Sure! Here’s a quick overview of common punctuation marks and their uses:
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Period (.)
- Used to indicate the end of a declarative sentence.
- Example: "She enjoys reading."
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Comma (,)
- Used to separate items in a list, clauses, or ideas within a sentence.
- Example: "I bought apples, oranges, and bananas."
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Question Mark (?)
- Used at the end of a direct question.
- Example: "How are you?"
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Exclamation Mark (!)
- Used to indicate strong emotion or emphasis.
- Example: "Watch out!"
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Colon (:)
- Used to introduce a list, explanation, or quotation.
- Example: "You need the following items: a pen, paper, and a ruler."
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Semicolon (;)
- Used to connect closely related independent clauses or to separate items in a complex list.
- Example: "She loves painting; he prefers drawing."
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Quotation Marks (“ ”)
- Used to denote spoken dialogue or to highlight specific phrases or terms.
- Example: "He said, 'I'll be there soon.'"
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Apostrophe (’)
- Used to indicate possession or to form contractions.
- Example: "That's Sarah's book."
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Hyphen (-)
- Used to join words together or to separate syllables.
- Example: "State-of-the-art technology."
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Dash (—)
- Used to indicate a pause or break in thought, or to set off additional information.
- Example: "I was going to buy a new car—until I saw the price."
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Parentheses (())
- Used to enclose additional information or clarifications.
- Example: "He finally won the race (after three tries)."
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Brackets ([])
- Used to include explanatory information or corrections within quoted material.
- Example: "He [the manager] approved the budget."
If you have any specific questions or need clarification on any punctuation marks, feel free to ask!