Punctuation in english language

                      paper bag   to make up

      Dash is used:

    1) Before enumerated homogeneous members or after homogeneous terms, if they are used to generalize the word:

             Cameras, binoculars, jewelry ,perfume – all sorts of expensive  goods were hidden in the smuggler’s car.

   2) For selection in the introductory sentence, explanations (in this case could also be a comma):

               My uncle Joe – he was himself an excellent swimmer – gave a cup for swimming to the school.

    3) To designate in writing a long pause in order to produce non-desired effect:

        Roger Toynbe was sitting up right in his leather chair – dead.

    4) In informal writing to the proposals to provide additional, specific information with respect to just what was said:

      We’ll be arriving on Monday morning – at least, I think so.

   5) In informal writing, especially in personal correspondence, a dash is often used instead of a colon or semicolon: 

           There are three things I can never remember – names, faces, and I’ve forgotten the other.   

      We had a great time in Greece - the kids really enjoyed it.  

     Brackets is used:   

    1) The introductory part of the proposal, which contains extra informa-tion or explanation, is not associated with other members of the proposals and co-imperfect self-sufficient. With its withdrawal meaning of the sentence does not change. For example:

    My sister (and she is past thirty) has only just got married.    

         York (population 108,600) is  about three times the size of     Canterbury (population 32,790)

   2) One or more introductory sentences that contain additional information nye. In this case, the initial word in brackets is spelled with a capital letter, and before the closing parenthesis, put the point:

     My copy of ‘Great Expectation costs 75p. (You can get a paperback at  but the print is not very good. It is not really good value.) Have you seen any other    Dickens’s novels in cheap editions?

  3) The brackets are usually used to highlight the disclosures numbers or translate e           foreign words, as well as to select one or more introductory sentences.  

            Our highest score (20 goals to nil) came in our last match.   

          The abbreviation e.g. comes from Latin exempla  gratia (for example). 

  4) Square brackets indicate that the words in them, are not part of the original text:

      The author is careless about his facts. Thus on page 42 we read: ‘Edward Shanks was Senior Classical master [he was  Mathematics master] at the Nelson School under Dr William  Pidgin [who spelt his name Pigeon] in 1921 [it was in 1923]. He left there to join the Colonial Service…’ 

  5) Square brackets are used when an explanation is given in quotes:

          ‘Whan that Aprille with his The droghte [drought] of Marche…’ 

    Ellipsis is used

  1) To denote the end of a section or to indicate that took a certain period of time:

      Winter drew to its close; and still they had no news.

     Spring was late; the weather was cold and wet even in late  May...  

  2) To row in a table of contents lists, schedules, price lists, etc.:

                                                   ₤      s.         d.

            Repair of garden wall…………………   8      4          3             

   3) To indicate missing words in a quotation

        "the sight was awesome...truly amazing"