Punctuation Master

Learn English punctuation, spacing, and formatting through fun exercises!
(The American English usage prevails.)

Basic Punctuation Marks

Period (.)

Used to end a sentence.

Example: I love learning English.

Question Mark (?)

Used at the end of a question.

Example: Do you speak English?

Comma (,)

Used to separate items in a list or to separate clauses.

Example: I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.

Exclamation Mark (!)

Used to show strong emotion or emphasis.

Example: That's amazing!

Proper Spacing with Punctuation

Spacing Rules

  • No space before punctuation marks (period, comma, question mark, exclamation mark)
  • One space after punctuation marks

Examples:

Incorrect: I bought apples , oranges , and bananas.
Correct: I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.

Capitalization Rules

Capitalization

  • Capitalize the first word of every sentence
  • Capitalize proper nouns (names, places, brands)

Example: My friend John visited Paris last summer.

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Add the missing punctuation

Score: 0/5

Select the correct punctuation for each sentence:

1. Where are you going

2. I need three items a pen, paper, and eraser

3. That was an amazing performance

4. She bought apples oranges, and bananas

5. The class ends at 3 PM

Exercise 2: Fix the spacing

Score: 0/3

Click on each sentence to fix the spacing:

I bought apples , oranges , and bananas .
Where are you going ? I need to know .
He loves pizza ! It's his favorite food .

Exercise 3: Fix the capitalization

Score: 0/3

Click on each sentence to fix the capitalization:

my friend john lives in new york.
the movie starts at 8 pm on friday.
she studies english and spanish at harvard university.

Punctuation Challenge

Fix all the errors in this text

Score: 0/10

Instructions: Click on the text to edit and fix all punctuation, spacing, and capitalization errors.

last summer i visited paris rome and barcelona the weather was amazing do you know what i enjoyed most it was the food my favorite restaurants were cafe marche in paris trattoria romano in rome and el quim in barcelona

Advanced Punctuation Marks

Quotation Marks (" " and ' ')

Used to indicate direct speech or quotations; a quote or certain title within a quote.

Double quotation marks: She said, "I'll be there soon."

Single quotation marks: She said, "'Dream of the Red Chamber' is a classic novel."

Semicolon (;)

Used to connect related independent clauses.

Example: I have a big test tomorrow; I need to study tonight.

Colon (:)

Used to introduce a list, explanation, or definition.

Example: I need three things: a pen, paper, and a calculator.

Hyphen (-)

Used to join words or parts of words.

Example: This is a well-written essay.

Dash (—)

Used to indicate a break in thought or to emphasize information.

Example: The concert which was sold out was amazing.

Ellipsis (...)

Used to indicate an omission or a pause in speech.

Example: I'm not sure... maybe we should wait.

Parentheses ( )

Used to include additional information or clarification.

Example: The meeting (which lasted two hours) was productive.

Apostrophe (')

Used to show possession or contraction.

Possession: That is John's book.

Contraction: I'm going to the store.

Advanced Punctuation Practice

Exercise: Choose the correct advanced punctuation

Score: 0/5

Select the correct punctuation for each sentence:

1. She said ___ I'll be there at 8 PM ___

2. I need to buy several items ___ milk, bread, eggs, and cheese.

3. I'm not sure what to do ___ perhaps we should ask for help.

4. The concert ___ which was sold out ___ was amazing.

5. I have a big test tomorrow ___ I need to study tonight.

Advanced Challenge: Fix all punctuation

Score: 0/10

Instructions: Click on the text to edit and fix all punctuation errors, including advanced punctuation.

the professor said the exam which is scheduled for friday will cover chapters 1 5 she mentioned that we should focus on three main topics grammar vocabulary and writing she added i expect everyone to be well prepared