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Punctuation Examples & Worksheets

Punctuation is "the use of spacing, conventional signs, and certain typographical devices as aids to the understanding and correct reading, both silently and aloud, of handwritten and printed texts."

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Punctuation includes marks, not words, that help the structure of a sentence and help the reader understand or navigate that sentence: Punctuation includes commas, semicolons, colons, periods, quotations, and apostrophes. Punctuation helps the reader know where sentences begin or end. They also can help you understand when to breathe or pause when reading a sentence. Punctuation is important because it makes writing and sentences clear, effective, and understandable. Punctuation helps convey ideas to your reader by guiding them through your language, sentences, and thoughts.

Periods are a form of punctuation that signals the end of a sentence, or where a sentence stops. Look at the sentences below.

-John went to the store. He needed to buy soap.

-I walked down to my friend’s house. She asked me to come over.

You can see that the periods tell us when a complete sentence, or a complete thought, ends. In this way, we know when a new sentence begins. We have other punctuation marks that end a sentence, but they give us more emotion. An exclamation mark is a punctuation mark that both ends a sentence and gives us stronger emotion.

-I love panda bears!

-Look at that mountain!

-I cannot believe that!

Question marks indicate the end of a sentence and that the speaker is asking a question.

  • Do you like strawberries?

See how the exclamation mark both ends the sentence and helps the speaker or writer convey strong emotions, like anger, excitement, or nervousness.

Commas help us break down sentences or show us when we need to pause in a sentence: they can also combine two complete thoughts or sentences.

Look at how the list below uses commas. The commas separate the items in the list so that we may read it easily and understand each item the individual needs at the market.

  • I went to the market to buy oranges, apples, carrots, and bananas.

Commas can combine two full clauses.

  • She likes to play the piano, and she likes to play the drums.

Commas can tell us when to naturally pause when reading a sentence or when there needs to be emphasis.

  • Despite the fact it is raining, I still want to go to the zoo.

Quotations are punctuation marks that tell us when someone is talking

  • John said, “We saw giraffes at the zoo.”

Colons link two independent clauses, especially when the second clause directly relates to or stresses the first clause.

  • Never look directly at the sun: The light could damage your eyes.

All of these punctuation marks help us read through the sentences and better understand them, as well as make the writing look neater. They not only create proper structure, but they can also give emotion to sentences.

Punctuation Resources

Punctuation Worksheets

This bundle contains 5 ready-to-use Punctuation worksheets that are perfect to test student knowledge and understanding of punctuation. You can use these Punctuation worksheets in the classroom with students, or with home schooled children as well.

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Link will appear as Punctuation Examples & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, January 12, 2018

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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