Out of the 320 Punctuation Practice Passages, 40 passages have been specifically added to this article to help the aspirants of CSS, PMS, Descriptive, One Paper Commission, UPSC, IAS, and SSC Exams. To avail them all, contact the admin on WhatsApp at 0332-6105842
Punctuation plays a critical role in competitive examinations, especially CSS, as proper punctuation in written passages serves various crucial purposes, including enhancing clarity and meaning, organizing sentences, improving readability, emphasizing specific points, and setting the overall tone. Therefore, punctuation marks are signs or symbols that are used to make the meaning of sentences clear, effective, and understandable. Each one of these marks has its own meaning, and this meaning supplements the meaning of words in a sentence. Simply put, punctuation is a device by which we aid words in telling their story.
The punctuation practice passages below summarize the essential insights from my decade of teaching experience across different global locations. I have made a concerted effort to comprehensively address common errors made by non-native writers and competitive exam candidates—such as CSS, PMS, UPSC, IAS, and others. The solutions to these passages are routinely discussed in classes.
I’ve already taught punctuation in detail in my extensive and crash courses. I advise all my students to revise their notes meticulously, ensuring a deep understanding of the concepts, before starting to practise the passages I’ve written.
Where Can I Find The Solutions?
All my students are advised to take the time to thoroughly revise the punctuation lectures that I delivered in the extensive and crash courses, especially focusing on the uses of the following:
Sentence Enders
- Period (.)
- Question mark (?)
- Exclamation mark (!)
Separators
- Comma (,)
- Semicolon ( ; )
- Colon ( : )
Dashes and Hyphens
- Dash (-) or Em dash
- Hyphen (-)
Quotation and Brackets
- Parentheses ()
- Quotation marks (“ “) or Single quotation marks (‘ ‘)
Others
- Apostrophe
Punctuation Practice Passages
Let’s download the Punctuation Practice Passages E-Book by Sir Syed Kazim Ali
Puctuation Practice Passage – 1
if you are concerned about the environment several organizations welcome young people to become involved in environmental activitiesyou may be asked to talk to people about the environment clean up rivers or parks or help build hiking trails fortunately these activities can be enriching whatever your interests you can get much out of volunteeringminahil a high school student and homeless shelter volunteer sums up her volunteer experienceyou will learn about yourself learn about others and meet many interesting people along the way
Puctuation Practice Passage – 2
have you thought about working as a volunteer charities and organizations such as the salvation army relying on people who volunteer their timethere are many reasons to start volunteering to help others to beat boredom to learn a new activity and to gain a new perspective on lifefinding a volunteering opportunity that is a good fit for you can sometimes be challenging however there are many possibilities if you keep looking, you will find a volunteer position that works for you
Puctuation Practice Passage – 3
once upon a time a lone tiger made his way into a strange forest it was new to him and he was looking to make friends he approached a monkey and said hello monkey would you like to be my friend that monkey said you are too old to wing like me so i cannot be your friend the tiger then went to a rabbit and asked the same question the rabbit said you are too big to fit in my burrow so i cannot be your friend the tiger also went to the frog in the pond and asked the same question the frog replied you are too heavy to jump as high as me so i cannot be your friend
Puctuation Practice Passage – 4
following this the second respect in which the proposed approach demands a change in pakistan lies in the need to go back to basics as far as public provision of health care services both preventive and curative kind is concerned with a renewed focus on primary health centres village level health workers preventive health measures and other means of ensuring timely health care regularly while abcd the newly established scheme of subsidized health insurance for poor households is a humane program and much better than leaving the poor to die or suffer from neglected health care and unaffordable intervention better results can be achieved at far less cost through early and regular health care for all
Puctuation Practice Passage – 5
the aroma of freshly cut grass hung heavy in the air mingling with the distant chirping of crickets childrens laughter echoed through the park punctuated by the occasional barking of a dog a lone figure sat beneath a willow tree a book resting peacefully in their lap the afternoon sun cast dappled shadows across the worn pages
Puctuation Practice Passage – 6
