Short Story

PUNCTUATION MARKS AND ITS FUNCTION

1) Period [.] The period is the most basic punctuation mark. Its function is to separate one sentence from another. It should be used at the end of a complete sentence.

a) Paris is the capital of France.

b) He was born in Hungary, but now he lives in England.

2) Comma [,] The comma is usually used to separate words, phrases, or part sentences.

a) Mary bought a t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a handbag.

b) He came home, changed his clothes, and went out with his friends.

3) Colon [:] The function of the colon is to expand a sentence and make it more elaborate.

a) There are many different types of fruits in the basket: apples, pears, bananas, oranges, melons, and others.

b) One thing is for sure: he is not going to concede defeat.

4) Semi-Colon [;] The semi-colon is used to combine two closely related sentences into one sentence when a period or a connecting word with a comma seems inappropriate.

a) I took the children to the zoo today; they haven’t been there before.

b) This is the final test; every other requirement has been met.

5) Apostrophe [‘] The apostrophe is usually used with an “s” to denote possession. When a noun does not end with the letter “s”, the apostrophe has to be followed by an “s” (‘s). For plural nouns or names that end with “s”, only the apostrophe has to be added.

a) George’s book

b) children’s toys

6) Question Mark [?] A question mark is used at the end of a sentence to indicate that a question is being asked.

a) Are you leaving now?

b) How are you going to solve the problem?

7) Exclamation Mark [!] An exclamation mark is used to make a sentence more emphatic. It can indicate warning, excitement, astonishment, or disgust.

a) Look out!

b) Oh, my God!

8) Dash [-] A dash is used to denote a pause or a change of thought in a sentence.

a) The performance was impressive – a really great show.

b) The necessary preparations – the food, costumes, and decoration – are all made....