.
• First, use a comma to separate items in a list, like this:
 ‘Their house has two bedrooms, a large living room, two
bathrooms and a terrace.’ After each item in your list, put a
comma.
• Use the word ‘and’ between the last two items on your list:
 ‘To make this, you’ll need eggs, flour and sugar.’
 To make this, you’ll need eggs, flour, and sugar.’ You can choose
to put a comma before ‘and’ or not. Both styles are possible!
• You also need a comma with certain conjunctions, particularly
‘and’, ‘but’, ‘so’ and ‘or’.
For example:
 ‘You can ask her, but I don’t think she’ll agree.’
 ‘I won’t be there till ten, so don’t wait for me.’
• Use a comma—or often two commas, in a pair—to add
non-essential information to your sentence.
• ‘non-essential’ information means that information which
you can remove , and the sentence would still make sense
and have the same basic meaning.
• This is common when you use an disjunct adverb(express
the speaker’s attitude, opinion, or judgment about what is
being said.) or linking phrase (that links the speaker’s
perspective to the information that follows) at the start of
a sentence.
 ‘Apparently, he’s been suffering from depression for
several years.’
• It’s also common when you add extra
information in the middle of a sentence, like
this:
“The Amazon River, which flows through South
America, is the second longest river in the
world.”
• The commas set off the extra (non-essential)
information “which flows through South
America.”
• Oxbridge school, which is situated in the centre
of the city, has the most top scoring students.
 3. Colon (:)
1. Colons have one main job: they introduce examples,
explanations or details.
2. A colon replaces “because”
 He was feeling down last week: he had failed his exam and
lost his job
3. general idea: what these problems are.
 ‘Rapid urbanization has led to multiple problems: congestion,
air pollution and a shortage of affordable housing for families.’
 ‘I can promise you one thing: you won’t regret your decision.’
 ‘He left all of his money to his best friend in the whole world:
his cat.’
• Colon is used to introduce an item, list and
quotation
1. Introducing an item
She had one goal: success.
2. Introducing a list
You will need the following ingredients: flour,
sugar, butter, and eggs.
3. Introducing a quotation
The teacher reminded us of a famous line:
“Knowledge is power.”
 4. Semi colon (;)
• ; replaces “and” or a “full stop”
• Very similar to a full stop. They are used at the end of a full sentence
What is the difference between semi colon and full
stop?
• Using semi colon shows that your ideas before and after the semi colon
are connected, as you know with a full stop the ideas stand separately.
The semicolon emphasizes that the ideas are connected.
 The population of Shanghai is around 24 million; Beijing has around 22
million people.
 He is so stubborn; it is impossible to convince him to change his mind.
• Him and his stubborn character are the two ideas talked about in this
sentence
• When you are using semicolon you do not need to use the conjunctions
 I wanted to go to the park; it started raining.
• Sometimes when you are using semicolon you need to use linking words.
• Linking words can be conjunctive adverbs or transitional phrases.
• Conjunctive adverb: These are words that connect two complete sentences
(independent clauses) and show a relationship between them, and typically require
a semicolon before them and a comma after.
• Clause/sentence 1 ; conjunctive adverb, clause /sentence 2
• Examples of conjunctive adverbs
• However (contrast)
– I understand you; however, I do not agree with you.
• Therefore (cause and effect)
– She forgot her umbrella; therefore, she got wet.
• Moreover (addition)
– He is very talented; moreover, he is humble.
• Nevertheless (concession/ compromise/ adjustment)
– The task was difficult; nevertheless, he completed it on time.
• Furthermore (addition)
– The experiment was a success; furthermore, it yielded unexpected results.
• Consequently (result)
– The roads were icy; consequently, the school was closed.
• Transitional Phrases: These are groups of words
(phrases) that link sentences or ideas and show
relationships like examples, contrasts, or explanations.
Examples include for example, in fact, on the other
hand, and as a result.
• In fact
– He enjoys cooking; in fact, he dreams of becoming a chef.
• For example
– He enjoys outdoor activities; for example, he loves hiking
and camping.
• On the other hand
– She loves the city; on the other hand, she misses the peace
of the countryside.
• “On our trip we saw Paris, France; London, England; and Rome,
Italy.”
🔹 Rule of the Comma: Normally, when listing cities and countries,
you separate the city from the country with a comma.
• Example: Paris, France
• So each pair (city + country) needs a comma between them.

🔹 Rule of the Semicolon : When you list multiple items, and each
item already contains a comma, you must separate those items
with a semicolon ( ; ) instead of another comma.
• This prevents confusion and makes the sentence easier to read.
• So instead of: ❌ Paris, France, London, England, and Rome, Italy
(confusing!)
• You write: ✅ Paris, France; London, England; and Rome, Italy.
🔹 Where does the colon come in? You would
use a colon ( : ) only if you introduced the list
like this:
• On our trip we saw the following cities: Paris,
France; London, England; and Rome, Italy.
• Here the colon introduces the list, and then
the same semicolon rule applies inside the list.