Example of Punctuation Marks in English

Punctuation marks in English, as in Spanish, help readers to properly understand what the author has expressed. Punctuation marks are used to indicate pause, delimit ideas, continue a pending idea, emphasize an expression, ask a question, and many more uses.

Point (period).

The period is used to delimit sentences and ideas. When we express more than one idea in a paragraph, and these ideas are related, we will separate each idea with a period. At the end of the paragraph we will also use an end point:

You will use the period to separate sentences and ideas. When we have more than one related idea, we may separate each idea with a period. At the end of the paragraph, we use a final period.

The period is also used at the end of acronyms and titles that is part of a proper name:

Homer J. Simpson,

Dr. Steve Jones.

Mrs. Grace Greenwood.

The period is used in non-standard acronyms, acronyms and abbreviations, that is, in those that they are not well known that they are not very generalized or that they belong to a specialized language. The point is also used with the units of time. In the others, its use is optional. It is not used in the abbreviations of the units of measure:

It's used on:

N.S.S. (National Shoemakers Society)

M.W.I.G. (Mineral Water Inspectors' Group)

U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement)

A.M. (A.m)

It is not used in:

UNO (United Nations Organization)

FDA (Food and Drugs Administration)

oz (ounce)

hr (hour)

No periods are used in the two-letter abbreviations used for the postal service:

AL Alabama

SC South Carolina

CA California

Comma (comma)

The comma is the sign (,) that we use to indicate a pause. In addition to this use, one of its main uses is to separate the elements of a list or enumeration. The comma is written before the conjunction and, unless and is the conjunction of two elements that go together, forming a unit:

In the party, we ate fried chicken, lettuce salad, and chocolate cake.

In the expo, we take so many ice creams: vanilla, cookies and crème, chocolate, strawberry and mango, and tequila.

This same rule applies to separate modifiers, such as adverbs or adjectives:

Helen, I am a fit, strong, health, and intelligent man.

The car runs smooth, economical, and efficiently.

It is used to separate several predicates of the same subject and to delimit coordinated sentences:

Yesterday, Robin bring his car, pick up the baggage and leave it in the airport.

When you was coming home, Stella went to the shop.

To separate subordinate clauses. When the subordinate clause that serves as an introduction is followed by a comma; if the sentence is in the middle of the sentence, it is written between commas:

This year, as ever happened, we will have a great meeting.

Three days after the full moon, we growth the vegetables.

This is all I have, I need to buy more.

It is also used when at the beginning of the sentence, we make an affirmation (yes), a negative (No) or we use an interjection:

No, I'm not tired.

Yes, Susan buy a bicycle.

Hurry, Pick up the baggage.

Semicolon (semicolon)

The semicolon is used in English to connect two independent sentences but that have some relation to each other. Sometimes a period and a followed or a semicolon are used interchangeably. The semicolon should not be used when there is a conjunction between the independent sentences:

You may use the semicolon with independent clauses that have some kind of relation; sometimes substitute the period.

The semicolon is like a conjunction between two sentences; but if there is a real conjunction, and you want to write correctly, don't use the semicolon.

That’s very good; almost all intend this.

Colon (colon)

We use the colon after the name or denomination of the people to whom we are addressing in a letter, to express our message:

Aunt Martha:

Dear customer:

My sweetie Lilian:

We also use a colon to display a list of words that we refer to; These words can continue the paragraph or be a separate list:

In the zoo was many animals: monkeys, elephants and mosquitoes.

Please, bring me the next items:

• Meat
• Salt
• Bread
• Spoon ...

You only may do one of two things: be quiet or begin to fight.

We will use the colon when we quote someone else's words or literal text:

And Dad says: "Now you're a man"

In "Hamlet" is written the famous phrase: "to be or not to be"

The manual recommends: “Do not open. Only qualified personnel ”

Quotation marks (quotation marks)

We will use the quotation marks to quote words just as a person said them. Also to make a literal quote:

My Mom cry us: "Let's eat."

In Delphi temple, was sculpt the phrase: "Know yourself."

We will also use quotation marks to cite the titles of books, magazines, articles, plays, movies, songs, artistic works, as well as the titles of the chapters of a book:

And in the museum, we saw Rodin’s “The kiss”.

