Mastering Punctuation: Definition, Types, and Basic Usage

by

Punctuation blog post image

When communicating verbally, you pause, emphasize, or vary your intonation depending on whether you’re declaring, explaining, questioning, or exclaiming. Written communication can’t do that. 

That’s why we all use punctuation. It makes the meaning of your sentences clear to another person. 

What is Punctuation?

Punctuation is a system of symbols that separate written text into units and indicate how it should be read and understood. It comes from the Latin word punctuare, meaning “to make a point.”

These symbols are called punctuation marks, with each mark affecting the meaning of your words. Incorrect use of these symbols can drastically change a text’s meaning, leading to miscommunication.

While many punctuation marks are common to most languages, some are unique to specific languages, or the same punctuation mark may be used differently in different languages. This article, however, will only focus on English punctuation.

Terminal Punctuation

Terminal or end punctuation is used to end a sentence. There are only three types:

Full Stop or Period

The period (.) is by far the most popular punctuation mark, simply because you state things more than you ask questions or exclaim. It is also used to denote an abbreviation. 

  • I am a man.
  • She has an appointment with Dr. Rodriguez.
  • The letter was signed, S. Holmes.

Question Mark

The question mark (?) is used to express a direct question. Most questions typically start with who, what, when, where, why, and how.

  • Did the dog dig under the fence?
  • Where was she going?
  • How can I help with your project?

Exclamation Mark

An exclamation mark (!) is used to express an intense emotion. This emotion can be a variety of things such as joy, disgust, and fury depending on context. It is also used to add emphasis to a sentence.

  • Oh my gosh!
  • That man’s attitude is so infuriating!
  • Look! A clue!

Internal Punctuation

Internal punctuation is any punctuation used within a sentence.

Comma

A comma (,) is used to insert a pause in a sentence. That pause can be for different reasons such as to list items, join or separate clauses, for dates, and to directly address someone.

  • Can you buy some milk, eggs, brown sugar, and yeast?
  • She went to the gym, and then got herself lunch.
  • It is December 9, 2027.
  • Thanks for the cookies, Dianne.

It’s one of the most misused punctuation marks. Many unintentionally create comma splices where two independent clauses are joined together without a conjunction. The Oxford comma, where a comma is added before the last item on a list, is also often debated in academics. 

Colon

A colon (:) is used for many reasons: to introduce an item, a series of items, indicate speech, give further explanation or emphasize, and tell the time.

  • There’s only one ingredient left to find: gold.
  • He only took four things with him: a lighter, some snacks, a bottle of water, and a knife.
  • She screamed during the game: “Don’t let them score!”
  • I hate cilantro: it tastes like soap.
  • It is 5:54 in the morning.

Semicolon

A semicolon (;) is used to link two independent clauses with related ideas or have a close relationship with one another. 

  • I won’t be here this weekend; I have a date.
  • I was going to sleep early tonight; however, I ended up playing video games until 2 in the morning.

It’s also used to separate items from a list if each item uses a comma.

  • She’s going to visit the offices in Miami, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland, and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Dashes

There are three types of dashes: the en dash, em dash, and hyphen. The En dash (–) indicates a range or connection between ideas.

  • World War 2 lasted from 1939-1945.
  • They voted 11-9 in favor of shutting down the warehouse.

The Em dash is used to draw attention to a particular piece of information. It can replace commas, colons, or parentheses.

  • The jury was clear—guilty!
  • Mr. Jones—who I’ve known since I was a kid—recently moved away.

The hyphen (-) is shorter than the En dash. It is used to join two or more words together.

  • Mother-in-law
  • Ex-convict

Brackets

Brackets are used to isolate a segment of text from a sentence. There are different kinds of brackets, with the parenthesis being the most commonly used.

A parenthesis (()) or round bracket is used to provide additional information to a sentence. 

  • She had to borrow money (about $2000) because of the sudden emergency.
  • My mom’s friends (Lizzie, Joan, and Nicole) surprised her with a trip to Europe.

A square bracket ([]) is used to clarify information or mark omissions and alterations.

  • She [Mrs. Dilon] gave us permission to pick her mango tree’s fruits.

When used with the Latin adverb sic, it indicates that a quote or passage is transcribed or translated as it is in the original, especially if the original has incorrect grammar or spelling. 

  • The man were [sic] speaking to his daughters.

A curly bracket ({}) or braces is more commonly used in science or mathematics.  It is, however, sometimes used to avoid confusion when using multiple sets of brackets in a sentence.

  • The new policy (will be implemented next month {pending approval by the board})

Apostrophe

An apostrophe (‘) is used to create contractions, show the possessive case, or pluralize lowercase letters.

  • He’s experiencing vertigo and it’s making him queasy.
  • Jonathan’s car was totaled in the accident.
  • Don’t forget to dot your i’s and cross your t’s.

Ellipsis

An ellipsis (…) is used to indicate the omission of words. You can use it to skip obvious words or to shorten a lengthy quote by skipping unnecessary ones.

  • She began counting “one, two, three…” until she reached the top of the stairs.
  • “A robot may not injure a human being…” is part of Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics.

Quotations Marks  

Quotation marks or inverted commas are a pair of symbols that separate the beginning and end of a particular passage of text. There are two types.

A double quotation mark (“”) indicates text quoted verbatim from a source, speech, titles, and nicknames. 

A single quotation mark (‘’) is used when adding a quote within a quote or quotes, titles that reference other works, and when adding quotes or titles to headlines.

  • The man told me: “You know, I’ve always believed in what Walt Disney said: ‘The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.’”
  • “A Feminist’s Review of James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ and Its Themes”
  • ‘Never Again’ says war survivor

Spaces

A space is also part of punctuation though it doesn’t use any symbol. It separates words, sentences, symbols, paragraphs, and other written units. It makes reading easier, removes ambiguity, and guides you from line to line.

Imagine needing to decipher a sentence that goes like this: Reliefisnowhereinsight. It’s confusing. You also have to figure out if it’s “now here” or “nowhere” and “in sight” or “insight”. Spaces just make reading easier for everyone. 

Importance of Punctuation

Take a look at this often-shared anecdote:

 An English professor asked his students to punctuate the following sentence:  

     “A woman without her man is nothing.”

     All of the males in the class wrote: 

     “A woman, without her man, is nothing.”

     All of the females in the class wrote:

     “A woman: without her, man is nothing.”

The simple addition, subtraction, or moving around of punctuation marks can drastically change a text’s meaning. By mastering punctuation, you can convey your ideas more clearly while also creating subtle layers of communication. 

Rules of Punctuation

Punctuation rules are more like guidelines that people generally follow. They work differently for certain languages, vary across different forms of a single language, contrast between style guides, and even change from one user to another.

Just look at how different American English (AmE) and British English (BrE) punctuation can be. Some differences are:

  • In AmE, titles are punctuated with a period (Mr., Dr., Hon.). In BrE, no periods are used.
  • In Ame, time is punctuated with a colon (12:00) while Bre uses a period (12.00).
  • AmE uses double quotation marks first and then single quotation marks within the initial quotation (John said: “I like his tagline ‘…’”). BrE does it the other way around (John said: ‘I like his tagline “…”’).
  • AmE also places periods and commas outside the quotation marks (“…”, said John). BrE places it inside (“…,” said John).
  • Em dashes are typically unspaced in AmE while spaced Em dashes are more typical to BrE.

There are dozens of differences in many English usages, often mostly due to preference. If you have doubts about which to follow, the rule of thumb is to consult the style guide you’re using. 

What tips do you have about punctuation? Share them in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like: