At a glance
| Mark | Name | Main use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| . | full stop | the end of a sentence | I like tea. |
| , | comma | a short pause, a list | eggs, milk and bread |
| ? | question mark | a question | Where are you? |
| ! | exclamation mark | strong feeling | What a surprise! |
| ' | apostrophe | owner, short forms | Tom's bag, don't |
| " " | quotation marks | someone's exact words | She said, "Hi." |
| : | colon | a list or an explanation comes next | Bring three things: a pen, a book and water. |
| ; | semicolon | joins two close sentences | It was late; we went home. |
| - | hyphen | joins words | a well-known writer |
| – | dash | a strong pause | He was there – I saw him. |
| ( ) | brackets | extra information | Dhaka (the capital) is big. |
| / | slash | or; dates | he/she, 25/12/2025 |
- Start
- Is it a list of three or more things?YesCommas between the itemsapples, oranges and bananas
- Does the sentence start with However, When…, If…, After…?YesA comma after that partWhen I got home, I ate.
- Are you joining two sentences with and, but or so?YesA comma before the joining wordIt was late, so we left.
- Is it extra information in the middle?YesCommas on both sidesMy uncle, a pilot, lives in Dubai.
- Are you calling someone by name?YesA comma after or before the nameTom, come here.
- Usually no commaI think that you are right.
End marks
The cat is sleeping.
Is the cat sleeping?
What a big cat!
The apostrophe
Sara's bag (owner)
I don't know. (do not)
Quotation marks
She said, "I'm tired."
- Put a comma before the opening quotation mark. Start the quoted words with a capital letter. Put the full stop or question mark inside the quotation marks.
Colon and semicolon
Bring three things: a pen, a ruler and a notebook.
It was raining; the match was cancelled.
Hyphen and dash
a ten-year-old boy (hyphen: no spaces)
I ran – and I mean ran – to the station. (dash: often with spaces)
Practice
Answer the questions. Get 7 out of 10 to finish this lesson.