Everyone struggles with punctuation at some point. You might think that punctuation isn’t that big of a deal; as long as the words are there and the reader can see them, who cares?
Punctuation exists to bring clarity to writing so your words can communicate more effectively. These little marks aren’t there to make your writing look pretty. They’re there to ensure that your readers understand the meaning of what you’re trying to say — and understand the meaning correctly.
If you want to improve your punctuation skills, I suggest picking up a copy of Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss. It’s both entertaining and informative. The book’s title is an amphibology derived from a joke about bad punctuation and explains perfectly how one little comma can change the entire meaning of a sentence.
I’ll start this primer with some of the simpler punctuation marks: the full stop and the question mark.
The Full Stop
Also commonly known as the period, the full stop signifies the end.
- A full stop is always placed inside quotation marks.
- Harry Potter once said, “I don’t go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me.”
- Non-wizarding folks in the Harry Potter universe are called “muggles.”
- A full stop ends declarative sentences.
- Harry Potter was considered by most to be the best wizard of his time.
- A full stop ends a mildly imperative sentence.
- Shut the broom closet door.
- A full stop ends some rhetorical questions.
- Why don’t we just go to the quidditch match.
- A full stop ends many abbreviations.
- Harry J. Potter
- At Hogwarts, students learn how to cast spells, mix potions, repel curses, etc.
- Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort, celebrates his birthday on Dec. 31.
The Question Mark
The question mark signifies the end of a question.
- Use a question mark at the end of a direct question.
- If you could, would you take a trip to the Harry Potter universe?
- A question mark is used with interpolated questions — those that come in the middle of a sentence.
- Bellatrix Lestrange — Wasn’t she Sirius Black’s cousin? — was a Deatheater.
- If a question mark is part of a quoted question, then it is placed inside the quotation marks.
- Albus Dumbledore asked Harry, “You think the dead we loved every truly leave us?”
- Do you remember when Harry, Hermione and Ron encountered Fluffy and asked, “How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?”
- If the entire sentence is a question with a piece of quoted material at the end, then the question mark is placed outside the quotation marks.
- Do you remember when Hermione called Ron an “insensitive wart”?
- A question mark replaces the comma in quoted questions at the start of a sentence.
- “Have you gone mad?” Ron bellowed.
Next week: Commas.
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