Punctuation And Mechanics: Reading And Language Arts Terms Explained
Plain-language definitions of every punctuation and mechanics term your child meets in school, each with kid-friendly explanations, worked examples, and common mistakes to watch for.
Apostrophe
An apostrophe is a punctuation mark (') used to show that something belongs to someone or something, or to show that one or more letters have been left out of a word.
Capitalization
Capitalization is using capital (uppercase) letters in the correct places in writing, such as at the beginning of sentences, for the word "I," and for names of specific people, places, and things.
Colon
A colon is a punctuation mark made of two stacked dots (:) that is used to introduce a list, explanation, example, or quotation, and in some number formats like time.
Comma
A comma is a punctuation mark (,) that shows a small pause in a sentence, separates items in a list, and helps make the meaning of a sentence clear.
Comma splice
A comma splice is a punctuation mistake that happens when two complete sentences are joined with only a comma instead of correct punctuation or a joining word.
Dash
A dash is a punctuation mark used to show a strong break in a sentence, to add extra information, or to create emphasis or drama in writing.
Ellipsis
An ellipsis is a punctuation mark made of three dots (...) that shows words have been left out or that a thought or sentence trails off.
End punctuation
End punctuation is the punctuation mark at the end of a sentence, usually a period, question mark, or exclamation point, that shows the sentence is finished and tells how it should be read.
Exclamation point
An exclamation point is a punctuation mark (!) used at the end of a sentence or word to show strong feeling, surprise, excitement, or a command.
Hyphen
A hyphen is a short horizontal mark (-) used to join words or parts of words, such as in compound words, word breaks at the end of a line, and some prefixes and suffixes.
Indentation
Indentation is the blank space at the beginning of a line that shows a new paragraph or a special block of text in writing.
Italics
Italics are slanted letters used in writing and printing to show special meaning, such as titles of works, words from other languages, or to add emphasis to certain words in a sentence.
Parentheses
Parentheses are curved punctuation marks ( ) used in writing to add extra information, clarify something, or show that words are less important than the main part of the sentence.
Period (punctuation)
A period (punctuation) is a small dot at the end of a sentence that tells the reader the sentence is finished.
Punctuation
Punctuation is the set of marks, such as periods, commas, and question marks, that help show pauses, endings, and meaning in written sentences.
Question mark
A question mark is a punctuation mark (?) placed at the end of a sentence to show that the sentence is asking a question and expects an answer.
Quotation marks
Quotation marks are punctuation marks that come in pairs (" ") and are used to show the exact words someone says or writes, or to set off certain titles and special words in a sentence.
Semicolon
A semicolon is a punctuation mark (;) used to join two closely related complete sentences or to separate items in a complicated list.
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