Punctuation - SAT Reading & Writing

A period ends a declarative sentence. Periods provide closure to complete thoughts.

She said, 'I love ice cream.'. Quotation marks and comma set off direct speech.

No commas needed (essential clause). The relative clause is essential for identifying which brother, so it integrates without commas.

Place the period outside; commas usually go outside parentheses. Main sentence punctuation remains outside parentheses unless the enclosed text is a complete sentence.

A semicolon connects closely related independent clauses. Stronger than a comma, weaker than a period.

Add ’s: the student’s book. 's added to singular nouns forms the possessive, indicating ownership.

Use a colon only after a complete sentence. A colon must follow a complete independent clause to introduce lists, explanations, or elaborations.

Correct: "She moved to Seattle, Washington, in 2020.". A comma after the state isolates the place name when the sentence continues.

John (who is my friend) is visiting. Parentheses enclose additional, nonessential information.

Use semicolons between items. Semicolons clarify separation in lists where individual items already contain commas.

Add ’ after the s: the students’ books. An apostrophe after the 's' in regular plurals indicates possession without adding another 's'.

Correct: "The teachers’ lounge is closed.". An apostrophe after 'teachers' denotes possession by multiple teachers.

Use parentheses to enclose extra, interrupting information. Parentheses enclose supplementary or interrupting details that are not essential to the main sentence.

its. 'Its' functions as a possessive pronoun referring to the company's profits.

Correct: "On July 4, 1776, the document was signed.". A comma after the year separates the full date from the continuing sentence.

A colon. Colons commonly follow independent clauses to provide explanations or elaborations in SAT passages.

Ellipsis indicates omitted material or a trailing off. Three dots show incomplete thoughts or pauses.

An apostrophe indicates possession. Shows ownership or belonging to someone or something.

Use a comma: city, state; and another comma after the state if sentence continues. Commas separate city from state and state from the continuing sentence for proper address formatting.

Period. A period ends statements and declarative sentences.

Use ; before and , after: clause 1; however, clause 2. A semicolon precedes the conjunctive adverb, and a comma follows it to properly join the independent clauses.

Quotation marks. Quotation marks enclose the exact words someone spoke or wrote.

Use a comma before the conjunction: clause 1, and clause 2. A comma before the coordinating conjunction properly separates the two independent clauses to avoid a run-on.

To connect closely related independent clauses. Semicolons link independent clauses that are closely related in meaning.

Use a comma after an introductory element. A comma separates introductory elements from the main clause to improve readability and structure.

Correct: "Marie Curie, the scientist, won two Nobel Prizes.". Commas set off the nonessential appositive 'the scientist' as it adds extra information about Curie.

A comma separates coordinate adjectives. Coordinate adjectives modify the noun equally.

Correct: 'The book is John's, not mine.'. The possessive form "John's" requires an apostrophe to show ownership.

The list includes: apples, oranges, bananas. Colon introduces what follows after a complete sentence.

Correct: "After the lecture, we asked questions.". A comma follows the introductory dependent clause to separate it from the independent clause.

Parentheses. Parentheses set off additional information that could be removed without changing the main meaning.

A colon introduces a list or explanation. Signals that important information follows.

Colon. A colon signals that a list or explanation follows.

No change needed. The sentence is not a comma splice because 'but' is a coordinating conjunction requiring the comma.

Correct: "She bought three items: pens, paper, and ink.". The colon follows an independent clause to introduce the clarifying list of items.

Use the comma: "a bright, sunny day". 'Bright' and 'sunny' are coordinate adjectives that equally describe 'day,' necessitating a comma.

Wow! That is amazing. Exclamation point shows strong emotional reaction.

Set off nonessential appositives with commas. Nonessential appositives provide additional renaming details and must be separated by commas for clarity.

Quotation marks indicate a direct quotation. Enclose exact words spoken or written by someone.

It’s. 'It’s' is the contraction for 'It is,' fitting the sentence structure.

Correct: 'I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.'. Commas separate items in a series to clarify meaning.

Use a semicolon: clause 1; clause 2. A semicolon connects two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.

Use commas: Month day, year, rest of sentence. Commas set off the year from the day and the rest of the sentence in full dates.

Use two commas: subject, nonessential phrase, verb. Two commas enclose nonessential phrases, indicating they provide additional but removable information.

Correct: "Let us begin, students.". A comma sets off 'students' as direct address at the end of the sentence.

Commas are needed (nonessential clause). The relative clause is nonessential, providing extra information about the brother, thus requiring commas.

