Punctuation
The general approach is to ignore all punctuation, including capital letters (and as in the previous examples, sometimes the spaces).
Most crosswords don’t put a full stop at the end of clues, so normally only '?' or '! 'appear there. If the clue is phrased as a question or exclamation, the punctuation is probably only there for completeness and can be ignored. Otherwise a ‘?’ usually indicates a groan-inducing pun, and an ‘!’ that the compiler thinks the clue is a little out of the ordinary (not to say clever).
Another way the '?' may be used is in what is called Definition by Example. So for example ' … sheep?' might indicate 'herbivore'. The main exception to ignoring punctuation is the apostrophe (’) which can be used in two ways: i. To indicate dialect - ’igh ’anded, or goin’. This may indicate you are looking for a word which starts (or ends) with the dropped letter, which you then have to drop to form the answer. ‘Bird makes ’orrible noise (3)’ for ‘owl’ = {h}owl. Of course, the ’ may be there to get rid of an unwanted letter from another type of clue. ‘’ead ’em off, Lump! (5)’ for ‘edema’ (anagram). ii. ’s. After a noun this can indicate possession (the man’s truck), or the compressed form of ‘is’ or ‘has’ (the man’s here, or the man’s arrived). So it is often used in the first sense to disguise a connector - particularly between the Definition and Wordplay. ‘Yokel’s ruddy cheek! (7)’ for ‘redneck’ = red+neck. The ’ itself, may be used in the same format as the connector. ‘Splinter’s organ (6)’ for ‘sliver’ = s+liver. Every now and then you will come across a clue where the punctuation is an integral part of the Wordplay, or even the Definition. ‘Backdoor Operation: Large Size Clone (11)’ for ‘colonoscopy’ = colon+os+copy. ‘Butterfly, say (5)’ for ‘comma’.'Contrary relative with tablet English … (8)' for 'ellipsis' = reversal of sis+pill+e. This takes the form of two adjacent clues which are (should be) closely connected. The first ends in …, the second starts with … In this case the clues weren't closely connected at all. The form was just used to enable this construction. Whether this provides a good Surface for this clue is debatable.
Another way the '?' may be used is in what is called Definition by Example. So for example ' … sheep?' might indicate 'herbivore'. The main exception to ignoring punctuation is the apostrophe (’) which can be used in two ways: i. To indicate dialect - ’igh ’anded, or goin’. This may indicate you are looking for a word which starts (or ends) with the dropped letter, which you then have to drop to form the answer. ‘Bird makes ’orrible noise (3)’ for ‘owl’ = {h}owl. Of course, the ’ may be there to get rid of an unwanted letter from another type of clue. ‘’ead ’em off, Lump! (5)’ for ‘edema’ (anagram). ii. ’s. After a noun this can indicate possession (the man’s truck), or the compressed form of ‘is’ or ‘has’ (the man’s here, or the man’s arrived). So it is often used in the first sense to disguise a connector - particularly between the Definition and Wordplay. ‘Yokel’s ruddy cheek! (7)’ for ‘redneck’ = red+neck. The ’ itself, may be used in the same format as the connector. ‘Splinter’s organ (6)’ for ‘sliver’ = s+liver. Every now and then you will come across a clue where the punctuation is an integral part of the Wordplay, or even the Definition. ‘Backdoor Operation: Large Size Clone (11)’ for ‘colonoscopy’ = colon+os+copy. ‘Butterfly, say (5)’ for ‘comma’.'Contrary relative with tablet English … (8)' for 'ellipsis' = reversal of sis+pill+e. This takes the form of two adjacent clues which are (should be) closely connected. The first ends in …, the second starts with … In this case the clues weren't closely connected at all. The form was just used to enable this construction. Whether this provides a good Surface for this clue is debatable.