Punctuation Day: What You May Have Forgotten
Friday 24th marks Punctuation Day. And, what better way to celebrate than to recall the importance of its various rules and features. In today’s blog, we’ll be doing just that. Plus, looking into its counterpart, Grammar. It’s time to brush up on our skills!
Types of Punctuation
Punctuation is the use of spacing, conventional signs, and certain typographical devices as aids to the understanding and correct reading of written text. This is true whether that text is read silently or aloud.
In written English, punctuation is vital in gleaning the meaning of sentences. For example:
- a panda eats shoot and leaves (meaning a panda consumes plant growths)
has a different meaning to:
- a panda eats, shoot, and leaves (meaning a panda eats first, then fires a weapon, and then leaves the scene).
The sharp different in meaning are produce by the simple different in markings. What’s more, the rules of punctuation vary with language, location, register, and time and a constantly evolving. Additionally, certain aspects are stylistics and thus at the author’s choice or are added (or omitted) for ease in online chatting and text messaging.
6 Common Types of Punctuation Marks
- A period, also known as a full stop, (.) ends a declarative sentence.
- A comma (,) separates a series on independent sentences, nouns, adjectives, verbs, or phrases. When a comma connects two independent phrases, there will be a conjunction such as: and, but, or or. Additionally, a comma separates nonessential details in a sentence.
- An exclamation point (!) ends a sentence emphatically. It replaces a period to express strong feelings, like excitement, anger, or surprise. It may also replace a question mark to express irony.
- A question mark (?) finds itself at the end of a sentence that asks a direct question.
- A semicolon (;) separates sentences that are closely related but grammatically independent. Such as: My brother isn’t feeling well; he’s been sick for a week. Additionally, it functions to separate of list of items that contain commas.
- A colon (:) introduces a list or a single item.
Some Rules
- Capitalisation is important. All sentences start with a capital letter. Additionally, proper nouns (titles of people, books, magazines, movies, places, etc.) are typically capitalised, too.
- Every sentence needs a terminal punctuation mark. This includes: period, exclamation mark, or question mark.
- Commas are for pausing. This helps the reader know how to break up the information within the sentences.
- Parentheses ( or ) add information. This is usually that which is not essential to the main point, but adds supplementary clarification.
- Apostrophes (‘) indicate missing letters and possessions. Such as, when “do not” becomes “don’t” or if showing that something belongs to someone.
Types of Grammar
Like punctuation, grammar also plays a vital role in how we interpret written text. Check out these rules you may have forgotten!
- They’re vs Their vs There. They’re is a contraction of “they are”; their refers to something one by a group; there refers to a place. N.B. a contraction uses the punctuation mark the apostrophe.
- Your vs You’re. Your is possessive, while you’re is a contraction of “you are”.
- Its vs It’s. Like the previous rule, the first is a possessive, and the second is a contraction of “it is”.
- Use Active Voice. Passive happens when the writer puts the object of a sentence at the beginning, instead of at the end. In the case of the last sentence, the subject actively describes the object.
- Brands are “it”, not “they”.
- Affect vs Effect. Affect is a verb; effect is a noun.
- i.e vs e.g. The former means “in other words” and adds clarification; the latter means “for example”.
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