in the bustling metropolis a symphony of urban life played out car horns blared a discordant counterpoint to the rhythmic clatter of construction through the haze of exhaust fumes a weathered billboard winked seductively its neon glows a beacon in the concrete jungle however tucked away in a hidden alleyway a solitary violinist rendered a melancholic tune his music a poignant counterpoint to the citys frenetic energy
Puctuation Practice Passage – 7
the detective surveyed the crime scene with a practiced eye his gaze lingering on the shattered window and the overturned furniture a single fingerprint smudged on a dusty picture frame seemed to whisper a hidden story he knelt closer scrutinizing the details it was his job to piece together the fragments to find the truth lurking beneath the chaos
Puctuation Practice Passage – 8
the old man sat by the fireplace his weathered face etched with the stories of a thousand sunrises a crackling fire cast flickering shadows on the walls dancing a silent ballet with the ghosts of memories past he cradled a worn photograph in his gnarled hands a smile tugging at the corners of his lips a bittersweet reminder of loves lost and cherished moments that would forever remain etched in his heart
Puctuation Practice Passage – 9
the storm raged outside wind howling like a banshee and rain lashing against the windows with relentless fury inside however a sense of calm prevailed a crackling fire cast a warm glow on the cozy living room where a family huddled together beneath a thick blanket hot cocoa steaming and fragrant filled their hands and warmed their souls
Puctuation Practice Passage – 10
the bustling marketplace was a kaleidoscope of sights and sounds vendors hawked their wares in a cacophony of languages their voices competing with the rhythmic strumming of a distant lute exotic spices filled the air with an intoxicating aroma while vibrant silks beckoned from stalls overflowing with treasures a sense of wonder and possibility permeated the atmosphere a vibrant tapestry woven from the threads of commerce and cultural exchange
Puctuation Practice Passage – 11
tears welled in her eyes blurring the already fragmented image in the cracked mirror the carnival lights once dazzling now cast grotesque shadows on the peeling wallpaper twisting familiar features into a macabre reflection a lone tear rolled down her cheek mimicking the lonely path she was forced to walk
Puctuation Practice Passage – 12
the clock on the mantel piece ticked ominously each tick a hammer blow against the fragile silence he paced the room a caged animal every muscle tensed with anticipation the creak of floorboards sent shivers down his spine a chilling reminder of the unseen presence lurking in the shadows
Puctuation Practice Passage – 13
her brushstrokes danced across the canvas a whirlwind of emotion captured in swirling colors the portrait that emerged was not a mere likeness but a window into the soul a reflection of vulnerability strength and the complexities that lay beneath the surface
Puctuation Practice Passage – 14
the once vibrant coral reef lay eerily silent a graveyard of bleached skeletons where vibrant colors once danced a lone fish shimmering with an otherworldly glow navigated the desolate landscape a poignant reminder of the delicate balance of life and the precarious future that awaited the oceans silent inhabitants
Puctuation Practice Passage – 15
the grand library a cathedral of knowledge held the echoes of countless minds towering shelves laden with leather bound volumes whispered tales of forgotten civilizations and whispered discoveries in this sanctuary of the written word time seemed to bend and the boundaries between reality and imagination blurred
Puctuation Practice Passage – 16
this antique shop is a treasure trove she exclaimed her eyes wide with wonder ornate clocks ticked rhythmically each a testament to a bygone era delicate teacups sat precariously on dusty shelves whispering tales of elegant tea parties in a dimly lit corner a dusty mirror caught her eye its silver frame tarnished with age a portal to a thousand forgotten faces
Puctuation Practice Passage – 17
the train rattled along the tracks a steel serpent winding through a tapestry of rolling hills and emerald valleys inside a young woman gazed out the window her brow furrowed in concentration a half written letter lay crumpled in her lap the ink reflecting the changing light with a sigh she chewed on the end of her pen searching for the right words to express the turmoil brewing within her
Puctuation Practice Passage – 18
dinner is served announced the chef a flourish to his voice anticipation crackled in the air as guests gathered around the table their eyes gleaming with delight crystal glasses chimed merrily as toasts were raised and the clinking of silverware filled the room with a symphony of sounds that spoke of togetherness and celebration laughter flowed freely weaving a tapestry of joy that transcended the boundaries of words
Puctuation Practice Passage – 19
ready for your first day of school little one his father asked a hint of nervousness in his voice the young boy eyes wide with excitement clutched his worn teddy bear tightly a brand new backpack adorned with colorful dinosaurs sat perched on the nearby chair he bounced on his toes eager to embark on this new adventure a world of knowledge and friendships waiting to be discovered
