The 69 Rules of Punctuation

PUetuation The 69 Rules Use to insert Use to clarify Use to "sic" to Use to indicate indicate separate verbs with Use to modify Use to identify an error or sarcasm or appositives. Use for common words within separate coordinating conjunctions where there snarkiness. typo. when italics Use to Use when addressing Use to create prefixes. compound adjectives. Use to join prefixes to capitalized words. direct a quote to fit were used in a separate larger sentence quotes of people or characters. [] quote to add interjections. a word as a emphasis. Use to are two word. Use to separate items in a independent clauses. separate cities and Use to insert Use to insert parenthetical Use to counties from Use when referencing a chapter, song, article, or other short non-quoted list. Use to quote a dictionary definition. Use to separate a dependent separate the states. Use to create two-digit numbers. material inside comments Use to join a number to a day of the month from in a direct Use when placing a nickname parentheses. Use to Use to separate coordinate word. quote. clause. the year. Use after Use to join a prefix to a Use to give emphatic clarification. separate introductory phrases. media. abbreviations between i.e. and e.g. Use to separate numbers date. adjectives. Use to someone's full Use to show separate a conditional name. excitement Use to show Use after the and gusto. Use to larger than anger. clause. salutation Use to separate prefixes and suffixes with three consecutive letters. 999. in a formal separate a direct letter. Use to Use to expand a main clause. address. separate titles from Use to Use to show separate complex list items. Use to subtitles. create a a person plural for a single letter. being cut off in speech. Use to Use to Use to show indicate Use to make Use to introduce designate time (separate hour from minutes), a quote within a hesitating speech in dialogue. a noun possessive. Use to show a trailing off in speech. lists. quote. Use to Use to join two related complete Use to show separate list items a ratio. Use to omit words in a direct quote. Use to omit Use to make Use to create letters and that include abbreviations. an acronym possessive. sentences. numbers. commas. Use to end Use to create plural possessions. Use to identify less-common a sentence Use to show dialogue in a play. fragment for emphasis. Use to acronyms. clarify with added Use to indicate a period of time, replacing "to" or Use to ask a question mid- Use to detail mid- Use to Use to clarify a writer's Use to end a complete sentence. Use to ask a interrupt a thought or change direction. expand Use to create sentence. “through." question or show a question Is being asked (end of sentence). a main Use to insert state of mind. compound possessions. Use cite sentence. clause with related but sources at emphasis. unnecessary information the end of a mid-sentence. sentence. () Use to show a title in a heading. Em Dashes Quotation Marks Colons Hyphens Parentheses Apostrophes En Dashes Exclamation Marks Brackets Semicolons Question Marks Ellipses Periods Commas *There are exceptions to these rules and there are other rules beyond these 69. This chart represents the most commonly accepted ways to use punctuation in English. TheVisualCommunicationGuy.com | 2015