Final answer:
Punctuation marks such as commas, semicolons, colons, hyphens, apostrophes, dashes, and parentheses are essential in written English to clarify meaning, provide structure, and indicate the intended tone. They are used to separate items, join related sentences, introduce lists, form compound words, and more.
Step-by-step explanation:
Introduction:
Punctuation marks are essential in written language as they help clarify meaning, provide structure, and indicate the intended tone of a sentence. They include several marks such as commas, semicolons, colons, hyphens, apostrophes, dashes, and parentheses.
Commas:
Commas are used to separate items, indicate pauses, and clarify meaning. For example, in the sentence 'I have apples, oranges, and bananas,' the commas separate the items in the list.
Semicolons:
Semicolons are used to join closely related sentences or clauses. For example, 'I need to finish my homework; then, I can go out and play.'
Colons:
Colons are used to introduce a list, explain or clarify something, or indicate a quote. For example, 'Please bring the following items to class: pencils, notebooks, and textbooks.'
Hyphens:
Hyphens are used to join words together, form compound words, and differentiate between similar words. For example, 'well-known,' 'mother-in-law,' and 'pre-game.'
Please note that this is a summary of some of the major punctuation marks. There are more punctuation marks, each with their own specific rules and usage.