Correct: "We visited Austin, Texas; Miami, Florida; and Reno, Nevada.". Semicolons separate the complex list items to avoid ambiguity caused by internal commas.

An em dash. Em dashes can introduce interruptions or emphasis, functioning similarly to colons for added drama.

Correct: "I studied; I improved.". Replacing the comma with a semicolon fixes the comma splice by correctly joining the independent clauses.

My favorite colors are blue, green, and red. Serial comma clarifies the list structure.

A dash sets off information or emphasizes a point. Creates dramatic pauses or highlights information.

Apples, oranges, bananas. Commas separate items in a series.

Separate items with commas. Commas ensure clear separation of three or more items in a series to prevent confusion.

Its = possessive; it’s = it is or it has. 'Its' is possessive without an apostrophe, while 'it’s' contracts 'it is' or 'it has'.

No comma: "three large boxes". 'Three' and 'large' are cumulative adjectives building on each other, so no comma separates them.

Remove the colon: "My goals are to read more and to write daily.". No colon is needed after 'are' because the list functions as the verb complement, not an introduction after a full clause.

He asked, 'Where are you going?'. Comma introduces the quoted question.

Correct: "The dog’s bone was missing.". Adding '’s' to 'dog' shows singular possession of the bone.

Commas are used to surround a nonessential clause. Nonessential clauses can be removed without changing meaning.

The teacher said, 'Study hard.'. Comma and quotation marks properly frame dialogue.

Use one em dash to mark a break; do not add a comma. An em dash joins independent clauses for emphasis, replacing a semicolon or colon without extra punctuation.

An exclamation point indicates strong emotion or emphasis. Conveys excitement, surprise, or forceful commands.

Correct: 'He asked, "Can you help me?"'. Double quotation marks are standard, and the question mark goes inside the quotes.

She bought a new dress; it was expensive. Semicolon properly joins two related complete thoughts.

Correct: 'It's raining outside.'. "It's" is the contraction for "it is" and requires an apostrophe.

It's raining outside. 'It's' is a contraction for 'it is'.

Use a comma between coordinate adjectives. Coordinate adjectives equally modify the noun and can be swapped or joined by 'and,' requiring a comma.

Use an em dash: "surprising—the hypothesis was wrong.". An em dash connects the clauses with emphasis on the surprising revelation in the second clause.

Set off the name with commas: Yes, Maria, I agree. Commas isolate the name in direct address to clearly indicate the person being spoken to.

Use an em dash: "surprising—the hypothesis was wrong.". An em dash connects the clauses with emphasis on the surprising revelation in the second clause.

No commas needed (essential clause). The relative clause is essential for identifying which brother, so it integrates without commas.

Commas are needed (nonessential clause). The relative clause is nonessential, providing extra information about the brother, thus requiring commas.

Set off nonessential appositives with commas. Nonessential appositives provide additional renaming details and must be separated by commas for clarity.

Correct: "Marie Curie, the scientist, won two Nobel Prizes.". Commas set off the nonessential appositive 'the scientist' as it adds extra information about Curie.

Use a comma after an introductory element. A comma separates introductory elements from the main clause to improve readability and structure.

Correct: "After the lecture, we asked questions.". A comma follows the introductory dependent clause to separate it from the independent clause.

Use a comma between coordinate adjectives. Coordinate adjectives equally modify the noun and can be swapped or joined by 'and,' requiring a comma.

Use the comma: "a bright, sunny day". 'Bright' and 'sunny' are coordinate adjectives that equally describe 'day,' necessitating a comma.

No comma: "three large boxes". 'Three' and 'large' are cumulative adjectives building on each other, so no comma separates them.

Separate items with commas. Commas ensure clear separation of three or more items in a series to prevent confusion.

Use semicolons between items. Semicolons clarify separation in lists where individual items already contain commas.

Correct: "We visited Austin, Texas; Miami, Florida; and Reno, Nevada.". Semicolons separate the complex list items to avoid ambiguity caused by internal commas.

Use one em dash to mark a break; do not add a comma. An em dash joins independent clauses for emphasis, replacing a semicolon or colon without extra punctuation.

Use parentheses to enclose extra, interrupting information. Parentheses enclose supplementary or interrupting details that are not essential to the main sentence.

Place the period outside; commas usually go outside parentheses. Main sentence punctuation remains outside parentheses unless the enclosed text is a complete sentence.

Add ’s: the student’s book. 's added to singular nouns forms the possessive, indicating ownership.

Add ’ after the s: the students’ books. An apostrophe after the 's' in regular plurals indicates possession without adding another 's'.

