End Punctuation:
* Period (.) Used to mark the end of a declarative sentence (a statement). Example: "The cat sat on the mat."
* Question Mark (?) Used to mark the end of an interrogative sentence (a question). Example: "Are you going to the store?"
* Exclamation Mark (!) Used to mark the end of an exclamatory sentence (a sentence expressing strong emotion). Example: "Wow, that was amazing!"
Internal Punctuation:
* Comma (,) Used to separate items in a list, to separate independent clauses joined by a conjunction, to set off introductory phrases, and for other purposes. Example: "I bought apples, oranges, and bananas."
* Semicolon (;) Used to separate independent clauses that are closely related in meaning, and to separate items in a list that already contains commas. Example: "The sun was shining; the birds were singing."
* Colon (:) Used to introduce a list, explanation, or quotation. Example: "Here are the ingredients: flour, sugar, and butter."
* Dash (-) Used to indicate a break or interruption in thought, to emphasize a word or phrase, and to set off parenthetical elements. Example: "He was a good man—the best I ever knew."
* Hyphen (-) Used to join words together, to indicate a word break at the end of a line, and to create compound words. Example: "She was well-dressed and well-spoken."
* Parentheses ( ) Used to enclose additional information that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. Example: "The book (published in 2000) became a bestseller."
* Brackets [ ] Used to enclose explanatory or editorial material inserted into a quoted passage. Example: "He said, 'The book [The Lord of the Rings] is my favorite.'"
Other Punctuation:
* Apostrophe (') Used to indicate possession, contractions, and missing letters. Example: "The cat's tail," "It's a beautiful day," "He's going to the store."
* Quotation Marks (" ") Used to enclose direct quotations, titles of short works, and words used in a special sense. Example: "He said, 'Hello.'"
* Ellipsis (...) Used to indicate an omission of words in a quoted passage, or to suggest a trailing off of thought. Example: "He said, 'I... I don't know what to say.'"
* Slash (/) Used to separate alternatives, to indicate a range, and to represent per in fractions. Example: "He/She is coming," "Pages 100/150," "1/2 cup."
It's important to note that punctuation rules can vary depending on the style guide being used. Some common style guides include the Chicago Manual of Style, the Associated Press Stylebook, and the MLA Handbook.