Puctuation Practice Passage – 20
just one more chapter she whispered burying herself deeper into the armchair the book held her captive its pages turning with a sigh of anticipation the world around her faded away replaced by the fantastical landscape conjured by the writers words she lived and breathed with the characters their triumphs and heartbreaks echoing within her own soul a testament to the power of storytelling to transport us to worlds beyond our own imagination
Puctuation Practice Passage – 21
the symphony conductor a man of stoic composure raised his baton a hush fell over the auditorium anticipation thick enough to cut with a knife the first notes like hesitant whispers seeped into the silence then a crescendo a tidal wave of sound that engulfed the audience transporting them to a realm of pure emotion
Puctuation Practice Passage – 22
the manuscript yellowed with age and bound in cracked leather lay open on the dusty desk the elegant script penned in a forgotten language seemed to thrum with a faint energy as he traced the symbols with his fingertips a wave of vertigo washed over him a glimpse into a forgotten world whispered secrets on the wind
Puctuation Practice Passage – 23
intriguing he murmured stroking his neatly trimmed beard the inscription though faded hints at an ancient ritual a forgotten magic perhaps but the key component he tapped a chipped vial with a bony finger remains elusive without the moonstones ethereal essence the incantation is but a hollow whisper
Puctuation Practice Passage – 24
madness the old woman cackled her voice raspy like dry leaves they chase shadows these so called scholars blind to the truth that whispers on the wind the answers lie not in dusty tomes but in the forgotten language of the stars a celestial melody waiting to be deciphered
Puctuation Practice Passage – 25
a paradox the philosopher mused steepling his fingers we seek knowledge yet fear the truth it may reveal the veil of ignorance offers a comforting illusion but enlightenment though liberating comes at a price can we truly bear the weight of such profound understanding
Puctuation Practice Passage – 26
dr haseeb a renowned astrophysicist with a penchant for unorthodox theories proposed a radical solution harnessing the enigmatic energy fluctuations emanating from a newly discovered black hole to create a stable wormhole a bridge across the vast cosmic expanse the scientific community scoffed citing the inherent instability of such structures and the violation of fundamental physics yet dr haseeb remained undeterred his conviction fueled by a data anomaly nestled deep within the raw observations a rhythmic pattern defying explanation a potential signature of an artificial intelligence residing within the singularity
Puctuation Practice Passage – 27
professor hamda a pioneer in the field of consciousness studies presented her groundbreaking research on the mind body problem employing cutting edge neuroimaging techniques combined with complex philosophical frameworks she argued for the existence of a fundamental proto consciousness a pre neural substrate of awareness present even in the simplest organisms critics pointed to the inherent subjectivity of the concept claiming it bordered on panpsychism the dubious notion that all matter possesses some degree of sentience however professor hamda countered by highlighting the universes interconnectedness suggesting consciousness as a fundamental property of reality itself emerging from the complex interplay of information and energy
Puctuation Practice Passage – 28
the debate over the ethics of human genetic engineering raged on within the hallowed halls of the bioethics institute dr Imdad a staunch proponent of germline editing argued for its potential to eradicate hereditary diseases paving the way for a future free from suffering opponents like dr afaq however raised concerns about unintended consequences the creation of designer babies widening social inequalities and the unforeseen ramifications of tinkering with the human genome the discussion devolved into a philosophical quandary the sanctity of the natural order versus the responsibility to alleviate suffering highlighting the delicate balance between scientific progress and ethical responsibility
Puctuation Practice Passage – 29
as ayesha saddiqa delved deeper into the fragmented papyrus scrolls a sense of awe washed over her the cryptic symbols remnants of a long lost civilization hinted at a sophisticated understanding of mathematics and astronomy far exceeding their perceived level of development the implications were staggering could this evidence point towards forgotten contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence or was there a hitherto unknown indigenous genius waiting to be unearthed the discovery shrouded in mystery challenged established historical narratives and demanded a reevaluation of humanitys place in the cosmic timeline
Puctuation Practice Passage – 30
dr maryam bajwa renowned for her work in quantum mechanics presented her latest research on the nature of reality drawing on the principles of superposition and entanglement she explored the possibility of multiple universes existing simultaneously each a unique manifestation of the infinite possibilities inherent in the quantum wave function sceptics questioned the testability of such a theory arguing for a more grounded approach focused on observable phenomena dr maryam however countered by suggesting the existence of hidden dimensions beyond our current perception realms where these parallel universes could potentially interact
Puctuation Practice Passage – 31
the linguistics symposium buzzed with excitement as alia presented her groundbreaking research on a newly discovered amazonian dialect the language unlike any encountered before utilized a complex system of whistles and clicks challenging the traditional definition of human speech alias analysis revealed a nuanced grammar and vocabulary suggesting a sophisticated mode of communication potentially predating the development of spoken language this discovery had profound implications for our understanding of human evolution and the origins of language itself
Puctuation Practice Passage – 32
nahid a renowned anthropologist presented her research on the social cohesion of hunter gatherer societies challenging the stereotypical image of brutish primitives she revealed intricate social structures governed by egalitarianism cooperation and a deep connection to the natural world nahids work challenged traditional anthropological narratives and highlighted the inherent complexity of these societies this shift in perspective demanded a reevaluation of human nature and the evolutionary roots of our social behaviour
Puctuation Practice Passage – 33
there are many surprises in these estimates the federal ministry of planning and development and the pakistan bureau of statistics pbs which conducted the census had projected somewhat different shares in 2017 the percentage of punjab in the national population was estimated at a higher share of 54 per cent sindh also with a larger share of 24 per cent and kpk and balochistan with significantly lower shares the provincial bureaus of statistics had also made projections in their respective publication development statistics in particular the punjab bureau was conservative and estimated the inter census growth rate at only 1.9 per cent the actual growth rate revealed by the census is 2.1 per cent similarly the balochistan bureau projected lower growth at 2.9 per cent this would have implied a population of one million less in 2017 than the census estimated a growth rate of 3.3 per cent the sindh bureau expected that the population of the province was growing at a significantly faster rate of 2.8 per cent than the growth rate revealed by the census of 2.4 per cent as such the bureaus projected population of sindh in 2017 was 3.5 million higher than the census estimate it is not surprising that sindh has shown strong dissent on the provisional results especially since the previous census of 1988 showed the highest growth rate the only bureau with a remarkably accurate projection was khyber pakhtunkhwa which had a growth rate of 2.9 per cent the same as that of the census
Puctuation Practice Passage – 34
the donkey told the tiger the grass is blue but the tiger replied no the grass is green the discussion heated up and they decided to go to the lion the jungle king the donkey began to shout your highness is it true that the grass is blue the lion replied yes the grass is blue the donkey continued and told the king that the tiger disagreed with me and contradicted and annoyed me please punish him the king then declared the tiger will be punished with five years of silence the donkey jumped cheerfully and went his way the tiger accepted his punishment but he asked the lion you majesty why have you punished me after all the grass is green? the king replied in fact the grass is green the tiger asked why are you punishing me the lion replied it has nothing to do with the question whether the grass is blue or green the punishment is because a brave rational and intelligent creature like you cant waste time arguing with a donkey the worst waste of time is arguing with the fool and fanatic who does not care about truth and reality but only the victory of his beliefs and illusions there are people who no matter how much evidence we present to them are not in the capacity to understand and others are blinded by ego hatred and resentment and all they want even if they are wrong is to win in the arguments so we must avoid arguing with fanatics
Puctuation Practice Passage – 35
