Topic: Punctuation
Chapter Written By: queen_of_sass
Level: Basic
Related genre(s): All

Punctuation:

There is no doubt that we, as writers, want to write a good novel. But more often than not, our writing is littered with silly punctuation mistakes, which makes our writing unprofessional. However, no need to worry, as here are some quick and easy to remember tips on punctuation:

Note: Some of these rules apply for American English ONLY. In whichever section it is necessary, I will add the British counterpart.

1. Period/Full Stop:

This is used to indicate the end of a thought, and it means a point or an idea has been expressed, and no further explanation is needed.

For example:

I went to the market to buy some fruits.

She told me to get her a pair of scissors from the shop.

(I) Three periods (...), which is called an ellipsis, is used to convey a small break or a trail of thought. This can be a useful device, but be wary of overusing it. For example:

If he hadn't stopped me in time...

She wanted to go to her house... but then decided against it.

(II) A period must also be used in cases of abbreviations. For example:

Dr. -doctor
Pg.-page
Sept.-September

Note: In British English, periods are not used at the end of abbreviations.

2. Exclamation mark:

This punctuation mark is usually used to convey feelings of surprise, horror and sometimes even anger. It is used to accentuate or emphasize a particularly strong feeling. It should be used sparingly and only when the situation calls for it.

For example:

Stop! Police!

No! Get out!

Note: Never use more than one exclamation point! Be wary about your use of exclamation points too frequently, as they draw a lot of attention.

3. Question Mark:

This punctuation mark is used only when there is a question or query being asked. Usually, a question mark accompanies sentences which start with: How, which, when, who, whom, where, and why.

For example:

Where are you going?

When does the event start?

This punctuation mark is also used in question tags. What are question tags?

Example:

She can see, can't she?

This is called a question tag. It is usually the negative form of the main verb (here it is "can") and is used for emphasis. It can also be used if a character has a revelation or is asking a rhetorical question.

Examples:

She wanted to go to the movies, didn't she?

You never liked her, did you?

It need not be the negative form of the verb either, as shown in the above examples. Question tags act as a way of asking/ emphasizing a question. In all such cases, question marks must be used.

Those are the most basic forms of punctuation. They are used at the ends of sentences and are used to give a stop to the end of a particular thought.

Now, moving onto the harder, more confusing bits:

4. Brackets - ()- [called parenthesis in British-English]

Brackets are used to make an aside or a point that is not part of the main sentence. The point is usually present to give extra information. The sentence should always be able to stand independently without the bracket.

Example:

She wanted to buy a dress (preferably a baby-blue one) for her niece, for her birthday.

Brackets are always used in pairs like this (). A single bracket cannot exist.

5. Hyphens and Dashes­

Hyphens: They are usually used to join two or more words together to form a compound word. For example:

Back-to-back

Blue-green

The most commonly used hyphen is for age: twenty-one-year-old female.

This is also one of the most common mistakes. A hyphen goes between each word.

Dashes: There are two types of dashes

- En dash: This is usually used to define a range of items.

Example: 1840-1845

An en dash uses one dash. Anything else is incorrect.

- Em dash: More commonly used than en dashes, these dashes are used in place of commas, parenthesis or colons for better emphasis.

Example:

Please call my lawyer-Mr. David Simpson-immediately.

They can also be used for a break in thought.

For example:

I went to the zoo-hey! Is that Katrina?

An em dash always consists of three dashes. Anything else is incorrect. There is no situation in which two or four dashes make a punctuation mark.

6. Colon (:) and Semicolon (;)

Colon:

It is commonly used to list things out or can also be used as part of a title. Example:

How to Master Cookery: Step One

My mother asked me to get the following items: bread, butter, milk, eggs, salt, and sugar.

Semicolon;

It is used in the place of a period and connects two independent clauses and shows a closer relationship between the sentences.

For example:

John was not hurt; he knew she only said it to hurt him.

Semicolons must be used wisely and sparingly.

7. Apostrophe (')
An apostrophe can be used for two main purposes:

Firstly, apostrophes are used to denote possession. For example:

Sara's dog bit her neighbour.

