Today is our topic of discussion – The Common Punctuation
The Common Punctuation
The Common Punctuation
Punctuation is one of the most important aspects of written English, and yet it is one that is taken most lightly. It is, in fact, this feature of writing that gives meaning to the written words… much like pauses and changes in tones of the voice when speaking.
An error in punctuation can convey a completely different meaning to the one that is intended. It’s very important, and a tiny, misplaced comma or question mark can cost millions of dollars or break someone’s heart.
For example:
Your book, John.
Your book, John?
Although the words are same here, the two sentences mean completely different things because of the period (or full stop) and the question mark.
The same goes here:
Don’t stop.
Don’t, stop.
The commas after the don’t and the don’t, have made fully different in the meanings of the sentences. In the first sentence one is saying someone not to stop while in the second sentence he is saying someone not to go. So the meaning is different.
Another example of how punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence:
He was bitten by a dog which hurt him.
He was bitten by a dog, which hurt him.
The first sentence means the dog hurt him. The second sentence means the bite hurts him. The comma after the dog has completely changed the meaning of the second sentence.
A classic example which is generally given during teaching punctuations as the best can be this – A woman without her man is nothing.
Now see the differences that punctuation can make given below:
A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
So, we can easily notify how meanings can be different or opposite just because of wrong of comma.
placements
This is very important to know how punctuation marks work for the meanings of the sentences. It is to be surely known when and how to use them in order to produce a good piece of writing: more importantly, conveying the correct messages.
Have a look at these given examples if there are any misplacements of punctuations. If you do not understand the importance of appropriate placement of punctuations then you will surely understand its function after seeing these.