Periods (.)
* Used at the end of a declarative sentence.
* Used after abbreviations (e.g., Dr., U.S.A.).
* Used to indicate the end of a list.
Question Marks (?)
* Used at the end of a question.
* Used in indirect questions to indicate uncertainty (e.g., "I wonder if it will rain?").
Exclamation Marks (!)
* Used at the end of a sentence to express strong emotion, surprise, or excitement.
* Can also be used after interjections (e.g., "Ouch!").
Commas (,)
* Used to separate items in a list.
* Used to separate independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (e.g., "I went to the store, and I bought some milk.").
* Used after introductory phrases or clauses.
* Used to separate words, phrases, or clauses in a series.
* Used to set off nonessential clauses or phrases.
Semicolons (;)
* Used to separate independent clauses that are closely related in meaning.
* Used to separate items in a list when those items already contain commas.
Colons (:)
* Used to introduce a list, explanation, or quotation.
* Used to separate hours and minutes in time.
Apostrophes (')
* Used to show possession (e.g., "the cat's tail").
* Used to form contractions (e.g., "don't," "can't").
* Used to form plurals of letters, numbers, and symbols (e.g., "a's," "1980s," "'s").
Quotation Marks (" ")
* Used to enclose direct quotations.
* Used to enclose titles of short works (e.g., poems, songs, articles).
Parentheses ( )
* Used to enclose additional information, explanations, or comments.
Brackets [ ]
* Used to enclose explanations or corrections within a quotation.
* Used to indicate missing words or letters in a text.
Hyphens (-)
* Used to connect compound words (e.g., "well-being").
* Used to separate parts of a word when it is broken at the end of a line.
* Used to indicate a range of numbers or dates (e.g., "pages 25-30").
Dashes (—)
* Used to separate a word or phrase from the rest of the sentence to add emphasis.
* Used to indicate a sudden break in thought.
* Used to set off a parenthetical phrase that is already set off by commas.
Ellipses (...)
* Used to indicate omitted words or sentences in a quotation.
* Used to suggest that a thought is trailing off.
Slash (/)
* Used to separate two or more alternatives (e.g., "and/or").
* Used to indicate a fraction (e.g., 1/2).
This is not an exhaustive list, but it covers the most commonly used punctuation marks in English. There are also several less common punctuation marks that have specific uses.