Punctuation marks in English

Point. The point as a writing sign is called "period". When used for email or internet addresses, it is called “dot”.

The point has multiple uses. One of them is to point out abbreviations and acronyms.

1. Dear Mr. Smith / Dear Mr. Smith
2. They arrived at 9 a.m. / They arrived at 9 a.m.
3. This poem was written by E. E. Cummings. / This poem was written by E. E. Cumming.

Period and followed in English: When the period is used as a period followed in English it is called “full stop”. It can also be called “period”, but to indicate its specific function (for example in a dictation) the expression “full stop” is preferable, since “period” is used mainly for the full stop, that is, the one that is used to separate paragraphs.

It is used to mark the end of a sentence when it is not a question or an exclamation.

1. The television is turned on. / The TV is on.
2. I would like a piece of cake. / I would like a portion of paste.
3. He likes going to the cinema. / He liked to go to the movies.
4. The music is very loud. / The music is very loud.

Eat: in English it is called “comma”.

Used to indicate a short pause in a sentence.

Mandatory use: to separate the elements of a series.

1. Among the presents there were dolls, a toy kitchen, dresses and a puppy. / Among the gifts were dolls, a play kitchen, dresses and a puppy.
2. My best friends are Andrew, Michael and John. / My best friends are Andrew, Michael and John.

It is used to separate two or more coordinated adjectives. In English, not all adjectives have the same status in the sentence. But coordinated adjectives are those that can be interchanged in order.

1. Bobby is a cheerful, funny and smart boy. / Bobby is a cheerful, funny and intelligent boy.

It is also used when introducing a direct speech.

1. Stephen told the boss, "you don't have the right to talk to us like that."
2. "Come on," said Angela, "we can still be friends."

To clarify, that is, to introduce non-essential elements in the sentence. The comma is used before and after clauses, phrases and clarifying words.

1. Laura, my favorite aunt, will celebrate her birthday tomorrow. / Laura, my favorite aunt, will celebrate her birthday tomorrow.

To separate two elements that contrast with each other.

1. Michael is my cousin, not my brother. / Michael is my cousin, not my brother.

To separate subordinate clauses:

1. The coffee shop was full, they had to go somewhere else. / The cafe was full, they had to go elsewhere.

When a question is answered with "yes" or "no", it is used to separate the "yes" or "no" from the rest of the sentence.

1. No, I don't think he is lying. / No, I don't think he's lying.
2. Yes, I’d be happy to help you with your homework. / Yes, it will be a pleasure to help you with your homework.

Two points: in English it is called “colon”.

Used before appointments (as an alternative to comma). In these cases, quotation marks are also used, which are called “quotation marks”.

1. He said to me: "I will do everything I can to help them." / He told me: "I will do everything I can to help you."
2. You know what they say: "Be careful what you wish for." / You know what they say: "be careful what you wish for."

They are used to enter lists:

1. This program includes all the services: transport from the airport, access to the swimming pool, spa, all meals and lodging. / This program includes all services: transportation from the airport, access to the pool, spa, all meals and accommodation.

Also to introduce clarifications:

1. After many hours, they discovered the problem in the roof: the tiles had very small cracks that couldn’t be seen, but that let the rain in. / After many hours, they discovered the problem in the roof: the tiles had very small cracks that could not be seen but that allowed the rain to enter.

Semicolon: in English it is called “semicolon”.

It is used to separate two related but different ideas.

1. They stopped being hired for new shows; the audience didn’t want to hear the same songs again; the journalists didn’t write about them anymore. / They stopped being hired for new shows; the public didn't want to hear the same songs again; journalists no longer wrote about them.
2. In this neighborhood houses are old and elegant; building apartments are big and have big windows to let the light in. / In this neighborhood the houses are old and elegant; the apartments in the buildings are spacious and have large windows to let in light.

It is also used en enumerations when commas appear within the listed items.

1. From the museum walk two hundred meters until you get to the park; without crossing the street, turn right; walk three hundred meters until you get to the traffic light; turn right and you will find the restaurant. / From the museum walk two hundred meters until you reach the park; without crossing the street, turn right; walk another three hundred meters to the traffic light; turn right and you will find the restaurant.
2. We need to buy chocolate, cream and strawberries for the cake; ham, bread and cheese for the sandwiches; detergent and bleach for cleaning; coffee, tea and milk for breakfast. We need to buy chocolate, cream, and strawberries for the cake; ham, bread and cheese for sandwiches; detergent, sponges and bleach for cleaning; coffee, tea and milk for breakfast.

Question mark in english: used to mark a question and is called a “question mark”. In English, the question mark is never used at the beginning of the question but at the end of it. When a question mark is used, no period is used to indicate the end of the sentence.

1. What time is it? / What time is it?
2. Do you know how to get to Victoria Street? / Do you know how to get to Victoria Street?

Exclamation mark in English: in the same way as question marks, it is used only at the end of the exclamatory phrase. It is called the "exclamation mark"

1. This place is so big! / This place is very big!
2. Thank you so much! / Thanks a lot!

Short dashesThey are called "hyphens" and are used to separate the parts of compound words.

1. He is my father-in-law. / He is my father-in-law.
2. This drink is sugar-free. / This drink has no sugar.

Long dashes: They are called “dash” and are used as a signal for a dialogue (direct speech), as an alternative to quotation marks.

1. - Hello, how are you? - Very well, thank you.

Also for clarification, similar to how parentheses are used. Unlike parentheses, if they are used at the end of a sentence, it is not necessary to put the closing dash.

1. The construction lasted two year -twice as much as they had expected. / The construction took two years - twice as long as they expected.

Scripts

They are an alternative to long dashes for clarification. They are used both at the beginning and at the end, in all cases.

1. The new president welcomed Mr. Jones (who had been his supporter from the start) and the rest of the guests. / The new president welcomed Mr. Jones (who had been his supporter from the beginning) and the rest of the guests.

Apostrophe in english: It is a punctuation mark much more used in English than in Spanish. It is used to indicate contractions. It is called "apostrophe."

1. He’ll be back in a minute. / He'll be back in a minute.
2. We’re going shopping. / We're going shopping.
3. This is Eliot’s car. / This is Eliot's car.

Andrea is a language teacher, and on her Instagram account she offers private lessons by video call so that you can learn to speak English.