4. Punctuation

The importance of punctuation marks in English is indisputable. They are indispensable to help a reader to understand exactly what is meant by the written or printed matter. There are cases when the meaning of this or that sentence depends entirely upon its punctuation. Though such sentences are regarded to be of a bad quality, they persist. The best sentence is that which stands least in need of punctuation. Good writers try to depend upon punctuation as little as possible. But they cannot do without it altogether.

The main punctuation marks used in English are the following:

.	the full stop, the period
?	the mark (point, note) of interrogation, the question mark, the interrogation mark (point)
!	the mark (point) of exclamation, the exclamation point (note)
,	the comma
;	the semicolon
:	the colon
	the dash
“ ”	(double) quotation marks, inverted commas, double quotes
‘	the apostrophe
-	the hyphen
( )	parentheses, marks of parenthesis, (round) brackets
…	a series of periods, suspension periods, leaders, the ellipsis

4.1. The full stop or the period is to be used:

(1) to mark the end of a complete sentence that is neither a question nor an exclamation;

(2) to indicate an abbreviation or an abbreviated title:

I.e. (that is); e.g. (for example); viz. (namely); etc. (and so forth); ltd. (limited);

p. (page); Mr. (Mister); Dr. (Doctor); N.Y. (New York); R.E. Jameson, Esq. (Esquire);

D.C. (District of Columbia);

There is a tendency, however, to omit the full stop in some abbreviations:

UNO (United Nations Organization); GMT (Greenwich Mean Time); PO (Post Office); WW I (World War I);

(3) to join fractions to whole numbers in decimals (decimal fractions are said with each figure separate):

0.5 (nought point five, or point five); 3.375 (three point three seven five); 25.999 (twenty-five point nine nine nine).

4.2. The note of interrogation (the question mark) is to be used:

(1) after every direct question:

Note that the question mark is not needed when a question is only reported as having been asked, e.g.: When I looked in at the door, the woman asked me what I wanted.

(2) after an indirect question if the main clause is also a question:

Do you know where they will be? (G. Greene)

What did you say your name was, honey? (M. Twain)

(3) at the end of a sentence that is not a question in form, but containing the information which requires an answer:

We expect you will want to stay at the Carlton Hotel?

"You say your hair is gone?" he said, with an air almost of idiocy. (0. Henry)

(4) after a question-tag that is used at the end of a sentence (affirmative or negative) asking for confirmation of something we are not sure about, or for agreement:

You're the new secretary, aren't you?

You haven't seen my watch around, have you?

"Annabel," he said, "give me that rose you are wearing, will you?" (0. Henry)

4.3. The exclamation mark is used:

(1) after utterances which are not complete sentences and which include exclamations:

What wonderful weather! What a beautiful day! How interesting! Good heavens! Goodness gracious!

(2) at the end of exclamatory sentences:

Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom's dying! (M. Twain)

"Francis, will you please try to speak sensibly!" his wife said. (E. Hemingway)

Tom said: "Get away from here!" "Go away yourself!" (M. Twain)

(3) very sparingly after a direct address:

"Oh, Tom! Then I ain't the first you've ever been engaged to!" "Tom! Come back, Tom!" (M. Twain)

(4) at the end of simple sentences denoting wish:

Success attend you in your noble activity! If he could be with us! If only he were more diligent!

Ah, if he could only die temporarily! (M. Twain)

(5) after an isolated and self-contained interjection like Oh.', Ah.', Alas.', Hurrah', Behold!, etc.