How to use punctuation

Colons ‘:’

  • To introduce a list
  • To qualify a sentence
  • Seperate dialogue from character

Introducing things:

e.g1: You know what to do: practice.

In example 1, emphasis is put on practice because, a colon is put before it.

e.g2: I need to buy: gum, milk, chips, lotion and soda.

In example 2, a colon is used to introduce a list.

e.g3: Hamlet said it best: “Keep slaying all day.”

In example 3, a colon is used to introduce a quotation.

Qualifying sentences:

e.g1: She was feeling really down last week: she had lost all her robux and her mother wouldnt buy her ice-cream.

In example 1, a colon is used to tell us why she was feeling sad

e.g2: My mommy taught me the most important thing in life: violence.

In example 2, a colon is used to draw attention to the word ‘violence’.

Seperating dialogues from sentences:

e.g1: Queen Elizabeth II: Kids, cheat on all of your tests.

In example 1, a colon is used to seperate the name of the charcter from the dialogue. The colon is placed after the character and before the dialogue.

Semi-colons:

  • To join 2 or more sentences.
  • To seperate items.

Joining 2 or more sentences (can replace a conjunction).

e.g1: She calls it an eraser; i call it a rubber.

  • Both of these clauses are independent clauses (or main clauses). They both can stand alone without any other clause and can still make sense. A semi-colon is used to join them since they both have similar ideas. We can also replace the semi-colon with a conjunction. Example: She calls it an eraser but, i call it a rubber.

To seperate items in a list .(when you need to use punctuation within phrases in your list):

e.g1: I want to travel to Islamabad, Pakistan; Paris, France; Toronto, Canada and Madrid Spain.

Dashes ‘--’

  • Dashes have approximately 4 usess:

Interrupt the sturcture of a sentence:

  • E.g: He went to watch a movie -- but the tv wasnt working

Act like parentheses:

  • E.g: The homework --that was for year 9’s-- didnt make sense.

Replace a colon:

  • E.g: I have only wanted one thing -- Robux!

Indicates interuption:

  • “So many peop--”. and a car zoomed past me