I heard "Yesterday" and think in you.

I read an article in "Mad" about clonation.

My father likes "Demetrius and gladiators"

In the chapter “Security”, you will read anything you need to know.

Apostrophe (apostrophe)

The apostrophe in English serves several functions. One of them is to indicate possession. In singular nouns the apostrophe is written followed by a letter s. In plural adjectives ending in s, only the apostrophe is added at the end of the word. No apostrophes are added to possessive pronouns:

The animal’s fear is dangerous (the fear of the animal [one in particular] is dangerous).

The animals ’fear is dangerous (fear of animals [in general] is dangerous).

Today is Mother’s day

My parents' anniversary is on November 16.

We use the apostrophe to occupy the omitted letters in the contractions:

Do not = don’t

He is he = He ’s

I am = I’m

Must not = mustn’t

The apostrophe is also used taking the place of the missing letters in some words to indicate that they are apocopes or, to indicate that they are mispronounced (for example in slang):

Because = ‘cause

Taking = takin '

Madam = ma’m

Digital = Digit’l

In English the apostrophe is used to make the plural of numbers, letters, signs, symbols, acronyms and acronyms:

Ace

80's

@ ’S

CDs

NGOs

Hyphens

We use short dashes to separate words, usually syllables, at the end of a paragraph. Although in books and newspapers it is very common to find words divided anywhere, it is most convenient to divide them by syllables:

At the end of the way, the batta-

llion begin the training.

That’s the ho-ri-zon.

We will also use hyphens to write separate words that should be considered as a unit and divide compound words:

Mother-in-law

Twenty-four

My watch is self-

winding.

It is used in words to which a suffix is ​​added. In these cases, if the word is a proper noun or starts with a capital letter, it will retain its capitalization:

Ex-president

Pre-historic

Non-fiction

Long dashes (dash).

The long dash is used to interrupt an expression. On many occasions it is used instead of parentheses, generally at the end of a sentence and without using a closing hyphen, only the period. It is widely used in dialogs:

This —I think— is serious.

“Everyone of you” —said the teacher— “must learn by yourselves”

- Do you made your workout?

- Yes I do.

We Try to rebuild that antique car, and sell it in $ 44,000.00 —if it’s possible.

Parentheses (parentheses)

The parentheses are opening and closing punctuation marks in English, which are generally used to make some clarification in the text. In addition, they are also used to, after citing a word, write its translation, its original text or a synonym:

My photo album (that I show you in Christmas) was burned in the fire.

The American persea (avocado) is a nutritos food with healthy fat.

The UNO (United Nations Organization) building is in New York.

Parentheses are also used to add words in a quote, which were not pronounced, but help clarify the context, as well as, to insert a comment in the middle of a quote, starting with an indication of this, such as the word "Note", note:

In the interview, the Minister said “We don't like this (new law), but we must enforcement it”.

“The clouds are like human spirit: sometimes silent, letting go the sun light; other, determined in hide this light. Sometimes giving a fresh drizzle, and sometimes unleashing a terrible storm, (Note: here perhaps will be better use “Hurrican”, because sometimes they are an angry fury that may destroy everything where it pass) after that, back the calm again. "

Example of text using punctuation marks in English:

Try to teach something across an article, is not an easy. When you are in front of a class or a group, you can hear at the moment the dudes and see when they don't understand. But in writing skills you need to convey the essence of the theme, giving enough info, no more, no less. If you give less, your reader stay with dudes. If you give an excess, they may be confused. Even your readers can give you a message, and you correct, the process is not enough dynamic. Only good writer (and I'm not so sure I be one), can give with a precise explanation, clear and accessible for everyone.

And how I try to do it? Well, Albert Einstein said once: "You really understand something, when you are able to explain it your granny."

Something almost impossible. Haw I try it? Well, Trying to use the less technicalisms, passing them to common words — even it is possible. When not, explaining it for know about what we are talking about, ‘cause that’s the first step to learn, is understand difficult terms. Also, this helps in the self-study for prepare us for exams or for the simple pleasure of knowledge.