Understanding Punctuation Marks in English! (2024)

Types Of Punctuation: What Is This Symbol Called?

There are many 14 types of punctuation marks in English; we've split some of them into sub-categories.

What is ( … ) called? Ellipsis

The ellipsis symbol is commonly formed using three periods ( …)

Ellipses are used for the following reasons.

Omitting unnecessary information. For example, "this is the best movie… I’ve ever seen one before."
When using sections of a quote to make the quote more powerful. For example, Barack Obama said, "change will not come if we wait….We are the ones we’ve been waiting for." - In this example, we used three ellipses because the quote ended and a period to indicate the start of a new sentence.

Here is an example sentence:

He counted "one, two, three…up to 20 before we got bored."

What is ( ' ) called? Apostrophe

An apostrophe (') is used when we want to get rid of a letter or letters in a word, for possessive nouns or plural lowercase letters.

Apostrophes are used in the following situations.

Getting contractions in a word. For example, I’ve instead of I have.
Possessive nouns to indicate possession. For example, Sally’s house is huge.
For omitting letters in a number. For example, the class of ´23

Here is an example sentence:

She’s got a dog called Benji, but he’s not currently living with her.

What is ( : ) called? Colon

A colon (:) symbol has many uses.

The colon symbol is used after an introduction, quotation, examples, or a series of related words. For example, "Understanding English: Punctuation Marks, Parts Of Speech, And Adjectives."
Between two independent sentences or clauses when the second sentence is related to or explains the first. For example, I’m running late: I woke up late.
To emphasize a point. For example, he had one true love: his Mom.
When writing dialogue. For example, reporter: "What’s the best holiday you’ve ever had?" "Sam: I think when I was a kid…we went to Sardinia."

Here is an example sentence:

What is ( ; ) called and how to use ( ; )? Semicolon

Semicolons (;) are used in the following situations.

Series of related words, when the word series contains commas, we use a semicolon to separate them. For example, The Beatles were made up of John Lennon on vocals; Paul McCartney, vocals, bass, guitar, and keyboard; George Harrison, guitar, vocals, sitar; and Ringo Starr on drums, vocals, and keyboard.
When relating two full sentences, but only when you can also use a period. For example, My grades depend on my work; if I continue to study hard, I’m sure I’ll get there.

Here is an example sentence:

I’ve got a huge presentation tomorrow; I can’t go out to eat.

What is the ( - ) sign called? Hyphen

A hyphen symbol (-) is used when joining words together, a compound adjective such as a six-page file, or a compound noun such as mother-in-law.

When using a compound adjective. For example, once-in-a-lifetime…
When using a compound noun. For example, self-confidence or x-ray.

Here is an example sentence:

I once saw a man-eating snake.

What is the ( — ) sign called? En dash sign & em dash sign

The dash sign ( — or – ) is a long horizontal line, and it’s used for two different things; that’s why we have the en dash sign and the em dash sign.

( – ) en dash sign

The en dash sign is used for expressing a period of time. For example, 1995-2020.
The en dash sign is also used for a sequence of numbers. For example, 1-5.
When scoring in sports. For example, 2-1 to….
Showing distance instead of using ‘to.’ For example, Paris-London is about a 1.5 hours flight.

Here is an example:

2005-2006.

( — em dash sign )

The em dash sign is used to break up a sentence. For example, call my teacher— Mr. Smith— by next week.
When changing subjects within one sentence. For example, how are you getting there? —- by the way, he didn’t phone me last night.
To emphasize a point. For example, my son would love to come to your party —- I can’t get him there though.

Here is an example sentence:

The soccer team scored 2-1 in the match.

What is the ( , ) sign called? Comma

A comma (,) is used in English to separate words, ideas, or sentences. In spoken English, a comma is used to pause, which helps the meaning.

Commas are used in the following situations:

To separate a series of items. For example, eggs, butter, cheese, and milk are all dairy products.
Before coordinating conjunctions such as; and, but, or, etc., for example, Jenny loved playing with her new doll. However, she forgot to bring it.

Here is an example sentence:

What is ( " " ) called? Double quotation marks

Next up, we have double quotation marks (" ") This punctuation mark is used when you want to quote directly.

Double quotation marks are helpful when you want to name a familiar term or slang. For example, "normal" behavior.
When quoting someone for the first time, use a double quotation. For example, she said, "don’t forget your swimming trunks."

Here is an example sentence:

He said, "It’s horrible," as his friend said, ‘I don’t think it’s too bad.’

What is ( ' ' ) called? Single quotation marks

Single quotation marks (' ') are used in the following situations:

When putting quotations into quotes. For example, "She said, ‘she doesn’t want dinner,’ my sister told us."
When using quoted titles within a title. For example, Julia was preparing her final exam on "The analysis of ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare."

Here is an example sentence:

"He didn’t tell me much, but he did say, ‘he was moving house soon,’ my uncle told us."

What is ( ? ) called? Question mark

Question marks are used when asking questions. In English, they are placed at the end of the sentence.

Here are some example sentences:

Would you like some coffee?
What’s your name?

What is ( . ) called? Period

A period ends a sentence.

After titles in American English.
Between numbers. For example, 1.5.
End of a command. For example, close the window, please.
And the end of an abbreviated word. For example, in Dec. (December)

Here are some example sentences:

The War Of The Roses.
We’ll be there in 2.5 hours.

What is ( ! ) called? Exclamation markor Exclamation Point

An exclamation mark (!) is used to show surprise, wonder, or emphasize a point.

Here are some example sentences:

Wow! I didn’t know you had three kids.
Watch out!

What is ( / ) called? Forward dash sign, slash forward, or oblique

A forward slash is used to give alternatives in replace of "or," especially in informal language. A forward slash can also be used for the following situations:

Dates
Fractions
Separating lines
Abbreviations
Website URLs

Here are some example sentences:

His/hers
07/04/1997

What is ( _ ) called? Underscore

An underscore is a type of punctuation used initially to underline things. Nowadays, it’s used in computer programming to create spacing between words.

Here is an example sentence:

Word_Tips_Finder

What is ( ) called? Round brackets

Round brackets ( ) are used to highlight words or introduce a separate point, normally an afterthought.

Here is an example sentence:

We were walking (I don’t know where) and we saw a huge dog running towards us!

What is [ ] called? Square Brackets

Square brackets, on the other hand, are used for edits. For example, when you want to edit a quote.

Here is an example sentence:

"She can’t take it [her bag] with her," he said.

If you want to learn more about punctuation, check out our related content below!

Flashcards

Check your understanding with these punctuation mark flashcards.