Period Period ( . )
1-Use a Period at the end of a sentence.
Example: I enjoyed the movie.
2-Use a Period after an initial.
Example: T. S. Eliot is a wonderful poet.
3-Use a Period after an abbreviation.
Example: We welcomed Mrs. Smith to our team.
4-Use a Period as a decimal point.
Example: The workers received a 2.1 percent raise.
5-Use a Period after each number in a list printed vertically.
Exclamation Mark ( ! )
1-Use an exclamation mark at the end of sentence, phrase, or word
to indicate strong emotion. (Never use more than one exclamation mark.)
Example: Wow! I never thought Mom would let us go to the concert!
Unacceptable: Wow!! I never thought Mom would let us go to the concert!!!!!!
Question Mark (? )
1-Use a question mark at the end of a question.
Example: Did Steven go with you?
2-Use a question mark at the end of a declarative statement
that you want to emphasize as not believing the statement.
She’s our new teacher?
3-Use a question mark with parentheses to indicate
that you are not sure of a spelling or other fact.
I have to visit an orthopedic (?) doctor next week.
Quotation marks ( " )
1-Use quotation marks before and after a direct quote.
If the speaker tag interrupts the quoted material, then two sets
of quotation marks are needed. However, do not put quotation marks
around the speaker tag.
Example: "I think my leg is broken," John said.
Example: Did Mrs. Steele just say, "We are going to have a test today"?
Example: "I can’t move." Maria whispered, "I’m too scared."
2-Put quotation marks around the titles of
short works, such as articles, songs, short stories, or poems.
Example: Have you heard the symphony "Swan Lake," by Tchaikovsky?
3-Place quotation marks around words, letters, or symbols
that are slang or being discussed or used in a special way.
(Underlining can be used for the same purpose.)
Example: I have a hard time spelling "miscellaneous."
Example: I have a hard time spelling miscellaneous.
4-Use single quotation marks for quotation marks within quotations.
Example: "Have your read the poem, ‘The Raven,’ by Edgar Alan Poe?" I asked Chris.
5- Any Punctuation used goes to the left of a quotation mark.
However, if the Punctuation is used to punctuate the whole sentence and
not just what is inside the quotation marks, then it goes to the right.
Example: Have you read the poem, "Anabel Lee"?