Key Points

✓Punctuation helps make your writing clear.
✓Periods (.) end sentences.
✓Commas (,) separate ideas and items in a list.
✓Question marks (?) are used at the end of questions.
✓Apostrophes (') show possession or missing letters.

Punctuation marks are like road signs for your writing. They tell the reader when to pause, when to stop, and how to understand the meaning of your sentences. Using punctuation correctly makes your writing clear and prevents confusion. Think of it as giving your reader a helpful guide to follow along with your thoughts. Different punctuation marks have different jobs. Some, like periods and question marks, end sentences. Others, like commas and apostrophes, help to organize words within a sentence. Learning how to use each one properly will make you a better writer!

Worked Example

Correct the punctuation in the following sentence: where are you going she asked

Step 1: Identify the missing punctuation. The sentence is missing a question mark at the end and quotation marks around what she asked.
Step 2: Add the question mark at the end of the question: Where are you going?
Step 3: Add quotation marks to show what she asked: "Where are you going?"
Step 4: Add a comma to separate the question from who asked it: "Where are you going?", she asked.

Answer: "Where are you going?", she asked.

Try It Yourself

1. Add the correct punctuation to the following sentence: i like apples bananas and oranges

2. Correct the punctuation in the following sentence: my dogs bone is buried in the yard

3. Rewrite the following sentences as one correctly punctuated sentence: The cat is black. The cat is fluffy. The cat is sleeping on the rug.

Watch Out For These Mistakes

Forgetting to put a period at the end of a sentence.
Using commas incorrectly, especially in lists.
Confusing 'its' and 'it's'.