The Big Four: . , ? !

Punctuation is like road signs in writing. Without signs, traffic crashes. And without punctuation, sentences crash too.

Full stop: this idea ends here. Comma: take a very short breath, or start a new item in a list. Question mark: I am asking you something. And the exclamation mark shows feeling or warning.

Here is a list. A sandwich, comma, an apple, comma, my water bottle, and then and my cap. Commas separate each item, and and sits just before the very last one.

The comma has two more jobs. It joins two ideas with a word like but: I ran, but I was late. And it follows an opening phrase: after lunch, we walked. Say it aloud and you will hear the pause.

And here is the mistake I see most. A comma cannot join two whole sentences by itself. I ran, I was late. Wrong. Write: I ran, but I was late. Or make it two sentences.

You can now use all four marks, punctuate a list, and join two ideas without creating a comma crash. On to the quiz.