Punctuation can change the entire meaning of a sentence, but not always in a good way. If you slow down when writing, you’ll easily see where you should be putting punctuation. Most people think they have the basics down, but there are a few exceptions and I’ll try to cover those so that it’s easy to remember.
Commas
There are countless websites and images on the internet about the importance of commas. They often show examples similar to these:
Let’s eat mom! / Let’s eat, mom! These do not mean the same thing.
We’re eating good boys! / We’re eating good, boys!
In the first example, one sentence talks about actually
eating
mom. The second sentence, however, is telling mom to join in on eating. The same explanation applies to the second sentence. While most people will know what you meant in those sentences, it’s best not to leave it up to assumption.
Now that we’ve seen an easy example, Let’s try something harder.
Lucy drove down the dark, twisted road.
John has nine vintage cars in his garage.
Notice how one sentence has a comma and one doesn’t despite the fact that they both describe something? Are you able to figure out why? If not, that’s perfectly fine. Depending on how amazing your English teacher was, you probably wouldn’t spot the difference. I was in that boat before, but I’ll help you conquer these silly rules. We’ll start off by explaining a few terms. It may seem elementary, but stay with me!
Noun
- A word that names a person, place, thing, or idea.
Pronoun
- A word that takes the place of a noun
Adjective
- A word that describes nouns or pronouns
Coordinate
Adjectives - Two or more sequential adjectives that independently modify the same noun
Cumulative
Adjectives - Two or more consecutive adjectives that build on one another to modify the same noun.
With that explained, we can revisit the examples from above. This time, we’ll underline the coordinate adjectives, bold the cumulative adjectives, and italicize the nouns or pronouns that are being modified.
Lucy drove down the dark, twisted
road
.
John has
nine vintage
cars
in his garage.
How can we tell which ones are cumulative and which are coordinate? Coordinate adjectives can be switched around or the word “and” can be put between them and the sentence will still make sense. Cumulative adjectives cannot be switched around and putting the word “and” between them doesn’t work.
First, let’s try switching the two adjectives around for each sentence.
Lucy drove down the twisted, dark road. -> Okay!
John has
vintage nine
cars
in his garage. -> Not okay!
Now, let’s try the second method of adding the word “and” between the adjectives.
Lucy drove down the dark and twisted road. -> Still okay!
John has
nine
and
vintage
cars
in his garage. -> Still not okay!
These aren’t the only uses for commas. For a list of adjectives, nouns, pronouns, and more examples featuring commas, see Tables 5.1a and 5.1b.
Oxford Commas
The Oxford comma comes before “and” for the last item in a list of three items or more. There has been a lot of debate over whether or not it’s necessary in writing, but I think it’s necessary to avoid ambiguity.
I went to the orchestra with my cousin Savannah, my teacher and my girlfriend.
I went to the orchestra with my cousin Savannah, my teacher, and my girlfriend.
Do you see how this could be an issue? In the first sentence, it seems as though the person is saying that they went with their cousin, Savannah, who just so happens to be a teacher
and
their girlfriend. Quite a messy explanation. In the second, we can clearly see that the person attended the orchestra with three different people.
Maria sent an invitation to her neighbors, Sam and Brittany.
Maria sent an invitation to her neighbors, Sam, and Brittany.
Instead of it seeming like she sent invitations to two people, adding the comma clarified that she actually sent the invitation to Sam, Brittany, and some others. In the end, using the Oxford comma (or not) is a personal preference. Whether you choose to use it or not, be consistent throughout your entire story.
Periods, Colons, and Semicolons
Unfortunately, people tend to overuse commas and that often creates a horrible mess of run-on sentences. Sentences that are too long will often confuse the reader, making them have to read over it again. Too many of them will make the reader lose interest out of frustration. If you notice that your sentences tend to run longer, try breaking them up with a period, colon, or semicolon where applicable. Avoid throwing them in just because you
think
they belong. Each one has multiple purposes and they should be used correctly.
Period [ . ]
- A punctuation mark that indicates the end of a declarative sentence
There are a few different ways that we use periods. Periods come at the end of sentences but cannot be combined with question marks [ ? ] or exclamation marks [ ! ] except in special cases. When an abbreviation comes at the end of a sentence, it does not include a double period.
Correct:
Babies need diapers, clothes, milk, toys, etc
.
Incorrect:
Babies need diapers, clothes, milk, toys, etc
..
Correct:
His license says, Phillip Johnson, M.D
.
Incorrect:
His license says, Phillip Johnson, M.D
..
In addition to statements and abbreviations, periods, also known as a full stop, can indicate a request, an indirect question, or a command.
Request -
Would you please feed the dog.
Indirect Question -
I wonder if she is working tomorrow.
Command -
Give me your answer by tomorrow morning, please.
The full stop's use slightly changes when used with quotation marks or parentheses.
Correct:
“I have a dog named Spike,” David said.
Correct:
David said, “I have a dog named Spike.”
Incorrect:
“I have a dog named Spike.” David said.
Correct:
Mr. Quest has a son named Johnny. (He is awfully handsome.)
Correct:
We had to cancel our vacation in December (due to a blizzard) and we’re unhappy.
Incorrect:
We had to cancel our vacation in December, (due to a blizzard,) and we’re unhappy.
Colon [ : ]
- A punctuation mark that indicates can combine two independent clauses
Colons can be used to introduce lists if the colon does not throw off the sentence flow.
Correct:
This pizza place has three types of pizza: sausage, cheese, and ham.
Correct:
This pizza place has sausage, cheese, and ham pizzas.
Incorrect:
This pizza place has: sausage, cheese, and ham pizzas.
If we were to break each sentence into multiple sentences, the last one would not work because each clause would be an incomplete sentence.
Correct:
This pizza place has three types of pizza. They have sausage. They have cheese. They have ham.
Correct:
This pizza place has sausage pizza. This pizza place has cheese pizza. This pizza place has ham pizza.
Incorrect:
This pizza place has. Sausage, cheese, and ham pizzas.
Semicolon [ ; ]
- A punctuation mark that can combine two related clauses that could operate as independent sentences or if can combine items on an extended list
A semicolon can often replace a conjunction (and, but, or, yet, nor, so, for).
I like all various flavors of ice cream. My favorite is rocky road.
I like all various flavors of ice cream; my favorite is rocky road.
I like all various flavors of ice cream, but my favorite is rocky road.
I like all various flavors of ice cream, yet my favorite is rocky road.
Semicolons can connect two independent phrases that are connected by a transitional expression.
I proposed to my girlfriend while wearing a penguin suit; as a result, she said no.
My wedding is going to have hundreds of guests; consequently, it will cost a fortune.
During our stay in Maui, I got stung by a jellyfish; of course, I had to be hospitalized.
It can also be caused within a list that contains commas, if there is an expanded explanation for the items.
Example:
The renovated house will have a new bathroom on the ground floor; new carpet, doors, and windows on the second level; and a new furnace, bathroom, and bar in the basement.
Question Marks and Exclamation Marks
Question marks and exclamation marks help change the meaning of a phrase. Like commas, their uses change slightly in combination with quotation marks and other punctuation marks.
Question Mark [ ? ] -
Typically used at the end of a sentence, it indicates a direct question.
What are the kids doing?
Do you know her name?
Is this going to be a long ride?
You can combine a question mark with a period as long as it isn’t at the end of a sentence.
Correct:
Are they surfing in the morning? he wondered.
Correct: “Are they surfing in the morning?” he asked.
Incorrect:
“Are they surfing in the morning?,” he asked. - Notice there is a [ , ] after the [ ? ].
Incorrect: He asked, “Are they surfing in the morning?”. - Notice there is a [ . ] at the end.
Exclamation Mark [ ! ] -
Used to indicate surprise, yelling, or excitement at the end of a sentence.
Correct:
We’re not having a party!
Correct:
Tammy shouted, “We’re not having a party!”
Correct: “We’re not having a party!” Tammy shouted.
Incorrect:
“We’re not having a party!,” Tammy shouted. - Notice there is a [ , ] after the [ ! ].
Incorrect:
Tammy shouted, “We’re not having a party!”. - Notice there is a [ . ] at the end.
Double Punctuation and the Interrobang
With the exception of the examples above, double punctuation is highly frowned upon. In order to put emphasis on phrases, many writers use multiple exclamation marks, question marks, or a combination of the two.
Was that a shark?!
Are you kidding me!?
I hate potatoes!!!
Are they really going to move across the country??
Although it’s extremely tempting to do, at least for me, there is no need to use more than one [ ! ] or [ ? ]. I’m completely guilty of using [ !! ], [ !?], and [ ?! ]; however, I don’t use them often. In formal writing or traditionally published works, you might not be able to get away with this sort of double punctuation. However, in self-publishing and creative writing, simple rules like this are often overlooked. Assess the risk of your chosen style of writing and plan accordingly. Additionally, you can use the interrobang [ ‽ ] in place of the question mark and exclamation mark duo. It doesn’t appear often in writing and is used for exclamatory emphasis on rhetorical questions.
