English Punctuation For Cadet College

Punctuation

Punctuation is the set of marks we use in writing to make the meaning of sentences clear and easy to read.

Without punctuation, writing can become confusing.

Example without punctuation:

• Let’s eat grandma
• Example with punctuation:
• Let’s eat, grandma.

Main Punctuation Marks and Their Uses

Full Stop ( . )

• Use: To end a statement (declarative sentence).
• Example:
• I like mangoes.
• The sun sets in the west.

Comma ( , )

• Use: To separate items in a list, clauses, or to add pauses.
• Examples:
• I bought apples, bananas, and oranges.
• When it rains, I stay indoors.
• My friend, who lives in Delhi, is visiting.

Question Mark ( ? )

• Use: At the end of a direct question.
• Examples:
• Where are you going?
• Did you finish your homework?

Exclamation Mark ( ! )

• Use: To show strong feeling or surprise.
• Examples:
• What a beautiful view!
• Stop!

Apostrophe ( ’ )

• Uses:
• To show possession: Ravi’s book
• To show contractions (short forms): don’t (do not), I’m (I am)

Quotation Marks (“ ” or ‘ ’)

• Use: To show direct speech, quotations, or titles.
• Examples:
• She said, “I am tired.”
• ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’ is a famous story.

Colon ( : )

• Use:
• Before a list: I need: pencils, pens, and paper.
• Before an explanation: She was right: honesty is the best policy.

Semicolon ( ; )

• Use:
• To join two closely related sentences: I went to the park; it was closed.
• To separate complex items in a list: I visited Paris, France; Rome, Italy; and Tokyo, Japan.

Hyphen ( – )

• Use:
• To join words: mother-in-law, twenty-one
• To avoid confusion: re-cover (cover again) vs. recover (get well)

Dash ( — )

• Use:
• To add extra information or show interruption:
• He was about to speak — but then stopped.

Brackets ( )

• Use: To add extra, non-essential information.
• Example:
• My brother (who lives in Canada) is visiting.

Ellipsis ( … )

• Use: To show missing words or an unfinished thought.
• Examples:
• I was thinking… maybe we should wait.
• He said, “Well… I’m not sure.”

Slash ( / )

• Use: To show alternatives or fractions.
• Examples:
• He/She can apply for the job.
• 3/4 of the cake is gone.

Rules for Punctuation

• Start every sentence with a capital letter.
• End each statement with a full stop, question with a ?, and strong emotion with an !.
• Use commas to avoid confusion.
• Keep punctuation inside quotation marks in English:
• Correct: She said, “It’s cold.”
• Incorrect: She said, “It’s cold”.
• Do not overuse exclamation marks (!) in formal writing.