I recently saw the above joke floating around* Facebook and it of course got me thinking about punctuation. In a previous post I addressed the names of punctuation marks in English, but I did not discuss their usage. So, that is what we will be covering today! Punctuation marks constitute the system of symbols that we use to separate sentences and parts of sentences, in order to make their meaning clear. All of these symbols together are called ‘punctuation marks’. Below is a list of their individual names and how to use these punctuation marks correctly.
| Period |
. |
- Use a period to end a sentence.
- Use periods at the end of an abbreviation, i.e. “Mr.”.
|
| Comma |
, |
- A comma in writing is used like a pause in speaking.
- We use commas inside sentences. Commas separate the different parts of a sentence into logical elements. Commas have no meaning in and of themselves, but they help us to understand the structure and meaning of sentences.
- When using a common you should put a space after the comma. Do not put a space before a comma.
- Commas are very commonly (almost always) used before the words ‘but’ and ‘which’ in English.
|
| Question mark |
? |
- The main function of a question mark is to indicate a question.
- You should use a question mark at the end of all direct questions, i.e How are you?.
- Do not use a question mark after an indirect or reported question, i.e. Sarah asked her friend how he was doing.
|
| Exclamation mark |
! |
- Exclamation marks are used to show strong feeling, such as surprise, anger or joy, i.e. My son shouted at me, “Go away! I hate you!”
- Using exclamation marks when writing is similar to shouting or raising your voice when speaking. You should avoid using exclamation marks in formal writing, unless they are necessary.
|
| Semi-colon |
; |
- Semi-colons are often used instead of periods to separate sentences that are grammatically independent, but have closely connected meaning. For example: Barb is a good speaker; she speaks very clearly.
|
| Colon |
: |
- The job of the colon is simple: to introduce.
- You should use a colon to introduce a list or even a single item, i.e. There are three countries in North America: Mexico, the USA, and Canada.
- You should also use a colon to introduce a quote, i.e. Marry said to me: “How are you doing?”
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Okay, after this brief overview, let us get back to the picture above. So, what do these two different sentences mean?
Let’s eat grandma! = We should eat grandma. or Why don’t we eat grandma?
Let’s eat, grandma! = Grandma, let’s go eat together. or Come on grandma it’s time to eat.
Like I said, punctuation really does make a difference!
* floating around = used in slang for this means ‘moving around’ or ‘present on’
