1. Period (.) - Used at the end of a sentence, abbreviations, and decimals. *Ex: The cat sat on the mat.*
2. Comma (,) - Separates items in a list, clauses, and phrases. *Ex: I like apples, oranges, and bananas.*
3. Question Mark (?) - Marks the end of a question. *Ex: What time is it?*
4. Exclamation Mark (!) - Shows strong emotion or emphasis. *Ex: Wow! That's amazing!*
5. Colon (:) - Introduces a list, explanation, or example. *Ex: Here are my favorite fruits: apples, oranges, and bananas.*
6. Semicolon (;) - Connects related independent clauses. *Ex: The rain was pouring; I couldn't go outside.*
7. Apostrophe (') - Shows possession, contractions, and plurals of letters. *Ex: John's car, can't, A's*
8. Quotation Marks (" ") - Enclose direct speech, titles, and quotes. *Ex: "Hello," she said.*
9. Parentheses ( ) - Add extra information or clarification. *Ex: The cat (a Siamese) was very playful.*
10. Brackets [ ] - Used to add clarifying information within a quote or for technical reasons. *Ex: The author [John Smith] wrote the book.*
11. Hyphen (-) - Joins words or parts of words together. *Ex: well-known, self-service*
12. Dash (-) - Indicates a sudden break or change in thought. *Ex: I wanted to go to the park, but—oh dear—it's raining.*
13. Ellipsis (...) - Indicates omitted words or a pause. *Ex: He said, "I... I can't believe it."*
14. Slash (/) - Shows an alternative or divides lines of poetry. *Ex: Yes/No, The cat/sat on the mat*
It's important to note that there are additional punctuation marks used in specialized contexts, like the en dash (–) or the em dash (—), but these 14 are the most common in general writing.