FAQs about punctuation

Is dad capitalized?

Words, like dad, that refer to family relationships are not capitalized unless they are used in place of a name.

My dad is very funny.
My Dad is very funny.

I love you, Dad.
I love you, dad.

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Is spring break capitalized?

In general, spring break is not capitalized (e.g., “We’re going to Mexico for spring break”). Seasons are common nouns and are not capitalized.

However, when referring to a specific holiday period (e.g., “Spring Break 2025 will be March 10–15”), the phrase can be capitalized.

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What’s an example of a semicolon in a sentence?

Here are a couple examples of a semicolon in a sentence:

The president has expressed her support for the bill; Congress will vote on it on Tuesday.
We will present on the first day of the conference; our competitors will present that day as well.

Semicolons join two closely related independent clauses.

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Should you capitalize after a semicolon?

No, the word that follows a semicolon should not be capitalized unless it is a proper noun. For example:

The client will not be available for a meeting this week; next week, however, should work.
The client will not be available for a meeting on Monday; Tuesday, however, should work.

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What are periods, commas, and question marks called?

Periods, commas, and question marks are all types of punctuation.

This category also includes exclamation marks and less common punctuation like em dashes, en dashes, and hyphens. Sometimes, people refer to all of these as punctuation marks.

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How do you say question mark in Spanish?

The word for question mark in Spanish is “signo de interrogación.” To refer to the upside-down (inverted) question mark (¿) that comes at the beginning of Spanish questions, you would say “signo de interrogación invertido.”

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How do I make a question mark in Spanish?

Spanish uses question marks in pairs: an upside-down (or inverted) question mark (¿) at the beginning of the sentence and a regular question mark at the end. For example: “¿De dónde eres?” [Where are you from?]

To type an inverted question mark, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts:

How to type an upside-down question mark
Microsoft Word	Mac
ctrl + alt + shift + ?	shift + option + ?

When using a program other than Word on a PC, there is no one shortcut that works consistently. It may be best to pull up the special character menu by pressing the Windows key + the period key.

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Does a question mark go inside quotes?

A question mark goes inside quotation marks if the quoted material itself is a question. Otherwise, the question mark goes outside of the quotation marks.

Question marks with quotation marks examples

The prosecutor asked, “When did you first notice a problem with the account?”

Who said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”?

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How do I make quotation marks in Spanish?

When writing in Spanish, you can use either regular quotation marks (“ ”), known as comillas inglesas, or angular quotation marks (« »), known as comillas angulares or comillas latinas.

You should consult your style guide for which format is preferred and be consistent throughout your document.

To type angular quotation marks, use the following keyboard shortcuts:

	Windows	Mac
Opening angular quotation mark («)	Ctrl + Alt + [	Option + \
Closing angular quotation mark (»)	Ctrl + Alt + ]	Option + Shift + \

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When should I use single quotation marks?

In American English, single quotation marks (‘ ’) are used to indicate quotes within quotes.

Single quotation marks example (American English)

Martinez argues that “the president’s use of the phrase ‘mission accomplished’ undermined his credibility.”

In British English, single quotation marks are typically used in the ways double quotation marks are in American English. So, quotes within quotes are indicated with double quotation marks.

Single quotation marks examples (British English)

Martinez argues that ‘the president’s use of the phrase “mission accomplished” undermined his credibility’.

Try not to use the word ‘really’ in academic writing.

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