Using Punctuation Marks

The punctuation marks are spellings or orthographic signs that help us to score a text at different moments of the speech and improve their reading and comprehension. To give structure a text and indicate certain sense relationships between statements or sentences; They also serve us for highlight some part of the text, either a word or set of words, that have some special function or use. These orthographic signs are:

• Comma (,)
• Point (.)
• Semicolon (;)
• The two points (:)
• Suspensives points (…)
• The question marks (?)
• The exclamation marks (!)
• The quotation marks (" ")
• The brackets ([])
• The parentheses: ()
• The long dash or dash (-)

Punctuation marks are very important and indispensable; to know how they are used, we have to know the spelling rules of their writing.

Here is a list of examples of use of punctuation marks.

Use of punctuation marks

1. Use of the comma (,)

This punctuation mark virtually represents a short pause in speech. This pause can have different uses or meanings, such as the following:

1. The comma is used for separate the containing elements to an enum: "They gave the children hard candies, chocolates, bonbons, lollipops, gum and much more"
2. The comma is used for separate the word or words that work like vocative (vocative comma): "Son, come help me!"; "My friend, I would like to tell you something important"
3. The comma is used for separate an explanatory sentence or phrase: “My brothers, older than me, used to always include me in their sports games and that's how I liked sports "
4. The comma is used after interjections: “Oh, what a backache! ”; "Oh, how interesting what you tell me!"
5. The comma is used to separate the conjunctions except except Y less from the main sentence (written before the conjunction): "They all came, except for Rogelio because he had a job ”; "I like all fruit, except apple"; "Most of us passed the course, except for two students"
6. The comma is used for separate phrases and certain links from the rest of the sentence: "We will strive, yet we know that failure is possible"; “They are innocent and they were prosecuted; that is to say, an injustice was committed ".
7. The comma is used for elide a verb that was already mentioned (elliptical comma): “Yesterday I had a salad with chicken; today, meat with vegetables and white rice ”.

2. Using the period (.)

This punctuation mark virtually represents a long pause in speech. Among the uses of the point we can highlight the following:

1. The point is used when end of an abbreviation. For example: , lic., doc., mtro., mr., ms.
2. The point and followed used to indicate the end of a sentence to separate it from another.
3. The new paragraph used to indicate the term of the final sentence of a paragraph, which will be followed by another paragraph.
4. The final point used to indicate the end of a text.

3. Use of semicolon (;)

This punctuation mark virtually represents a mean pause in speech. In general, this sign is used to establish meaningful relationships. Among the uses of the point we can highlight the following:

1. The semicolon is used to separate two sentences with a sense relationship within a paragraph: "These animals only hunt at night; during the day they usually sleep ”.
2. The semicolon is used to separate long enums, either made up of long sentences or even more enumerations: “Pedro, Angélica and Gustavo will be in charge of editing the images; Luis and Ramona, to edit the videos; Antonio, Paula and Roger, to investigate and place all the text and information ”.
3. Semicolon used before certain phrases, such as adversarial, explanatory, concessive or consecutive: "The manuscript that the author submitted to various publishers was quite good; however, he received only negatives ”; “The following Monday is a national holiday; therefore, classes will be canceled ”; “There are quite a few problems between them; although, both have the idea of ​​talking to fix things ”;

4. Using the colon (:)

The main function of this orthographic sign is to connect sentences or syntactic elements to establish certain relationships of meaning, in different ways. The uses of a colon include the following:

1. The two points are used to connect two sentences that have a close semantic relationship, for example, cause-consequence, from Explanation, from conclusion, etc.: "The house has a black legend: murders took place here a decade ago ”; "The food was ready - we were all eager to try it."
2. A colon is used after a search sentence enter a quote: The author affirms something very true: "capitalism is the evil of our time"
3. A colon is used after a sentence that is used to enter an enum that explains said sentence. For example: "We buy all the drinks for the party: beers, prepared drinks, juices, mineral water, soft drinks... "
4. The colon is used after a greeting or courtesy. For example: To whom it may concern:, Dear customers:, Dear executives:

