LanguageTool’s Punctuation Guide
What You’ll Learn About In This Article:
- Apostrophes
- Colons
- Dashes
- Ellipsis
- Exclamation Points
- Hyphens
- Parentheses
- Periods
- Question Marks
- Quotation Marks
- Semicolons
What Is Punctuation?
Punctuation is a mark or symbol used in your writing that helps readers separate elements of a sentence, making your text easier to understand. Without punctuation marks, interpreting what a writer is intending to say would be a great challenge. This guide will briefly go over 11 punctuation marks, starting with apostrophes and ending with semicolons.
What Are the Basic Punctuation Marks, From A to Z?
There are several punctuation marks, but below we’ll cover 11 of the most basic ones.
You can also use LanguageTool’s Grammar Checker tool to ensure your writing is free from punctuation errors.
What Is an Apostrophe?
Apostrophes are also used in possessives.
What Is a Colon?
Colons are also used as a symbol to tell time (12:00) and express a ratio (2:4).
What Are Dashes?
En dashes (–) represent a range between numbers, dates, and times. They also establish a relationship between words and ideas.
Em dashes (—) are extremely versatile and can replace commas, colons, and parentheses. Like colons, they can help add emphasis.
What Is an Ellipsis?
What Is an Exclamation Point?
In British English, this punctuation is also known as an exclamation mark.
What Is a Hyphen?
What Are Parentheses?
Please note that in British English, parentheses are known as brackets and vice versa, and are represented by […].
What Are Periods?
Periods are also used for abbreviations.
What Is a Question Mark?
What Are Quotation Marks?
Like apostrophes, there are straight and curly quotation marks.
What Are Semicolons?
Proper Punctuation Is Important
This guide briefly explains the functions of basic punctuation marks. It may seem like a lot to absorb at once, but knowing how to use punctuation marks properly significantly improves your text’s readability. That’s why it’s a good idea to use LanguageTool as your writing assistant. Not only will it always suggest proper punctuation and point out when you’ve missed one, but it will also suggest stylistic improvements. Additionally, it was also correct spelling and grammar mistakes to ensure your text is flawless!