Punctuation and Speech

Accurate punctuation makes your writing clear and professional. In the SET Stage 1 comprehension, questions may test your understanding of how punctuation affects meaning. In Stage 2, examiners award marks for correct and varied punctuation in your extended writing. This lesson covers the punctuation you need to master for the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test.

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Essential Punctuation Marks

Mark	Name	Main Use
.	Full stop	Ends a statement
?	Question mark	Ends a question
!	Exclamation mark	Ends an exclamation or a strong command
,	Comma	Separates items in a list, marks pauses, separates clauses
:	Colon	Introduces a list, explanation, or example
;	Semicolon	Joins two closely related main clauses without a conjunction
-	Hyphen	Joins compound words (well-known, ice-cream)
--	Dash	Adds extra information or creates emphasis
...	Ellipsis	Shows a pause, trailing off, or words left out
( )	Brackets (parentheses)	Enclose extra information

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Commas: The Rules You Must Know

Commas are the most frequently misused punctuation mark. Here are the key rules:

1. Commas in lists

Separate items in a list with commas: "I packed sandwiches, crisps, fruit, and a drink."

2. Commas after fronted adverbials

When a sentence begins with an adverbial phrase, place a comma after it: "Cautiously, the fox approached the clearing."

3. Commas in complex sentences

When a subordinate clause comes first, use a comma before the main clause: "Although the sky was dark, we decided to walk."

4. Commas for parenthesis

Use a pair of commas to enclose extra information: "The castle, which was built in 1066, dominated the skyline."

Common mistake: A comma splice is when you join two main clauses with just a comma and no conjunction. This is incorrect:

Wrong: "The train arrived, everyone rushed to the platform."

Correct: "The train arrived, and everyone rushed to the platform."

Also correct: "The train arrived**;** everyone rushed to the platform."

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Colons and Semicolons

Colons

A colon introduces what comes next — a list, an explanation, or an example:

• "She had three hobbies**:** swimming, reading, and drawing."
• "There was one thing he feared**:** the dark."

Semicolons

A semicolon joins two closely related main clauses that could each stand alone:

• "The sun was setting**;** the sky turned a brilliant orange."

Tip: Using semicolons correctly in your SET Stage 2 writing shows the examiner that you have an advanced understanding of punctuation.

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Apostrophes

Apostrophes have two jobs: