Tuesday Tips: Why Punctuation Matters…
photo credit: t i n a | r a v a l
Every author in some way portrays himself in his works, even if it be against his will. ~Goethe
Teachers, parents, students and all who wish to answer those nagging writing questions… This is the series for you! Over the course of the next few months, every Tuesday I will spotlight a different area that trips up even the most experienced writers!
But first, do you need convincing that punctuation, grammar and other elements of writing are worth your time? If so, let me introduce a favorite attention getter of English teachers everywhere:
Please place commas wherever you believe they are appropriate in the following example:
Woman without her man is nothing.
photo credit: t3rmin4t0r
Did you write: Woman, without her, man is nothing — ?
How about: Woman, without her man, is nothing — ?
Still think punctuation doesn’t matter? 
Lynne Truss, in her wildly popular Eats, Shoots & Leaves describes punctutation thus:
Punctuation has been defined many ways. Some grammarians use the analogy of stitching: punctuation as the basting that holds the fabric of language in shape. Another writer tells us that punctuation marks are the traffic signals of language: they tell us to slow down, notice this, take a detour, and stop. I have even seen a rather fanciful reference to the full stop and comma as ‘the invisible servants in fairy tales — the ones who bring glasses of water and pillows, not storms or weather or love’. But best of all, I think, is the simple advice given by the style book of a national newspaper: that punctuation is ‘a courtesy designed to help readers to understand a story without stumbling’.
So, even if you do not have a passion for punctuation, let me help you master the quirky little marks so that they do not become the story…
Here’s the schedule for the next few months:
- Apostrophes
- Commas
- Colons
- Semicolons
- Dashes
- Elipses
- Exclamation Points
- Italics
- Quotes
- Hyphens
After we have satisfactorily covered punctuation, we will move into deeper waters (grammar, usage, organization, thesis development, and more!)
By the way, ALWAYS feel free to ask me a specific question in the comments or through email: kgalles@msn.com. I’m here to help you become the best writer possible!
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