! ?

;
,
The 15 Punctuation Marks.
Comma

Separates items
in a list

Separates
coordinate

In order of how much they do

adjectives

Separates

coordinating

(and how hard they should be to learn) conjunctions

Separates
dependent claus-
es

Separates

-
conditional claus-
Apostrophe es

:
Separates

appositives
As single quotation
mark, indicates Comes after
quote within a introductory
quote phrases
Hyphen
Omits letters and Comes after
numbers interjections
Colon Creates

Comes after direct
Quotation compound Creates a plural for
address
adjectives a single letter

...
Mark Expands or

()
clarifies a main Comes after a title
Combines Makes a noun
clause
two-digit possessive

[]
Indicates a direct

;
numbers Separates the day
quotation Introduces lists of the month from
Gives possession
Clarifies verbs to a singular noun the year
Indicates a Comes after

with common that ends in s
dictionary salutations Separates
prefixes
Em Dash definition

*
Makes numbers larger
Ellipsis

.
Separates hours than 999
Joins prefixes abbreviations

? !
Indicates the from minutes
Parentheses to capitalized possessive
Expands with words on a sign Separates cities
words
Indicates an emphasis a main Separates titles from states
Brackets Suggests sarcasm from subtitles
Creates plural
Semicolon Suggest related omission of words clause
or snarkiness
Joins a letter or possessions
but unnecessary in a quote a number to a Comes after
Joins two related Indicate editorial Separates and Indicates
information word Creates abbreviations i.e.
En Dash complete comments by Indicates draws special Highlights a word dialogue in
compound and e.g.
Asterisk sentences someone other hesitating speech attention to ideas in a sentence plays
Clarify a writers Joins a prefix to possessions
than the author in dialogue
Period Question Exclamation
Suggests a further Replaces the word Separates list
frame of mind
Suggests an inter- Indicates short Suggests ratios
a date Comes before
Mark In headlines, used quotations
Mark comment, through or to items when Indicate asides or Suggests that ruption in thought media pieces, like
when suggesting a Indicate citations Separates words as a double
clarification or commas are in other parenthetical something is being or change in poems, songs,
Ends a sentence Ends a sentence Ends a sentence duration of time or page with same three quotation mark
qualifier the list items information already left out direction articles, and
flatly with curiosity with gusto references letters in a row
in parentheses chapter titles

TheVisualCommunicationGuy.com | 2014