Punctuation

Quotation marks are signs used to indicate that the writer is giving exactly the words of another. A French printer named Morel used a comma in the outer margin to indicate a quote...

1. A comma separates clauses, phrases, and particles. 2. A semicolon separates different statements. 3. A colon is the transition point of the sentence. 4. A period marks the end o...

The comma is by far the most difficult of all the punctuation marks to use correctly. Usage varies greatly from time to time and among equally good writers and printers at the same...

The dash is a very useful mark which has been greatly overworked by careless writers. It is very easy to make in manuscript and serves as a convenient cover for the writer's ignora...

The colon marks the place of transition in a long sentence consisting of many members and involving a logical turn of the thought. Both the colon and semicolon are much less used n...

Punctuation is a device by which we aid words to tell their story. Words have done this at times without such aid, and may now do so, but at constant risk of serious misunderstandi...

The period, or full stop, marks the end of a declarative sentence. As a sign it has several other uses which will appear in the paragraphs following. _Rules for the Use of the Peri...

The interrogation is the point that asks questions. It should always be placed outside quotation marks unless it is a part of the quotation itself. _Rules for the Use of the Interr...

Book titles are now set without points. This fashion was introduced by Pickering of London about 1850. This method is generally to the advantage of the title page thus treated. It...

Brackets are used in pairs, like the parentheses. In Job composition either brackets or parentheses may be used, as suits the fancy or is convenient. In descriptive text matter, ho...

The exclamation mark is the mark of strong emotion. _Rules for the Use of the Exclamation_ 1. After every expression of great surprise or emotion. Look, my lord! it comes! Angels a...

The hyphen is used to join compound words; to mark the division of a word too long to go entirely into one line; to separate the syllables of words in order to show pronunciation;...

The apostrophe is primarily the sign of the possessive case, but it has several other uses. _Rules for the Use of the Apostrophe_ 1. The apostrophe for the possessive case is added...

The semicolon is used to denote a degree of separation greater than that indicated by the comma, but less than that indicated by the colon. It prevents the repetition of the comma...

The parenthesis, commonly used in pairs, encloses expressions which have no essential connection with the rest of the sentence, but are important to its full comprehension. It is l...