Learn English Grammar: PUNCTUATION

There are various symbols which design our words and sentences, in a nice and attractive way .The list goes something like this :

------------ (".") -- FULL STOP ----------------
1. It is generally used at the end of the sentence , that not a question or exclamation:
I knocked at the door. There was no reply.
I knocked again.
2. It is sometimes used in abbreviations .

3. It is sometimes used in Internet URLs as (.)

http://help-o-blog.blogspot.com/search/label/Communication%20Skills

http://help-o-blog.blogspot.com/search/label/Energy%20Ecology%20Environment%20and%20Society

http://help-o-blog.blogspot.com/search/label/make%20easy%20money%20online

here in above some examples (.) used after blog and blogspot as .com



--------------(",") -- COMMA -------------------

1. It is generally used to separate words in a list , though they are often omitted before and :

a bouquet of red,pink and white roses .

tea, coffee , milk or hot chocolate

2. It is used to separate phrases and clauses :

Worn out after all the excitement of the party , the children soon fell asleep.

Oh , so that's where it was .

By the way , did you hear about Sue's car ?

3. It is used to separate a tag question from the rest of the sentence :

It's quite expensive , isn't it ?

You live in Bristol , right ?



-------------- (":")- - COLON -----------

1. It is generally used to introduce a list of items :

These are our options: we go by train and leave before the end of the show ; or we take the car and see it all.

2. To introduce a quotation , which may be intended :

As Kenneth Morgan writes:

The truth was , perhaps, that Britain in the years from 1914 to 1983 had not changed all that fundamentally.

Others ,however,have challenged this view .....



---------------- (";")--- SEMICOLON --------

1. Instead of a comma to separate parts of a sentence that already contain commas :

She was determined to succeed whatever the cost; she would achieve her aim, whosoever might suffer on the way.

The sun was already low in the sky; it would soon be dark.



---------------("?")--QUESTION MARK -----------

1. Used at the end of direct question:

Where's the car ?



---------------("!")-- EXCLAMATION MARK ---------

1. At the end of the sentence expressing the surprise , joy , anger ,shock or another strong emotions :

That's marvellous!



------------------(')-- APOSTROPHE -----------------
1. with s to indicate that a thing or person belongs to somebody:
my friend's brother
the student's books
the women's coats

2. in short forms , to indicate that letters or figures have been omitted :
I'm (I am)
they'd (they would)

----------------("-") ------- HYPHEN ---------------
1. to form a compound from two or more words:
hard-hearted
fork-lift truck
seventy-three
thirty-one
co-operate

--------------("''")-------- QUOTATION MARKS -----------
1. to enclose words and punctuation in direct speech:
'Why on earth did you do that ?' he asked.
'I'll fetch,' she replied.

2. around the titles of articles , books ,poems , plays etc:
I was watching "Match of the Day".

3. Generally in American English double quotation are used .