Punctuation 

Basic Rules of Punctuation

The Period

Use a period to end a statement, mild command, or indirect question and after most abbreviations.

Example: i) He arrived on time. (statement)

ii) Sit up straight. (mild command)

iii)Students sometimes wonder whether their teachers read the papers they write. (indirect question)

iv) Mr. Mrs. lb. a.m. p.m. etc. (abbreviations)

The Question Mark

Use a question mark after a direct question.

Example: i) Who is going on the trip?

The Exclamation Point

Use an exclamation point after an emphatic statement, command, or interjection.

Example: i)We must not lose this election! (emphatic statement)

ii)Stop that right now! (command)

iii) Hey! Ouch! (interjections)

The Comma

a) Use the comma to separate items in a series.

Example: We bought eggs, cheese, and milk at the store.

b) Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (but, or, yet, for, and, nor, so) 

c) joining two independent clauses.

Example: I didn’t have a good time on my vacation, so I intend to go to a different place next year.

d) Use a comma after every item in an address or date (if there is more than one item).

Example: a)  My address is 511 Sand Lane, St. Joseph, Missouri.

b),I’m going to a conference on Monday, Jan 15, 2024.

e) Use a comma to set off most introductory elements.

Example: Fortunately, he said he would go.

Susan, are you going to the store?

Yes, I am going after dinner.

When I arrived, they were eating dinner.

f)Use a comma to set off nonrestrictive elements.

Example: For camp the children needed clothes that were 

washable. (restrictive)

For camp the children needed sturdy shoes, which 

were expensive. (nonrestrictive)

g)Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives (if they can be 

connected with "and").

Example: Robert is a warm, gentle, affectionate father.

h) Use a comma to set off transitional and parenthetical expressions, 

absolute phrases, and contrasted elements.

Example: Mike did not understand the assignment; therefore, 

he didn’t complete it. (transitional)

Evolution, as far as we know, does not work this 

way. (parenthetical)

His tennis game at last perfected, Chris won the 

cup. (absolute)

Celia, unlike Robert, had no loathing for dance 

contests. (contrasted)

i) Use a comma before the text of a quotation.

Example: The teacher said, “Return to your seats.”

j) Use a comma after the salutation of a friendly letter.

Example: Dear Mom,

The Semicolon

Use a semicolon to separate independent clauses in a sentence and to 

separate items in a series when commas are used as well.

Example: Injustice is relatively easy to bear; what stings is 

justice (Mencken).

The only sensible ends of literature are first, the 

pleasurable toil of writing; second, the gratification 

of one’s family and friends; and lastly, the solid 

cash (Hawthorne).

The Colon

Use a colon to call attention to the words that follow it.

Example: The routine includes the following: twenty knee 

bends, fifty leg lifts, and five minutes of running in 

place. (list)

My roommate is guilty of two of the seven deadly 

sins: gluttony and sloth. (appositive)

Center for Academic Support

Consider the words of John F. Kennedy: “Ask not 

what your country can do for you; ask what you can 

do for your country.” (quotation)

The Apostrophe

Use the apostrophe to indicate possession, to mark contractions, and to 

pluralize letters or numbers.

Example: boy’s hat; ladies’ hats; men’s coats (possession)

aren’t, won’t, can’t, didn’t (contractions)

There are four s’s in Mississippi. (plural letters)

The Quotation Mark

Use quotation marks to enclose direct quotes and around titles of short

works.

Example: The poem “Mother to Son” is by Langston Hughes.

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little 

minds,” wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson.