What are the different punctuation marks and what are their uses?

1) The period is placed at the end of declarative sentences, thought to be complete and after any abbreviations. 2) Use a question mark to indicate a direct question when placed at the end of a sentence. 3) The exclamation point is used when a person wants to express a sudden outcry or add emphasis. 4) The comma is used to show a separation of ideas or elements within the structure of a sentence. Additionally, it is used in numbers, dates, and letter writing after the salutation and closing. 5) The semicolon is used to connect independent clauses. It shows a closer relationship between the clauses than a period would show. 6) A colon has three main uses. The first is after a word introducing a quotation, an explanation, an example, or a series. The second is between independent clauses when the second explains the first, similar to a semicolon. 7) A dash is used to separate words into statements. 8) A hyphen is used to join two or more words together into a compound term and is not separated by spaces