5. Use of ellipsis (…)

This spelling sign is generally used to establish an interruption or pause in speech, with different purposes:

1. The colon is used to pause for doubt, hesitation, or intrigue about what is being said. For example: “I didn't know what to do… I felt like everything was lost for me at that moment.”; "We got closer and we couldn't believe what we saw with our eyes ..."
2. The colon is used to mark a suspension in some incomplete enumeration. For example: "There was everything: doctors, lawyers, veterinarians, philosophers, actors, musicians… ”; "Every day I eat a lot of fruit: apple, mango, pear, strawberry, melon, guava ..."
3. The colon is used to omit something that is already known, for example, the end of a popular saying or saying. For example: "And as I told you yesterday… ”; "Shrimp that falls asleep ..."
4. The colon is used to suggest some rude word: Son of the!!! Take me the!!! "It's a ..."

6. Use of question marks (?)

Question marks have only one function: are used to mark or express an interrogative meaning in sentences; therefore, these signs work to create interrogative sentences. After the final question mark, the next sentence must begin with a capital letter, unless a comma is placed first. Let's see examples:

• How did you manage to work things out with your partner? It seemed all over.
• What time was the doctor's appointment?
• Who is your favorite Hispanic American writer?
• Do you remember the conversation we had about it just a few weeks ago?

7. Use of exclamation marks (!)

The exclamation marks, as the name says, are used to indicate an expressive sense in sentences; with these signs admiring sentences are formed, sentences with which feelings or emotions are expressed. Let's see examples:

• What good food! My congratulations to whoever prepared it.
• I have no idea what you're talking about!
• You are so angry that you do not listen to reasons!
• Wait for me! I'm almost there!
• Hears!
• What a wonderful movie!
• How sad is this situation!

8. Use of quotation marks ("")

Among the uses of this spelling sign are the following:

1. The colon is used to mark the beginning and end of a verbatim quote. For example: The first sentence of the novel Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo is: "I came to Comala because they told me that my father lived here, a certain Pedro Páramo."
2. The colon is used to enclose the title of the chapter or part of a larger publication: I read the story "The night face up" by Julio Cortázar.

9. Using square brackets ([])

The brackets have a use similar to that of parentheses; in general, they serve to enclose some clarification or element What is it alien to speech. Among its particular uses are the following:

1. Square brackets are used to introduce a clarification within which there will be some parentheses as well. For example: This text is by a well-known author [Alfonso Reyes (1889 - 1959)]
2. When using the brackets with three ellipsis between the brackets […] I know marks that some part of the text of a verbatim quote has been omitted. For example: "The situation at that time becomes critical and extraordinary measures are required [...]"

10. Use of parentheses: ()

This spelling sign is used to enclose some clarification or limitation of some kind; it can have any of the following uses:

1. Parentheses are used to enter clarifying data, such as dates or places, or to introduce clarifying phrases or sentences. For example: Diego Rivera (1886 - 1957) was a renowned Mexican muralist; Those who came with him (identical in bearing) also threatened to attack; Upon his death (last year), his property and his business became the property of his three sons.
2. As with square brackets, they are used parentheses with three ellipsis (…) to indicate that some part of the text has been deleted within a quote: "The humor and comedy of this work lie in a sense of tragedy and absurdity [...]"
3. In plays or movie scripts, parentheses are used to introduce annotations in the dialogues of the characters: ROBERTO (angry). I want everyone to get out of my sight and not come back to this house!

11. Using the long dash or dash (-)

The dash or long dash sign can have one of the following uses:

1. The long dash or dash is used to mark the interventions of the dialoguesof the characters or the narrator in a narrative text: - What are you doing here? "I have something important to confess to you." Well... Speak quickly... Before I regret listening to you.
2. The long dash or dash is used to introduce an explanatory sentence that can be omitted from the text; it is normally about comments of the authors on what they are saying. For example: In that year things were difficult — at least for me they were — but people insisted on pretending that nothing was happening.

It may interest you:

• Sentences with punctuation marks.