Secondly, apostrophes are used to denote missing letters in contractions. A contraction is two words put together as one for simplicity. For example:

Cannot is can't.

Do not is don't.

Would not is won't.

In such cases, which ever letters are being omitted, an apostrophe is used to replace it.

Important note: An apostrophe is commonly used for the contraction 'it is' = it's.

This word is not the same as 'its', which denotes possession. It is a very important thing to remember, fellow writers, as we all tend to make this mistake.

8. Commas and Quotation Marks

Finally, we come to the most difficult part of punctuation in writing, where all of us go wrong somewhere or the other: commas and dialogue.

Commas:

A comma is a punctuation mark most commonly used to emphasize a small pause in a sentence. It can also be used to list things and are always placed before a name in a sentence.

Examples for a pause:

She started to run, but she stopped as soon as she realized she was running in the wrong direction.

If you do not come here, I will switch off the internet for the rest of the day.

Examples for a list:

I wanted to buy some new pencils, pens, erasers, notebooks, and some new binders for the upcoming school year.

Note: Sometimes in English of different countries, a comma is NOT used before 'and.' However, most people choose to place one before 'and.' This is often called the Oxford comma. While writers and editors will debate endlessly over which is correct, both are proper English.

A comma always placed before a name in direct address:

Thanks for the help, John.

This is correct as it is a direct address to the person called John.

I want to thank, John for his help.

This is incorrect as it is NOT a direct address to the person called John, but rather someone merely mentioning his name in casual conversation.

A comma is also used in the case of words such as however, yet, so etc.

For example:

I wanted to go swimming yesterday. However, right before I was to leave, it started to rain.

So, if you want to do that, you must work hard for it.

Nonetheless, you must move on.

It is also used in cases of 'pair phrases'.

For example:

Michael is not only an excellent sportsman, but also a magnificent orator.

Dialogue:

Dialogue is most commonly done using double quotes (''...''), but in British-English single quotes ('...') are also used. Double quotes are preferred and more commonly used, but single quotes are not wrong!

Note: Both double and single quotes always come in pairs, and do not exist independently in a dialogue. [exceptions are not being explained here]

Some important punctuation tips to remember when writing dialogue:

1. Everything, including sentence end punctuation, must stay inside the quotes.

Right- "Can you do me a favor?" he asked.

Wrong- "Can you do me a favor" ? he asked.

2. If the sentence said in dialogue is a normal sentence in general, and ends with a period, in a dialogue, it has to end with a comma.

For example:

"She wanted to know if you would meet her," he told Sarah.

This has a few exceptions.

-If the dialogue tag (said, whispered, mumbled etc.) comes before the dialogue, it ends with a period.

For example:

He mumbled," I don't want to see her."

Suppose there is an ACTION after the dialogue, not a dialogue tag. In this case, the period will be retained and a comma will not be used.

For example:

"I don't know." She scratched her head and shrugged her shoulders.

3. Comma usage in dialogue : More cases.

-If the dialogue tag comes before the speech, a comma must be used.

For example:

I hollered, "You can't catch me!" This is right.

I hollered "You can't catch me!" This is wrong.

- Again, for names, commas must be used before them, if it is a direct address.

For example:

"Thank you so much for your help, Amy."

-In case there is a break in the speech by a dialogue tag, a comma is used in such a way:

"Mary," she hollered, "come down this very instant!"

That is all for today, fellow Wattpad peers. I just wanted to say that English is a complex language and there are exceptions to, quite possibly, every rule above. I urge non-native English speakers not to fret too much, as English has many rules, as any other language does. It will take a long time to master it. Even those who are native speakers and talented writers often struggle with the rules of punctuation. However, the more you know, the fewer revisions your editor will give you.

Happy writing!

[ External links for more detailed explanations along with exceptions:

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/write/punctuation1.html

https://www.really-learn-english.com/em-dash.html

http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/punctuation/what/fourteen-punctuation-marks.html

https://litreactor.com/columns/talk-it-out-how-to-punctuate-dialogue-in-your-prose

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/punctuation/types-of-punctuation ]