Learn the 3 Jobs
1Commas separate.
Items in lists, fronted openers (‘After lunch,’), and extra information. NOT for joining two sentences!
2Apostrophes own or shorten.
Amir’s coat (owning) · it’s = it is (shortening). Plurals never take one: two dogs.
3Speech marks wrap the spoken words.
Punctuation belonging to the speech sits INSIDE: “Wait for me,” called Zainab.
Worked Example
Fix the punctuation: the dogs bone is lost said tom
Watch Out! Common Mistakes
The grocer’s apostrophe! Plurals take no apostrophe: bananas. Apostrophes own or shorten only.
Swap test! ‘licked it is paw’ fails → its paw.
Too weak! A comma can’t join two sentences — use a full stop, a semi-colon, or a conjunction (‘so’).
⬇ Cheat Sheet
- Commas: lists, fronted openers, extra info — never joining sentences.
- Apostrophes: ownership or missing letters — never plurals.
- its = belonging; it's = it is (swap test).
- Speech punctuation sits inside the closing marks.
📖 Continue Your Journey
Quick summary
- Commas separate list items, fronted openers and extra information — they never join sentences.
- Apostrophes show ownership or missing letters; plurals never take one.
- its = belonging, it's = it is — decide with the swap test.
- Speech punctuation belongs inside the closing inverted commas.
Frequently asked questions
When does its have an apostrophe?
Only when it means 'it is' or 'it has' (it's raining). The possessive its — like his and hers — takes no apostrophe.
What is a comma splice?
Joining two complete sentences with only a comma ('It was late, we went home'). Fix it with a full stop, a semi-colon or a joining word.
Where does the comma go in speech?
Inside the closing speech marks when the sentence continues: “Wait for me,” called Zainab.
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