Correct: "The dog’s bone was missing.". Adding '’s' to 'dog' shows singular possession of the bone.

Correct: "The teachers’ lounge is closed.". An apostrophe after 'teachers' denotes possession by multiple teachers.

Its = possessive; it’s = it is or it has. 'Its' is possessive without an apostrophe, while 'it’s' contracts 'it is' or 'it has'.

its. 'Its' functions as a possessive pronoun referring to the company's profits.

It’s. 'It’s' is the contraction for 'It is,' fitting the sentence structure.

Use a comma: city, state; and another comma after the state if sentence continues. Commas separate city from state and state from the continuing sentence for proper address formatting.

Correct: "She moved to Seattle, Washington, in 2020.". A comma after the state isolates the place name when the sentence continues.

Use commas: Month day, year, rest of sentence. Commas set off the year from the day and the rest of the sentence in full dates.

Correct: "On July 4, 1776, the document was signed.". A comma after the year separates the full date from the continuing sentence.

Set off the name with commas: Yes, Maria, I agree. Commas isolate the name in direct address to clearly indicate the person being spoken to.

Correct: "Let us begin, students.". A comma sets off 'students' as direct address at the end of the sentence.

Use ; before and , after: clause 1; however, clause 2. A semicolon precedes the conjunctive adverb, and a comma follows it to properly join the independent clauses.

Use a comma before the conjunction: clause 1, and clause 2. A comma before the coordinating conjunction properly separates the two independent clauses to avoid a run-on.

Correct: "I studied; I improved.". Replacing the comma with a semicolon fixes the comma splice by correctly joining the independent clauses.

No change needed. The sentence is not a comma splice because 'but' is a coordinating conjunction requiring the comma.

Use a colon only after a complete sentence. A colon must follow a complete independent clause to introduce lists, explanations, or elaborations.

Correct: "She bought three items: pens, paper, and ink.". The colon follows an independent clause to introduce the clarifying list of items.

Remove the colon: "My goals are to read more and to write daily.". No colon is needed after 'are' because the list functions as the verb complement, not an introduction after a full clause.

A colon. Colons commonly follow independent clauses to provide explanations or elaborations in SAT passages.

An em dash. Em dashes can introduce interruptions or emphasis, functioning similarly to colons for added drama.

Use two commas: subject, nonessential phrase, verb. Two commas enclose nonessential phrases, indicating they provide additional but removable information.

Correct: 'The book is John's, not mine.'. The possessive form "John's" requires an apostrophe to show ownership.

Colon. A colon signals that a list or explanation follows.

Correct: 'I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.'. Commas separate items in a series to clarify meaning.

Quotation marks. Quotation marks enclose the exact words someone spoke or wrote.

Period. A period ends statements and declarative sentences.

Correct: 'He asked, "Can you help me?"'. Double quotation marks are standard, and the question mark goes inside the quotes.

Correct: 'It's raining outside.'. "It's" is the contraction for "it is" and requires an apostrophe.

Apostrophe. The apostrophe shows ownership or possession in nouns.

The list includes: apples, oranges, bananas. Colon introduces what follows after a complete sentence.

My favorite colors are blue, green, and red. Serial comma clarifies the list structure.

Quotation marks indicate a direct quotation. Enclose exact words spoken or written by someone.

John (who is my friend) is visiting. Parentheses enclose additional, nonessential information.

A comma separates coordinate adjectives. Coordinate adjectives modify the noun equally.

Wow! That is amazing. Exclamation point shows strong emotional reaction.

He asked, 'Where are you going?'. Comma introduces the quoted question.

Ellipsis indicates omitted material or a trailing off. Three dots show incomplete thoughts or pauses.

Commas are used to surround a nonessential clause. Nonessential clauses can be removed without changing meaning.

A dash sets off information or emphasizes a point. Creates dramatic pauses or highlights information.

The teacher said, 'Study hard.'. Comma and quotation marks properly frame dialogue.

A period ends a declarative sentence. Periods provide closure to complete thoughts.

A colon introduces a list or explanation. Signals that important information follows.

It's raining outside. 'It's' is a contraction for 'it is'.

She said, 'I love ice cream.'. Quotation marks and comma set off direct speech.

She bought a new dress; it was expensive. Semicolon properly joins two related complete thoughts.

An exclamation point indicates strong emotion or emphasis. Conveys excitement, surprise, or forceful commands.

Apples, oranges, bananas. Commas separate items in a series.

An apostrophe indicates possession. Shows ownership or belonging to someone or something.

A semicolon connects closely related independent clauses. Stronger than a comma, weaker than a period.