PUNCTUATION RULES!

Quotation marks belong at the beginning and end of words a person speaks. 

                   "Take out the trash!" said Mom.                                                                                          

The question mark comes at the end of a question.

                    Do you know what time it is?

Use a comma to separate each item in a series or list.  A comma also separate two complete thoughts in a sentence.

                    Tina ate quesadillas, ham, potatoes, and steak.  OR  Mike went to work, and Kip went rollerblading.

Use an exclamation point after a word or sentence that expresses strong feelings.

                Happy birthday!

An apostrophe takes the place of a letter and changes two words into one word.  An apostrophe is used with the letter s to show ownership or possession.

                   Don't talk to strangers.  OR  Those are Deb's keychains.

The colon lets you know what time it is.  It separates the big guys (hours) from the little guys (minutes).

                The game starts at 5:30. 

The period is the stop sign at the end of a sentence or complete thought.  It is also used in abbreviations.

                   Mrs. Wright likes to eat apples.