Punctuation Rules Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: L.4.3.B

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

There are fourteen punctuation marks in the English language. The last academic paper on saw on their use cited just about fifty rules which applied to these fourteen marks. The rules focus on the use of end punctuation, apostrophes, commas, colons, hyphens, italics, quotation marks, semicolons, abbreviations, and even numbers. I have always found that punctuation rules are very relative to where you attended elementary school. You will find as you get older and begin to work with others as to how to task some people take punctuation rules versus others. These worksheets will help students explore the most commonly used forms of punctuation and review the major rules associated with them.

Punctuation Rules Worksheets To Print:

Statements and Questions - Rewrite these sentences and make sure to follow the general guidelines that are required.

Comma Rules - Rewrite and place a comma where needed in each sentence.

Exclamation Points - Not all sentences require an exclamation point. Punctuate as needed.

Question Marks - Use a question mark at the end of a sentence that asks a question. Give it a try.

Direct Speech - This will require that you read everything aloud.

Working with Appositives - Put a check mark next to the sentences that are punctuated correctly. Rewrite the sentences that are not.

Punctuating Dialogue - This can be really challenging at times because it is in the form of dialogue.

Apostrophes - Write whether each word indicates ownership or is a contraction.

Working with Colons - We review their usuage and then ask you to add a colon to each sentence where necessary.

Introductory Phrases - Use a comma to separate an introductory word or phrase from the rest of the sentence.

Punctuating Appositives - This is a skill that students will need several passes with.

Series and Lists - We look at how to approach these less formal forms of language.

Colons and Semicolons - This is something people often have difficulty with, even at the college level.

Rules for Periods - We go over the four basics and then have you practice it with this worksheet.

Colons Again - This one was put together by the request of several different teachers.

What are the Basic Punctuation Rules?

What do you think will happen if there were no punctuation marks will the sentences still make sense will you know how to read whats written how long can you keep reading before finally starting getting annoyed at the absence of punctuations marks


If that was difficult to read and comprehend, it is clear that we rely on punctuations to get our point across and understand what others are trying to communicate.


English grammar has 14 punctuation marks, and each sentence requires at least one of them to make sense. Each of these punctuations follows a certain set of rules, and it is essential to know them to write comprehensive sentences. Here, we will describe some of the rules so you can use them correctly and write better:


Commas ( , ):


Commas are used to separate three or more ideas, words, phrases, or parts of sentences.


Example: Alice bought makeup, shoes, bags, and some books from the market.


Quotation Marks ( "…" )


Quotation marks represent speech and enclose the exact words of a person. Periods, commas, question marks, and exclamation marks are placed inside quotation marks.


Example: Mum shouted, "Do not hit your brother."


Question Mark ( ? )


An inquisitive statement ends with a question mark.


Example: Where do you think you're going?


Exclamation Point ( ! )


An exclamatory sentence is followed by an exclamation point.


Example: I can't believe I got so lucky!


Hyphens ( - )


Hyphens are used to join word units (prefixes, suffixes, and letters) to words or form compound words.


Example: Results-oriented, fifty-three, soon-to-be


Colons ( : )


Colons are written after independent clauses and call attention to the information written after them.


Example: The project manager had to perform the following functions: mentoring, budgeting, and reporting.


Semicolons ( ; )


Semicolons are used to join two complete sentences with the same idea. Semicolons help avoid confusion between items in lists where there are already commas


Example: Little George was nervous; it was his first day at school.


Parenthesis ( )


Parentheses show related but less important elements in a sentence.


Example: He went backpacking across Europe (Rome, France, Italy) last year.


Square Brackets ( [ ] )


Square brackets are used to highlight words added by someone other than the original writer or speaker. They clarify the situation in certain sentences.


Example: He [the neighbor] is the actual culprit.


Apostrophes ( ' )


Apostrophes are used to show possession. They are also used in contractions to mark the missing letter or letters.


Examples:


- I'm, you're, they're
- Alison's book, Timmy's car


Dashes ( - )


Not to be confused with a hyphen, a dash is used to connect a group of words or emphasize a group of words in a sentence.


Example: She knew she had everything under control-until her toxic sister arrived.


Slash ( / )


A slash is used to indicate fractions or separate days, months, and years. It is sometimes used in place of or. It is also used to indicate a line break in a poem or song.


Examples:


- Mary had a little lamb/ little lamb, little lamb/ Mary had a little lamb/ whose fleece was white as snow.
- 26/12/2021


It is important to choose the right punctuation and use it correctly. We hope the rules above will help you make the right choice and improve your writing structure.