TypingPunctuation and symbols
Letters and numbers cover most typing. The rest is punctuation: the small marks that make writing readable and that every email address and web address needs.
Marks on the right of the home row
The right little finger looks after most punctuation keys. From ; it reaches right for the apostrophe, up for P, and further right for the brackets.
little finger ring middle index (left hand: keys on the left half; right hand: the right half; thumbs: space bar)
| Mark | How to type it | Finger |
|---|---|---|
| ; | The home key itself | Right little |
| : | Shift and ; | Right little, left Shift |
| ' | One key right of ; | Right little |
| " | Shift and ' | Right little, left Shift |
| ? | Shift and / | Right little, left Shift |
| - (hyphen) | Right of 0 on the number row | Right little |
| _ (underscore) | Shift and - | Right little, left Shift |
| [ and ] | Right of P | Right little |
Symbols on the number row
With Shift, the number keys give symbols. The fingers are the same as for the numbers.
| Symbol | Key with Shift | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| ! | 1 | Exclamation |
| @ | 2 | Email addresses |
| # | 3 | Numbers, hashtags |
| % | 5 | Per cent |
| & | 7 | And |
| * | 8 | Star, multiply |
| ( | 9 | Open bracket |
| ) | 0 | Close bracket |
These positions are for the US layout, which is the layout of nearly all keyboards sold in India. On a UK keyboard a few symbols, such as @ and ", are in different places. If a symbol comes out wrong, your computer's keyboard setting does not match the keys printed on your keyboard.
Rules for spacing
- No space before a comma, full stop, question mark, colon or semicolon. One space after.
- No space inside brackets or quotation marks:
(like this), not( like this ). - No spaces around a hyphen in a joined word:
well-known. - No spaces anywhere in an email address or a web address.
Drill
Who is it? Is it Ravi? No, it is Asha.
"Come in," she said. "Sit down."
It's Ravi's book; it isn't mine.
Note: bring a pen, a pencil and a ruler.
a well-known writer; a ten-year-old boy
asha.verma@example.com ravi_k@example.org
(first) (second) [third] 50% off, 2 * 3
Pay Rs 450 & keep the bill #27 safe!
Email addresses are worth a line of their own
An email address typed with one wrong character goes nowhere, or worse, to the wrong person. Practise the pattern name, at sign, site, dot, ending until @ and the full stop come without thinking. The addresses in the drill use example.com and example.org, names kept for examples, so they belong to no real person.
After this lesson you have met every key you need for ordinary English. The remaining lessons build speed and accuracy.
This is an independent practice site. It is not connected with any examination body, keyboard maker or software company. A typing speed measured here is for your own practice. It is not a certificate, and an examination may measure speed in its own way.