Punctuation Purposes

Question 1

Commas (,)

Answer 1

To separate items in a list.
To separate a sentence into clauses.
To separate linking words or other phrases from the rest of the clause/sentence.

Question 2

Quotations (“…”)

Answer 2

To indicate that we are writing someone else’s words.
To show the names of book, films, newspapers and other texts.
To show direct speech.

Question 3

Colons (:)

Answer 3

Used at the beginning of lists of items.

Question 4

Semicolons (;)

Answer 4

Used to break up items in a list, especially where some items already have commas in them.
Used when the ideas in two clauses are closely connected.

Question 5

Dashes (—)

Answer 5

Used mainly to break up sentences.
Used as brackets to add extra information.
Used as colons to introduce a list of items.

Question 6

Hyphens (-)

Answer 6

To make some compound words.
Used when writing numbers.
To join prefixes when the main word starts with a capital letter.

Question 7

Brackets ()

Answer 7

To add extra information which aren’t very essential.