A Guide to Punctuation

Do you know the rules for punctuation? Writing well makes a positive impression on your audience. Here you will find the basics on how and when to use punctuation properly in your personal and business correspondence.

Comma

Use a comma after introductory words or phrases.

Use a comma in compound sentences.

Use a comma to separate three or more words in a series.

Use a comma to tell the reader to pause, or to separate the name of the person being spoken to from what is being said.

Use a comma in date between the day of the month and the year, and after the year if the sentence contains one.

Use a comma between a city and state, and after the state if the sentence contains one.

Use a comma after a greeting and the closing in a letter.

Use a comma after the closing in a business letter.

Semicolon

Use a semicolon to combine two independent clauses in a compound sentence when a conjunction isn't used.

Colon

Use a colon to introduce a list or a series of things.

Do not use a colon if the series follows an expression.

Use a colon to separate hours and minutes when writing time.

Use a colon after the salutation or greeting in a business letter.

Period

Use a period at the end of a statement.

Use a period at the end of a command.

Use a period at the end of a request.

Use a period after abbreviations, for example Mrs.

Use a period after an initial.

Exclamation Point

Use an exclamation point at the end of a sentence that shows surprise or warning.

Question Mark

Use a question mark at the end of an interrogative sentence.

Quotation Marks

Use quotation marks when writing exact words from a conversation. When the speaker's name comes first, use a comma before the quotations.

When the speaker's name comes last, use a comma, question mark, or exclamation point at the end of the quotation.

When the speaker's name comes in the middle, use a comma before and after the name to separate it from the quotation.

Parentheses

Use parentheses to separate a list from the rest of a sentence and to separate a phrase or clause from the rest of a sentence.

Brackets

Use brackets in a quotation to replace a word or to explain a word.

Use brackets to explain something that is already in parentheses.

Apostrophe

Use an apostrophe in a contraction to take the place of one or more letters that are taken away.

Use an apostrophe in a possessive noun to show what belongs to whom.

Hyphen

Use a hyphen to break a word between syllables at the end of a line in running text. Consult a dictionary for help on where to break a word.

Use a hyphen to join two-part numbers.

Use a hyphen to separate a prefix from a proper noun.

Use a hyphen to write a fraction as a word.

Use a hyphen to join some compound nouns and adjectives.

Dash

Use a dash to separate a list from the rest of a sentence.

Use a dash to separate a phrase, clause, or list from the rest of a sentence.

Ellipsis Points

Use ellipsis points to mark words you left out of a direct quote.

Slashes

Use slashes to mark the line breaks in a poem or play dialogue you are quoting.

Writers Guide Notebook