Grammar2Easy

The Use of Punctuation Marks

1- The Comma (,) 2- The Full Stop (.) 3- The Colon (:)

4- The Exclamation Mark (!) 5- The Question Mark (?). 6- Quotation Marks (" ").

1- The Use of Commas(,).

a) To separate items
I bought two shirts, a pair of shoes, half a dozen handkerchiefs and a beautiful tie.

b) To separate clauses or phrases from the rest of the sentence:

Our headmaster, Mr.Ahmed, is absent today.

Although he was poor, he was happy.

c) Before the quotations:

I said to Ali, "Where did you live?"

d) In letters after salutation:

Dear Mr. Smith, Dear uncle.

2- The use of Full Stop(.):

a) At the end of a statement

I found my lost book.

b) After abbreviations, the first letters in names:

A.R.E. - U.S.A. - A.H. Salem - M.A. El Sadat.

3- The colon (:):

It is used before the quotation or before a list

The tourist exclaimed: "What a great Pyramid".

I telephoned the grocer and order the following:

a packet of tea, half a pound of butter and two kilos of sugar.

4- The question mark (?):

It is used after a question.

1- Where do you live?

2- Have you seen the new film?

5- The exclamation Mark (!)

It is used to express a strong feeling:

Hurrah! Our team has won (feeling of joy).

Alas! The poor child is homeless (strong feeling of sorrow).

My dear! I am delighted to see you (strong feeling of joy).

6- The Quotation Marks (" ")

a) To enclose direct quotations.

I said to my friend, "What is the time now?"

b) To enclose titles of books, plays, newspapers and magazines.

"Al Akhbar" is published in Cairo.

"Al Mossawar" is an illustrated weekly.

Have you read "Hamelt"?