Home
>
Writing
>
The Power of Punctuation

The Power of Punctuation

Punctuation, when used creatively, is powerful. Note, however, that when I say 'when used creatively', I don't mean that you can make up the rules.

I am not saying that you can write sentences that are half a page long without a single comma, full stop, semi-colon or anything else to give the unfortunate reader a rest. That's not being creative. That's being lazy. That's being tiresome.

What your writing should do is... well, make music. The way you order your sentences and punctuate your work can guide the reader to 'hear' the words just as you want them to.

This Tipsheet is not going to be a guide to punctuation. There are plenty of websites devoted to teaching you the basics of grammar and punctuation. (I'll list some of them at the end of this article.) Instead, I'm going to comment on a few things that I've seen spoiling otherwise good stories, and I'm going to pass on a few tips.

THE FULL STOP (or PERIOD)

A full stop, or a period, is used to indicate the end of a sentence. I was actually going to leave this out, because it seems self-evident. However, I remembered the many, many manuscripts I've critiqued in which the writer has shown a fine disregard for any kind of punctuation to end a sentence. So... the full stop is in. NOTE: A full stop is NOT used at the end of a sentence that is spoken by someone if what they say is followed by a speech tag. Hence, you write:

"Come here, Mary," he ordered. NOT

"Come here, Mary." He ordered. The speech tag "he ordered" is part of the entire sentence, not a sentence on its own.

THE COMMA

A comma indicates a pause which makes the sense of a sentence clear. Unfortunately, many writers sprinkle commas through a manuscript like confetti. They seem to think that a comma can do the work of pretty well any other punctuation mark. I have a feeling that quite often, writers pause to think about what they want to write next, and add a comma while they're musing. Then they keep going... stop to think again and add another comma... and on it goes. This produces what is known as a 'run on' sentence. The writer has 'spliced' sentences together with commas.

An example of a run-on sentence formed by 'splicing' with commas:

Jack ran along after Pete, his legs getting more tired with every step, he wished he hadn't decided to come along on this trip, it had turned out to be a disaster, Pete was bossy and didn't care what happened to anyone else as long as he got his own way. (Believe me, this is mild compared to some sentences I've seen - the worst was a sentence that grew to a whole page without any punctuation but commas.)

A corrected version of the paragraph above:

Jack ran along after Pete, his legs getting more tired with every step. He wished he hadn't decided to come along. What a disaster. Pete didn't care what happened to anyone else, as long as he got his own way. This is not the only version that would be correct - there are usually a number of ways to effectively punctuate a sentence. I have chosen to use the sentence fragment 'What a disaster' as a sentence on its own because we are tapping into Jack's thoughts, and most people don't think in full sentences.

THE ELLIPSIS

... three dots in a row is called an ellipsis. (If it comes at the end of a sentence, you use four dots.) An ellipsis shows that something is 'trailing off'.

For example: someone runs out of steam when trying to defend himself, or he doesn't know what to say next, or he is thinking of how to explain something (in which case the ellipsis might appear in the middle of a sentence).

An example:

John hesitated. How could he explain what had gone wrong? "Well, it was when I was heading into the main pavilion... I looked around to say something to Jenny, and she wasn't there." He shrugged helplessly. "I dunno... she just... disappeared." THE DASH

The dash indicates that something after it is going clarify what has gone before. (For example: He hated being made to wash up - it always clashed with his favourite TV program.) Dashes can also offset an explanation. (For example: Mary - John's sister - was the last to arrive.)

In addition, the dash may be used to show that someone's dialogue has been interrupted. Use a dash rather than an ellipsis to show an interruption of dialogue, because an interruption implies a sudden event, not a trailing off.

For example: Tim protested: "But I wasn't anywhere near --"

"Don't bother denying it!" his father raged. "I'm tired of your glib explanations!" Bookmark a Good Grammar Site

There are plenty of websites to help you with your grammar. Just type "grammar help" into your web browser and you'll be inundated. Bookmark the one that you find easiest to use.

Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/

Ashley limo service .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson: ConnectOnCall breach leaks sensitive data of 910,000+ patients.

Rising elder scams: How to recognize them and protect yourself and your loved ones. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you outsmart the scammers.

There are common habits and oversights that could leave your financial information vulnerable to cybercriminals, according to Kurt the CyberGuy.

Counting calories just got easier with The Drop, the world's first automated nutrition tracker using advanced computer vision and artificial intelligence.

A virtual private network can help ensure your information remains security and your privacy remains intact. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Artificial intelligence-based cameras are giving air defense operators unprecedented capabilities in monitoring and protecting airspace.

Apple's iOS 18.1 Inactivity Reboot automatically reboots your iPhone if it hasn't been used or unlocked for more than three days, providing better data protection.

An inventor designed rooftop solar panels for a Tesla that draws solar energy while the car is parked, adding travel mileage without plugging in.

There are currently no laws governing what artificial intelligence can and cannot do with the information it gathers; here are 10 things to avoid telling AI chatbots to keep yourself safe.

A credit union with over 240,000 members recently revealed it was targeted by cybercriminals, resulting in a data breach that was part of a two-month attack by hackers.

Scammers have become skilled at creating convincing fake websites that can easily fool unsuspecting users. The CyberGuy offers tips to protect yourself.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

CAPTCHAs, which are used by websites to confirm whether users are people or bots, are harmless, but hackers are using them to infect PCs with malware.

Hackers recently leaked personal information of about 500,000 Americans and stole patient medical records that included lab results and insurance details.

The holiday season sees a rise in mobile shopping scams. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you learn how to stay safe.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a VPN enhances online banking security by encrypting data and protecting privacy.

Beware of these six sneaky holiday scams. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives you tips to avoid falling victim.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to securely back up and factory reset your Android to protect your privacy and data.

Artificial intelligence is making life easier for cybercriminals, allowing them to create elaborate scams to trick people. Kurt the Cyberguy explains how to protect yourself.

Cut through all the digital clutter and delete multiple emails from your Android simultaneously. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how it's done.

Tips to prevent your holiday decorations from being stolen

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson lays out the immediate steps you should take if your phone has been hacked and your personal information becomes vulnerable.

Fraudsters are sending people bogus invoices through PayPal as part of a sneaky scam that is going around; here's how to protect yourself from being fooled.

The Power of Punctuation

Writing