English Punctuation – Rules and Examples
Learn when to use commas, semicolons and other punctuation marks in English. Compare examples and practise with an interactive quiz.
English punctuation marks
English uses familiar punctuation marks, but some rules and conventions differ between British and American English.
| Mark | Name | Example |
|---|---|---|
| , | comma | Yes, I agree. |
| . | full stop (UK) / period (US) | She is here. |
| ? | question mark | Are you ready? |
| ! | exclamation mark / point | Watch out! |
| : | colon | Bring three things: water, food and a map. |
| ; | semicolon | It was late; we went home. |
| ' | apostrophe | It's Anna's book. |
| “ ” | quotation marks | She said, “Hello.” |
| ( ) | parentheses / brackets (UK) | My sister (who lives in York) is visiting. |
| — | dash | I tried again—and succeeded. |
Basic comma rules in English
Use commas to separate introductory phrases, list items and certain clauses. Comma placement depends on sentence structure.
After dinner, we went for a walk.
We bought apples, pears and oranges.
The optional Oxford comma appears before the final and in a list: apples, pears, and oranges. It is common in American English and in some style guides.
Do you need a comma before and?
A comma is commonly used before and when it joins two independent clauses, especially longer ones. It is usually unnecessary when joining two words or short phrases.
I wanted to go outside, and my sister wanted to stay home.
I bought tea and coffee.
Comma before but
Use a comma before but when it joins two independent clauses. A comma is usually unnecessary when it simply joins words or short phrases.
She was tired, but she finished the work.
The task was difficult but interesting.
Comma before that
Do not normally put a comma before that when it introduces a reported statement or a defining relative clause.
She said that she was ready.
The book that you lent me is excellent.
Non-defining relative clauses use commas and typically take who or which, rather than that.
Direct speech
In a common style of direct quotation, a comma introduces the quoted words. Quotation-mark conventions differ between British and American styles.
He said, “I have made up my mind.”
Reported speech
Do not put a comma after said or told when introducing an ordinary reported statement.
He said (that) he had made up his mind.
Commas in relative clauses
Defining relative clauses identify which person or thing we mean and do not take commas. Non-defining relative clauses add extra information and are set off by commas.
The travellers who knew about the accident took another road.
Only the travellers who knew about the accident took another road.
The travellers, who knew about the accident, took another road.
All the travellers referred to knew about the accident and took another road.
Commas in large numbers
English often uses commas to separate groups of three digits: 1,000 · 12,500 · 1,000,000. Some international and technical styles use spaces instead.
Joining independent clauses
Related independent clauses can be joined with a semicolon or with a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction.
We fished all day; we didn't catch a thing.
We fished all day; however, we didn't catch a thing.
We fished all day, but we didn't catch a thing.
English punctuation quiz
Choose the correctly punctuated sentence and check the explanation.