Punctuation Guide

Comma (,)

Use before coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS), after introductory phrases, and to separate items in a list.

✅ "I like cats, dogs, and birds."
❌ "I like cats and, dogs." (incorrect position)

Semicolon (;)

Joins two independent clauses without a conjunction. Can separate complex list items.

✅ "She studied hard; she passed the exam."
❌ "She studied; hard." (second clause not independent)

Colon (:)

Introduces a list, explanation, or quotation. The preceding clause should be independent.

✅ "There are three rules: be kind, be honest, be brave."

Apostrophe (')

Shows possession or forms contractions. Never used for plural nouns.

✅ "The dog's bone." / "It's raining." ❌ "The dog's are barking." (wrong for plural)

Hyphen (-) vs Em Dash (—)

Hyphen: connects compound words (well-known, mother-in-law). Em Dash: adds emphasis or replaces parentheses — like this.

Quotation Marks (" ")

US style: periods and commas go inside. UK style: only include punctuation that's part of the quote.

US: "Hello," she said. | UK: "Hello", she said.