Punctuation is a tool to help, not hinder, good writing
Well,
As I sit here looking out at the orange sun melting into the middle of Sheephaven Bay, you’d think I’d have better things to think about than punctuation. But alas! My walk was hampered by a dodgy little sign which read: “No trespassing without owners permission.” A double wammy. (Photo attached)
It brought me back to the episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, where Larry David visits his mother’s gravestone only to discover that his father had it engraved “…Mother, past away on…” (Apparently he paid by the letter so “passed” would have blown the budget.)
Anyway, good punctuation is free. It’s also there to help. So here are a few common pitfalls that catch out many people time and again. You have been warned…
Exclamation marks!
Overuse of exclamation marks is a pet hate of mine. I think it’s down to laziness – the writer thinks by including one or more exclamation marks the reader will figure out what the writer is really trying to say. Let me tell you, she won’t – and her eyes will be the worse for wear afterwards.
Exclamation marks should be used sparingly. Use one to mark an exclamatory word, phrase or sentence: What a fabulous article!
Use one to express irony, surprise and dissention: Imagine the web without copywriters!
Also, use one after a command: Ready, steady, write!
Its and it’s
People commonly make a mistake when writing its and it’s. The reason it’s confusing is that it seems to be at odds with the usual use of the apostrophe. There’s no other way than commit it to memory. If you always get it wrong, then always write “it is” out in full instead of using the abbreviation and never write its with an apostrophe and you’ll be right.
Its = this is a possessive. Eg The hen lost its way back to the hen house.
It’s = this is to designate that a letter has been left out (in this case the “i” in “is”). Eg It’s a sunny day.
Commas v full stops (periods)
It costs nothing to use a full stop. They are free. Yet so many people are afraid to use them for fear of actually writing clearly. Instead, many insist on joining two separate sentences with a comma. Oh please don’t fudge it.
For example:
Julie attended the meeting, she told writers that Patricia couldn’t make it. These are two sentences. They must be separated by either a semicolon or a full stop. Julie attended the meeting. She told writers that Patricia couldn’t make it.
Or, turn the words into a complete sentence: When Julie went to the meeting, she told writers that Patricia couldn’t make it.
If in doubt about a comma or a full stop, use a full stop. Period.
Your and You’re
This is blunder is so common that probably bugs even the least literary-minded mathematicians. It’s really quite simple: you’re (you are) and your (possessive). Example: You’re going to be late. This is your coat.
If you have found any similar blunders on signage or in headlines, please share. For more examples visit the BBC’s website: http://bit.ly/9XWmjm
And for further (light) reading on the subject have a look at www.nationalpunctuationday.com
Questionable copywriting on Donegal sign
