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How
To Use Punctuation
by: Rumki
Sen
The most common mistake people tend to make while writing is in the
use of Punctuation. Wrong punctuation can damage the flow of ideas and
change meaning, but properly used punctuation not only helps readers
understand your meaning but also makes them engrossed in your writing.
The following discussion is about some of the frequently misused punctuation
marks and what actually their correct application should be.
Use of Apostrophe - Use an apostrophe
to show possession, but never put apostrophe in case of possessive pronouns.
Always remember that when the word "it's" is used, it is actually for
the contraction for the two words: "it has" or "it is". On the other
hand, "its" is a possessive pronoun, and the word being already possessive
should not contain an apostrophe in it.
Example
It's the same thing happening over
and over again.
(Contraction of It and is: It is the same thing happening over and over
again).
Wrong: That car is your's.
Right: That car is yours.
Note: Rewriting is sometimes the
solution for an awkward possessive.
Awkward: A friend of mine's cap.
Better: A friend's cap (or the
cap of a friend of mine).
To show possession in the case
of singular nouns, add 's, and for plural words that end in s, add only
an apostrophe. Don't forget to put 's with plural words not ending in
s.
Example
Singular: nurse's uniform
Plural: nurses' uniforms (plural
word ending in s)
Plural: children's uniforms (plural
word not ending in s)
Use of Comma - Use commas to separate
three or more items in a list. Though journalists most of the times
omit the final comma before the word "and", but retaining the final
comma avoids confusion.
Example
Poor: In this website, you can
read articles about how to do business online, the woman who daily eats
45 eggs and Tom Cruise.
Better: In this website, you can
read articles about how to do business online, the woman who daily eats
45 eggs, and Tom Cruise.
Use a comma to separate two independent
clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions.
Example
Wrong: I am not good in writing
but I love writing.
Wrong: I am not good in writing,
but, I love writing.
Right: I am not good in writing,
but I love writing.
Note: If the clauses are long and
already contain commas, separate them with a semicolon rather than a
comma.
Wrong: If a man begins with certainties,
he shall end in doubts, but if he will be content to begin with doubts,
he shall end in certainties. - Francis Bacon
Right: If a man begins with certainties,
he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts,
he shall end in certainties. - Francis Bacon
Run-on sentences - Where Run-on
sentences are concerned (in case you don't know what it is, a run-on
occurs when two independent clauses are not separated by punctuation
or conjunction), add a period, or a semi colon, or a comma in places
of separation.
Example
Wrong: A good student can score
full marks in Mathematics it's his analytical ability that will help
him achieve that.
Right: A good student can score
full marks in Mathematics. It's his analytical ability that will help
him achieve that.
Use of Quotation Marks - Use quotation
marks to indicate direct quotation.
Example
"That guy knows me," Mr. Wong said,
"very well."
Note: Never use it for indirect
quotation (a restatement of someone’s words).
According to Mr. Wong, that guy
knows him very well.
Use single quotation marks to indicate
a quote within a quote.
Example
Wrong: Richard wrote, "When Berkeley
said, "esse est percipii", he meant that the existence of a thing consists
in its being perceived."
Right: Richard wrote, "When Berkeley
said, 'esse est percipii,' he meant that the existence of a thing consists
in its being perceived."
Note: Always put the comma and
final period inside the quotation marks, and put other punctuation marks
outside unless they are part of the thing being quoted.
There are many other frequently
used punctuation errors, but the above-discussed ones are those I have
mostly encountered in several writings. Before putting punctuation marks
in your sentences, always ask yourself what meaning you want to convey
to the readers. Accordingly, put the marks. In case the sentence becomes
difficult to punctuate, consider rewriting it, because when a sentence
is well written, it almost punctuates itself.
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About The Author
Rumki Sen is the founder of Perfect Editing Solutions (www.perfectediting.com),
a professional firm providing a Proofreading and Copyediting
service to websites and online documents. She corrects and edits
English grammar, punctuation, spelling, links and a lot more
for mainly websites, letters, applications, CVs / resumes, advertisements,
manuals, brochures, e-newsletters, articles and e-mail messages.
Her company also offers resume-writing services. Whether you're
a student, webmaster, or business owner, your written work will
be improved immediately after you get her company's service.
Contact Rumki Sen at rumki@perfectediting.com.
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This article was posted on January
26, 2005
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