philosophers and scientists tend to speak as if scientific language were inherently meticulous as if those who use it must understand one anothers meaning even if they disagree but in fact scientific language is not as different from ordinary language as is commonly believed it too is subject to imprecision and ambiguity and hence to imperfect understanding moreover new theories or arguments are rarely if ever constructed by way of clear cut steps of induction deduction and verification or falsification neither are they defended rejected or accepted in so straightforward a manner in practice scientists combine the rules of scientific methodology with a generous admixture of intuition aesthetics and philosophical commitment the importance of what is sometimes called extra rational or extra logical components of thought in the discovery of a new principle or law is generally acknowledged however the role of these extra logical components in persuasion and acceptance in making an argument convincing is less frequently discussed partly because they are less visible the ways in which the credibility or effectiveness of an argument depends on the realm of common experiences on extensive practice in communicating those experiences in a common language are hard to see precisely because such commonalities are taken for granted only when we step out of such a consensual domain when we can stand out on the periphery of a community with a common language do we begin to become aware of the unarticulated premises mutual understandings and assumed practices of the group even in those subjects that lend themselves most readily to quantification discourse depends heavily on conventions and interpretation conventions that are acquired over years of practice and participation in a community
Puctuation Practice Passage – 36
o how this spring of love resembleth the uncertain glory of an april day says hamza in his book the two gentlemen of pakistan the recent achievements of modern democratic pakistan are not inconsiderable and have been widely recognized globally over the last decade or more the countrys record in pioneering democratic governance in the non western world is a widely acknowledged accomplishment as is its primary success in maintaining the best state despite the challenges arising from its thoroughly multi religious population and the hugely problematic history of violence around the ending days of the raj to this can be added the achievement of rapid economic growth in the last decade when pakistan became the fastest growing economy in the world
and yet despite these incredible achievements if the much talked about glory of todays akistan is deeply uncertain it is not because an unblemished sunny day stands in danger of being ruined by a freshly arriving shower as was feared by hamza the uncertainty arises rather from the fact that together with the sunshine there are dark clouds and drenching showers already on the scene it is of utmost importance and urgency that we try to evaluate both the achievements and the failures that characterize pakistan today to what extent have pakistans old problems been eradicated what remains to be done and are there new problems that pakistan has to address
Puctuation Practice Passage – 37
despite that grim beginning newly independent pakistan rapidly grew to have a cluster of significant political and economic successes its bold decision to go straight from centuries of colonial rule to a resolutely democratic government without a pause has proved to be sound and sustainable in the country as in other democratic countries democracy in the complete sense of the term that of government of the people by the people for the people has not been achieved and many gaps remain in pakistani democracy nevertheless after more than seventy years of largely successful democratic governance the country has become a leading democratic country the country has also shown quite powerfully how democracy can flourish despite many ethnicities there are it must be noted confined departures from democratic norms for example in the use of military power ordered by the civilian government at the centre to quell discontent at the periphery on which more later and there is a need for change there and not just on the periphery but taking everything together there are good reasons for seeing a significant accomplishment in the broad success of democracy in pakistan also the relatively healthy state overall of democratic institutions in the country provides substantial opportunities for reasoned solutions to the remaining problems and for further extending the reach and quality of democratic practice
on the economic front even though the growth of pakistans economy was relatively slow about 3.5 per cent annually for several decades after independence this slow growth was nevertheless a huge step forward compared with the near zero growth and at times even economic decline that occurred in the colonial days this prolonged economic stagnation ended as soon as the country became independent however reversing a zero growth performance can hardly be adequate and there is much to discuss regarding the real and imagined reasons for the forces that held pakistan back for decades after independence happily things have changed in that respect as well over the recent decades and the country has now been able to establish a new position as one of the fastest growing economies in the world
Puctuation Practice Passage – 38
