Rules for Using Colon

A colon (:) is used to introduce a list.

Ex.: He liked all types of junk foods: fries, pizzas, and burgers.

       The zoo had many wild animals: tigers, lions, and panthers. 

       The restaurant offered various cuisines: Thai, Continental, Chinese, and Indian.

Rules for Using Semicolon

A semicolon (;) is used to distinguish items in a series when those items already contain other punctuation marks.

Ex.: They had planned to visit New York, Las Vegas, and San Francisco in USA; Paris, Switzerland, and Rome in Europe; and Sydney and Tasmania in Australia.

Rules for Using Semicolon

A semicolon (;) is used to link two independent clauses with closely related themes.

Ex.: John graduated in 2011; his brother graduated last year.

       Train is the most preferred public transport; it is cheap and time-saving.

Rules for Using Comma

A comma is used to distinguish direct quotations.

Ex.: Samuel Butler said, “God cannot alter the past, but historians can.”

        “Get out of your car,” the cop ordered. “I need to talk to you.”

Rules for Using Comma

A comma is used after the phrase, which precedes the subject of the sentence.

Ex.: When you reach the station, please call me.

        If you don’t work hard, you can’t succeed in life.

Rules for Using Comma

A comma is used to separate three or more phrases/words/clauses that are written in a series.

Ex.: The government promised to take prompt measures to bring down corruption, inflation, unemployment,    and crime rates.

       The victim was strangled to death, bundled into a sack, and thrown off a bridge.

Rules for Using Comma

A comma together with a conjunction connects two independent clauses.

Ex.: His leg was injured, so he couldn’t run fast.

        He had many cars, yet he chose to travel by bus.

Rules for Using Full Stop

A full stop is used to denote the end of a sentence whose meaning is complete; also, the sentence is not a question or exclamation.

Ex.: Man is a rationale animal.

        Sun rises in the east.

        Birds can fly.

Rules for Using Full Stop

A full stop is used to denote abbreviation. Generally, it is used if a word doesn’t have its last letter.

Ex.: Professor – Prof.

        Mister – Mr (No full stop is used here as the first and last letters are there)

        Doctor – Dr

      

Exception: The above is followed as per UK English. As per US English, it is written as Mr. and Dr.

Rules for Using Full Stop

A full stop should not be used when the sentence ends with a question mark or exclamation mark.

Incorrect Usage: When will you return home?.

                             What a spectacular display of fireworks!.

Correct Usage: When will you return home?

                           What a spectacular display of fireworks! 

Use of Hyphens

A hyphen (-) is used to link compound adjectives to indicate that they are a part of the same adjective.

Ex.: ten-storey, two-seater, first-rate worker, left-handed, good-hearted, etc. 

Use of Hyphens

A hyphen (-) is used to indicate some kind of break in word/text, especially at the end of a line. The syllable breaking conventions should be as per the dictionary.

Ex.: discussion (dis·cus·sion); proper (prop·er); accident (ac·ci·dent), etc.

Use of Apostrophes

An apostrophe should not be used with possessive pronouns, which already indicate possession.

Ex.: theirs, hers, ours, yours, whose, etc.

Incorrect: That car is her’s.

Correct: That car is hers.

Use of Apostrophes

An apostrophe is used to indicate the omission of letter(s)/numbers.

Ex.: You’re (You are).

        She’s (She is/She has).

        I’ll (I will/I shall).

                ’84 (1984).

Use of Apostrophes

An apostrophe is to be used to show possession, i.e., when we need to denote that a person/thing belongs to someone/something.

Ex.: Tom’s shirt (Tom’s shirt was neatly ironed).

        Dog’s paw (That dog’s paw was bleeding).

                Book’s cover (That kid tore my favorite book’s cover).

Unnecessary articles

Using the after whose

Note: The definite article should not be used after the relative determiner whose.

Incorrect Usage: The lady, whose the purse was stolen, has gone to the police station.

                                           

Correct Usage: The lady, whose purse was stolen, has gone to the police station.

Wrong Placement of Adverbs

Rule: Adverbs of definite time should generally be placed at the end of a sentence.

Incorrect Usage: I today morning returned from New York.

                                           

Correct Usage: I returned from New York today morning.

Note: In case, the time factor has to be emphasized, the adverb is put in the beginning (Yesterday, I went to watch a movie).

Wrong Placement of Adverbs

Rule: When both adverb of time and adverb of place are to be used in a sentence, adverb of place should come first.

Incorrect Usage: We had a meeting with the client yesterday here.

                                           

Correct Usage: We had a meeting with the client here yesterday.

Wrong Placement of Adverbs

Rule: The adverb enough should be placed after its qualifying word, not before.

Incorrect Usage: The hall was enough big to accommodate 100 persons.

                                           

Correct Usage: The hall was big enough to accommodate 100 persons.

Confused Prepositions

To and At

Rule: to is used to express motion; at is used to denote a position.

Incorrect Usage: (a) We go at church every Sunday.

  (b) The guard was positioned to the gate.                                         

Correct Usage: (a) We go to church every Sunday.

                             (b) The guard was positioned at the gate.

Confused Prepositions

In and At

Rule: in is used to describe the physical location of something; at is used when we refer to an address, place, building, etc. It is also used in cases where the location is not an issue; rather, what we do there is important (school, park, mall, hospital, etc.).

Incorrect Usage: (a) Henry owns a mansion at New York.

  (b) The British Prime Minister stays in 10 Downing Street.                                          

Correct Usage: (a) Henry owns a mansion in New York.

                             (b) The British Prime Minister stays at 10 Downing Street.

Confused Prepositions

On, At, and In (time factor)

Rule: on is used with the days of the week or month (on Sunday, on February 15, etc.); at is used to denote the exact time (at dawn, at 10 o’clock, etc.); and in is used with a period of time (in spring, in the evening, etc.).

Incorrect Usage: (a) The delegates will arrive at Monday.

  (b) He goes to bed on 11 o’clock.

  (c) My mother goes for a walk at the evening.                                

Correct Usage:    (a) The delegates will arrive on Monday.

                                (b) He goes to bed at 11 o’clock.

                                (c) My mother goes for a walk in the evening.