Punctuation Marks
| Punctuation Mark | Symbol | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| apostrophe | ' | An apostrophe is used as a substitute for a missing letter or letters in a word (as in the contraction cannot = can't), to show the possessive case (Jane's room), and in the plural of letters, some numbers and abbreviations. Note: groups of years no longer require an apostrophe (for example, the 1950s or the 90s). | I can't see the cat's tail. Dot your i's and cross your t's. 100's of years. |
| colon | : | A colon is used before a list or quote. A colon is used to separate hours and minutes. A colon is used to separate elements of a mathematical ratio. | There are many punctuation marks: period, comma, colon, and others. The time is 2:15. The ratio of girls to boys is 3:2. |
| comma | , | A comma is used to separate phrases or items in a list. | She bought milk, eggs, and bread. |
| dash | — | A dash is used to separate parts of a sentence. | The dash is also known as an "em dash" because it is the length of a printed letter m — it is longer than a hyphen. |
| ellipsis | ... | An ellipsis (three dots) indicates that part of the text has been intentionally been left out. | 0, 2, 4, ... , 100 |
| exclamation point | ! | An exclamation point is used to show excitement or emphasis. | It is cold! |
| hyphen | - | A hyphen is used between parts of a compound word or name. It is also used to split a word by syllables to fit on a line of text. | The sixteen-year-old girl is a full-time student. |
| parentheses | ( ) | Parentheses are curved lines used to separate explanations or qualifying statements within a sentence (each one of the curved lines is called a parenthesis). The part in the parentheses is called a parenthetical remark. | This sentence (like others on this page) contains a parenthetical remark. |
| period | . | A period is used to note the end of a declarative sentence. | I see the house. |
| question mark | ? | A question mark is used at the end of a question. | When are we going? |
| quotation mark | " | Quotation marks are used at the beginning and end of a phrase to show that it is being written exactly as it was originally said or written. | She said, "Let's eat." |
| semicolon | ; | A semicolon separates two independent clauses in a compound sentence. A semicolon is also used to separate items in a series (where commas are already in use). | Class was canceled today; Mr. Smith was home sick. Relatives at the reunion included my older brother, Bob; my cousin, Art; and my great-aunt, Mattie. |