Tips for Using Punctuation Properly

Punctuation makes a huge difference in the meaning of a sentence, so it’s vital that you understand how to use endmarks, apostrophes and commas correctly.

Endmarks

All sentences need an endmark: a full stop, question mark, exclamation mark or ellipsis. Avoid putting two endmarks at the end of the same sentence, unless you’re trying to create a comic effect (for example, ‘She said my cooking tasted like what?!?!?!’). Remember that ellipses are just three dots; you don’t need to add a full stop.

Apostrophes

Using possessive apostrophes incorrectly is one of the most common mistakes people make. To use possessive apostrophes correctly, make sure the s and the apostrophe are in the right order. First, decide whether noun is singular (one) or plural (more than one), then add the apostrophe.

Singular ownership generally add s’s ; plural ownership generally adds s’. For example: Aunt’s pen is singular. Lovers’ letters is plural.

Commas

In direct address, use commas to separate the name from the rest of the sentence. In lists, place commas between items, but not before the first item or before and unless some of the list items contain and. When combining two complete sentences with a conjunction, place a comma before the conjunction unless the sentences are very short. If you have one subject and two verbs, don’t put a comma before the conjunction. Never separate a subject–verb pair with a comma.