in the current cultural climate in the west and other parts of the globe affected by modernism and postmodernism philosophy and prophecy are seen as two very different and in the eyes of many antithetical approaches to the understanding of the nature of reality such was not however the case in the various traditional civilizations preceding the advent of the modern world nor is it the case even today to the extent that the conventional worldview has survived needless to say by prophecy we do not mean foretelling the future but bringing a message from higher or deeper orders of reality to a particular human collectivity now the modes of this function have differed from religion to religion still the truth of prophecy is evident in worlds as diverse as the ancient egyptian the classical greek and the hindu not to speak of the abrahamic monotheisms in which the role of prophecy is so central suppose we do not limit our understanding of prophecy to the abrahamic view of it in that case we can see the presence of prophecy in very diverse religious climes in nearly all of which it is not only of a legal ethical and spiritual significance but also of a sapiential one concerned with knowledge we see this reality in the world of the rishis in india and the shamans of diverse shamanic religions as well as in the iatromantis of the greek religion and the immortals of taoism in the illumination of the buddha and later in the zen buddhist masters who have experienced illumination or satori as well as the prophets of the uranian religions such as zoroaster and of course in the abrahamic prophets consequently in all these worlds wherever philosophy in its universal sense has flourished it has been related to prophecy in numerous ways
The passage is taken from Hossein Nasr’s book, “Islamic Philosophy from Its Origin to The Present“
Puctuation Practice Passage – 39
scientists and philosophers of science tend to speak as if scientific language were intrinsically precise as if those who use it must understand one anothers meaning even if they disagree but in fact scientific language is not as different from ordinary language as is commonly believed it too is subject to imprecision and ambiguity and hence to imperfect understanding moreover new theories or arguments are rarely if ever constructed by way of clear cut steps of deduction and verification or falsification neither are they defended rejected or accepted in so straightforward a manner in practice scientists combine the rules of scientific methodology with a generous admixture of intuition aesthetics and philosophical commitment the importance of what is sometimes called extra rational or extra logical components of thought in the discovery of a new principle or law is generally acknowledged but the role of these extra logical components in persuasion and acceptance in making an argument convincing is less frequently discussed partly because they are less visible the ways in which the credibility or effectiveness of an argument depends on the realm of common experiences on extensive practice in communicating those experiences in a common language are hard to see precisely because such commonalities are taken for granted only when we step out of such a consensual domain when we can stand out on the periphery of a community with a common language do we begin to become aware of the unarticulated premises mutual understandings and assumed practices of a group even in those subjects that lend themselves most readily to quantification discourse depends heavily on conventions and interpretation conventions that are acquired over years of practice and participation in a community
Puctuation Practice Passage – 40
dr evelyn thorne a renowned art historian with a meticulous approach bordering on obsession stood transfixed before the newly unearthed sculpture its minimalist form a series of interlocking obsidian spheres radiating an otherworldly sheen defied categorization carbon dating was created within the bronze age a period devoid of such advanced techniques for manipulating such a notoriously hard material whispers of lost civilizations and forgotten knowledge swirled within the cavernous museum hall further amplifying the enigma yet dr thorne ever the pragmatist dismissed such romantic notions a keen eye spotted a faint inscription etched on the base barely discernible against the obsidians dark surface hours of painstaking analysis employing a combination of high powered lasers and advanced image processing software revealed a series of geometric symbols unlike any encountered in known historical scripts were these mere decorative flourishes or did they hold the key to unlocking the sculptures purpose a thrill of anticipation coursed through dr thorne could this be the rosetta stone to a forgotten language a testament to a hitherto unknown artistic tradition as she meticulously documented the inscription a nagging suspicion lingered what if the inscription wasnt meant to be read but to be experienced perhaps the sculpture wasnt just a visual masterpiece but a conduit a portal to a different plane of existence altogether the thought sent a shiver down dr thornes spine a potent blend of excitement and trepidation
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