Punctuation Resources

Not all written languages use punctuation. Can you imagine? It would be like reading one long run-on sentence. Thankfully, English uses periods, question marks, and commas, so we can quickly clarify the meaning of sentences.

Punctuation divides up language into units of meaning using special symbols. The symbols end sentences and mark elements of syntax to ease reading comprehension. Each symbol does a different job. Here are some reminders for teaching punctuation:

• Periods mark sentence breaks. They conclude most sentences like declarative statements and indirect questions. Periods are also used in abbreviations, like “2 a.m.”
• Commas wear many hats. They mark off lists, occur in direct address, separate digits in numbers, set apart nonessential information, and play an important role in marking different types of clauses.
• Question marks occur at the end of questions.
• Quotation marks set off direct speech.
• Semicolons behave like stronger commas. They are used in complex lists, can separate clauses, especially when transition words are used, or can replace a part of a clause that does not need to be repeated, like “in 1980, thirty people jumped in the lake; in 2000, fifty.”

First and second-grade punctuation resources will isolate one kind of punctuation to learn, like periods. Third through fifth-grade resources will diversify how kids learn punctuation through editing, adding complex punctuation to stories, or creative writing. Get punctuation help with our resources! Or, if you are done learning punctuation, move on to our resources on grammar.