Blog Post #48 - Punctuation

Wilson, Rebecca. "Truly, the glue that's holding civilization together, however tenuously".
8/26/2010. via Flickr. Attribution 2.0 Generic

For this blog I will be reviewing some topics under "Punctuation" from our textbook. I will also be briefly discussing what I learned and what was new or surprising.

SEMICOLON

• Use a semicolon between closely related independent clauses not joined with a coordinating conjunction.
• I know I have struggled with this in the past. Especially due to my style of cramming in as much information as I can. Ensuring that a comma is used with a coordinating conjunction or with a semicolon when no conjunction is present. This can also be a way of changing up the style if I find too much repetition.
• Use a semicolon between items in a series containing internal punctuation.
• Making sure there is a series containing internal punctuation and not just introducing a list. I encounter this quite often since I use lists frequently. Another common mistake I'm sure I have made. Once again though, a way to change things up if meaning and intent can be maintained by varying the punctuation.

APOSTROPHE

• Use an apostrophe to indicate that a noun is possessive.
• I actually find myself stopping my writing to ensure that I am using this properly. An extremely common mistake that confuses the reader and alters meaning. A simple rule to follow but sometimes difficult to execute.
• Do not use an apostrophe to form the plural of numbers, letters, abbreviations, and words mentioned as words.
• I run into this often especially dealing with time spans. Referring the 80's incorrectly only makes that time more ridiculous than it already was.

END PUNCTUATION

• The period, question mark, and exclamation point.
• Rarely do I find myself using exclamation points. I stay away from it due to not knowing when it is appropriate. I try to ensure that the words in the sentence have all the emphasis they need without throwing in punctuation to help. Mixing it in now and then may be a way to direct emphasis on certain points.

OTHER PUNCTUATION MARKS

• The dash
• To set off parenthetical material that deserves emphasis. To introduce a list, a restatement, an amplification, or a dramatic shift in tone or thought.
• I have stayed away from dashes due to not knowing how to properly utilize them. This is another way to emphasis and also break monotony.
• Brackets
• With the type of writing we have been doing, I can now see a use for brackets. I have encountered several instances of errors in quotes and missing subjects in statements that brackets could have rectified.
• The slash
• Though I have been using it correctly, I sometimes include spaces to make it easier for reading. I am guilty of using the he/she and now have a better way to address this.

REFLECTIONS

• Obviously medical or religious exemptions are different cases than nonmedical, or personal-belief exemptions.
• This sentence from Brandon's draft needs a comma placed after obviously and a hyphen in non-medical.
• Due to a small design flaw in the ventilation system, a small leakage occurred.
• This sentence from Mark's draft correctly uses a comma to break a cause and effect relationship.