Understanding Punctuation

Prevalent Punctuation Problems

Punctuation is a problem for many writers. Just look at
this sign. Not only does the author abuse quotation marks,
but he or she has also forgotten periods and apostrophes.

Tom Hodgkinson ©2005

What difference does it make if you forget a comma or two? Who cares if a semicolon is missing here, or an apostrophe should be there? Words are words, and those annoying little punctuation marks can't be that important… can they?

They can, and they are. Imagine if you could talk to others but couldn't use hand gestures, facial expressions, or even a raised eyebrow. Half your meaning would disappear. Those innocuous-looking punctuation marks are just as important when it comes to communicating, providing shades of meaning and even rhythm to your ESL writing.

Commas encourage you to pause

Take the comma, for example, that famous slow-down signal. Without commas, your reader would race through your sentences, misreading their meanings and becoming very confused. Slowing down is required in several "comma zones," such as when items are listed in a series, as in the following example:

Amy ate peanut butter and fudge ice cream, chocolate cake, vanilla pudding, butterscotch candies, and an Alka-Seltzer.

Without the comma's slow-down signal, the reader will speed through this way:

Amy ate peanut butter and fudge ice cream chocolate cake vanilla pudding butterscotch candies and indigestion medicine.

Amy will need that indigestion medicine long before the end of the sentence, as the contents of her stomach will be all in a jumble! Your readers won't be feeling any better, either. They'll be left to wonder: is it peanut butter plus fudge ice cream, or is it peanut-butter-and-fudge ice cream? (The difference is important, at least to Amy's digestive system!)

Semicolons insist that you slow down

While the simple comma is clearly an important tool, it should not be confused with the semicolon. If the comma slows down the reader, use the semicolon to come to a near-stop. It doesn't signal a final stop like a period does, but it tells the reader to slow down even more, sometimes to catch important messages about groupings.

Amy ate green vegetables, including spinach, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts; yellow vegetables, including squash; and six varieties of lettuce.

The semicolon functions here as a sort of super-comma. With the semicolons, the reader is able to see that the green vegetables belong in one group, the yellow ones in another, and the lettuce as a group of its own. Without the semicolons, the reader would miss out on the families of foods and end up with another stomach jumble.

Apostrophes help signify possession

Along with commas and semicolons, you'll find that apostrophes are handy indicators in your sentences. Apostrophes are used to show possession. Notice above where we mentioned Amy's stomach—that apostrophe tells you that the stomach belongs to Amy. Here's another example:

Amy's menu included vegetables and dessert.

If you forget the apostrophe showing that Amy owns the menu, you'll end up with a plural instead of a possessive, like:

Amys menu included vegetables and dessert.

Remember, the apostrophe shows ownership, and without it, you'll often get a plural. (Your reader will wonder how you ended up with so many Amys…)

For more help with apostrophes, please read Scribendi.com's article, "Using Apostrophes."

Show you're speaking with quotation marks

Last, but not least, are the quotation marks. These upside-down double-commas are used to signify when someone is talking. We sometimes joke about quotation marks being called "blah-blah holders" due to one clever young student's definition: "See, the quotation marks are the holders, and inside is the blah-blah-blah. Stuff like periods also goes inside the holders because they're also part of the blah-blah-blah." (I guess they're good enough to hold his blah-blah, too!)

Learning to use punctuation properly

There are a million more uses of punctuation, but if you learn to use commas for pausing, semicolons for really slowing down, apostrophes to show ownership, and quotation marks to "hold the blah-blah," you'll be well on your way to more meaningful sentences. Do you want to ensure that your punctuation is in perfect shape? Then submit your document to Scribendi.com's ESL editing and proofreading services for an expert opinion today.