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Punctuation & Capitalization

In English, sentences always begin with a capital letter and end with a period (.). You'll also learn the correct use of the comma (,), apostrophe ('), and question mark (?).

The rule

Capitalize: first word of every sentence, proper nouns (names, cities, days, months), 'I'. End sentences with . ! or ?. Use commas to separate list items and after introductory phrases. Apostrophe shows possession (Ravi's) or contraction (don't).

Explained

Punctuation and capitalization give your writing clarity and professionalism. Capital letters mark sentences and proper nouns. Periods, question marks, and exclamation points end sentences. Commas pause mid-sentence and separate list items. Apostrophes do two jobs — showing possession ('Ravi's car') and shortening words ('don't' = do not). Master these and your writing will look polished.

Examples

EnglishIn Hindi
I live in Bengaluru, India.मैं बेंगलुरु, भारत में रहता हूँ।
Sunday is my favourite day of the week.रविवार हफ़्ते का मेरा पसंदीदा दिन है।
We bought apples, bananas, and grapes.हमने सेब, केले और अंगूर ख़रीदे।
Ravi's bike is parked outside.रवि की बाइक बाहर खड़ी है।
Don't forget to bring your charger.अपना चार्जर लाना मत भूलना।
Have you ever been to Goa?क्या तुम कभी गोआ गए हो?
She speaks English, Hindi, and Tamil.वो अंग्रेज़ी, हिंदी और तमिल बोलती है।
After dinner, we went for a walk.रात के खाने के बाद, हम टहलने गए।
It's raining and the dog is wet.बारिश हो रही है और कुत्ता गीला है।
The kitten lost its toy.बिल्ली के बच्चे ने अपना खिलौना खो दिया।

Common mistakes

i live in delhi.

I live in Delhi.

The pronoun 'I' is always capitalized. 'Delhi' is a proper noun — capitalize it. And every sentence must start with a capital letter.

I don't know it's name.

I don't know its name.

'It's' = 'it is' / 'it has' (a contraction). For possession, use 'its' (no apostrophe). A very common confusion.

We bought apples bananas and grapes.

We bought apples, bananas, and grapes.

Lists need commas between the items. The 'Oxford comma' (before 'and') is optional but recommended.

ravis bag is heavy.

Ravi's bag is heavy.

Capitalize the name, and use apostrophe + s for possession. 'Ravis' is wrong — it's 'Ravi's bag'.

Practise

1. Which is correctly punctuated?

  1. i live in mumbai
  2. I live in mumbai.
  3. I live in Mumbai.
  4. I Live In Mumbai.
Show the answer

I live in Mumbai.

2. Choose the correct sentence.

  1. The dog lost it's bone.
  2. The dog lost its bone.
  3. The dog lost its' bone.
  4. The dog lost its bone'.
Show the answer

The dog lost its bone.

3. Which list uses commas correctly?

  1. I bought milk bread and eggs.
  2. I bought milk, bread, and eggs.
  3. I bought, milk, bread and eggs.
  4. I bought milk; bread; eggs.
Show the answer

I bought milk, bread, and eggs.

Related lessons

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