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Grammar and Proper Punctuation Cheat Sheet

Are you in search for a sheet to check punctuation using in your text? Then, you have arrived at the right spot online because you will find the proper one to help you improve your skills. If you’re ready, read on and explore the cheat sheet for an error-free document the next time you write for your report, presentation, business meeting or school project.

Practicing with the use of comma, period, dash and hyphen, to name some, with the help of a punctuation cheat sheet improves your writing.  Using the right punctuation marks won’t just make you a good writer, but also a credible, respectable, and professional one. If you want your essays, books, articles, and blogs, to name some, stand out, utilizing proper punctuation will help because they can convey the message you want to say across.  It is always great to check your writing for the correct use of punctuation marks. So if you’d love your readers to love your writing, avoid the following mistakes.

punctuation cheat sheet

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Most Frequently Confused Punctuation Marks

  1. Apostrophes

Many people forget its use in the sentence, and when they use it, they don’t know where to put it.  They write it in the wrong places. It indicates confusion about using contraction and possession.

  • Incorrect: The bag is your’s. Take it.
  • Correct: The bag is yours. Take it.

In cases like the above, you only want to make the plural form. For that, you only need to add “s.” But if you need a possessive form, then you can use an apostrophe.

  • Example: “That is my brother’s car.”

You can also use it for contractions.

  • Example:  Don’t use that door.  It’s broken.
  1. Quotation marks

Use our punctuation checklist if you want to find out how to use these properly.  The problem here is that people don’t know when to use punctuation marks. For example, they use it even without needing them in their write-ups.

  • Example: Our service offers you the ‘best essay’.
  • Correct: Our service offers you the best essay.

To avoid it, you should not quote something if it’s not a direct statement or message. You should not also use them if you are emphasizing a part of a message. You can instead use styles – like an italic or bold format.

  1. Missing Commas

People who don’t know how to use punctuation and not using a proper punctuation cheat sheet for a guide mistakenly use it in their sentences or not use them at all. When not used, sentences become run-on sentences and sentences without pauses. To avoid it, read your sentence aloud, and determine to break it in your speech. Insert the comma to the pauses.

  • Example: I ran to the store but it was closed.
  • Correct: I ran to the store, but it was closed.
  1. Excessive Commas

It is possible to use too many commas in a sentence too.  You are the best judge on the limits of comma use in your sentence. If you noticed too many of them, you have to break the sentences and create separate ones.

  • Incorrect: I Example: ran to the store, but it was closed, so I had to go back home, tell mom, go to another store, and buy the stuff.
  • Correct: I ran to the store, but it was closed. I had to go back home to tell mom before going to another store to buy the stuff.
  1. Too many exclamation marks

Some people are too excited!!! They use too many of these in the sentence. Little they know it overwhelms readers. Use only one.

  • Incorrect: Our products sell like pancakes. Buy one before they go out of stock!!!!!
  • Correct: Our products sell like pancakes. Buy one before they go out of stock!
  1. Hyphens versus dash

Not using a reference like a proper punctuation cheat sheet, you can mistakenly misuse these.  Those horizontal lines aren’t the same.

Hyphen

  • Incorrect: Our products are high – quality.
  • Correct:  Our products are high-quality.

Dash

  • Incorrect: I like chocolate-it is tastier than other candies.
  • Correct: I like chocolate – it is tastier than other candies.

Use Our Punctuation Checklist for Help

There you have some useful tips to know from this punctuation checklist so that you can have an easier time the next time you want review correct use and that you can learn proper ways to check punctuation errors. Refer to our infographic at on how to use punctuation marks correctly. We provide a cheat sheet for punctuation so that you can avoid the confusion and write better starting today.

Seek help from the pros and master punctuation marks using our punctuation cheat sheet today!