Punctuation Introduction

Think you know your stuff? CLICK HERE to quiz yourself.

Like grammar nerds like to say, punctuation is a matter of life and death. There's a huge difference between "Let's eat, Grandma" and "Let's eat Grandma."

Ba-dum ching!

Yes, grammarians can also be cornballs. But grammar truly is a matter of life and death… of your dignity as a writer. And as a human being.

You could write that, "Rachel Ray finds inspiration in cooking her family and her dog." Oof.

You could post a sign in the disabled/family restroom at your establishment that reads "Attention: toilet only for disabled elderly pregnant children." Oof. Oof. And also—what?!

And it ain't just commas that spell the difference between cannibalism and family dining or embarrassment and writing proficiency.

Without periods, you could end up writing "I have two hours to kill someone come hang out." (Terrifying.)

Overindulgence in quotation marks could have you saying that your restaurant serves the best "chicken" in town, leading hungry would-be patrons to think "Uh, what is that chicken really made out of?"

Basically, all punctuation is there for a reason. It shows degrees of separation and emphasis. In fact, when you think about it, punctuation symbols are a lot like road signs. No, they're not huge and green. They tell your reader when to look alive and anticipate, when to slow down, and when to come to a complete stop.

Simply put, punctuation symbols are a powerful tool. Use them to get your audience to read your writing exactly how you want it to be read. Feel the power!

Disclaimer

Punctuation is, uh, kind of made up.

See, it was originally used to help people know when to pause in a sentence. Comma was a short pause, semi-colon was a longer pause, and period was a full stop. So who are we to tell you that YOU CANNOT USE A COMMA THERE?

Plus, with the thousand ways we now have to communicate, punctuation is always changing. Remember when a period didn't mean you were angry? Those were the days.

Bottom line: take everything everyone says about punctuation with a grain of salt. Yes, you need to pass your grammar exam, but you don't need to deal with grammar tyrants.

Quiz Yourself on Punctuation

1/5

Choose the option that quotes the statement below correctly.

I would like to thank my parents who devoted so much hard work and so many resources to raising me. I know you two weren't happy about all the acting classes, drama boot camps, and speech therapists I asked you to pay for. But hey, I made it, so you can't say I wasn't worth the expense! In all seriousness, I would not be here accepting the Award for Best Actor if it weren't for you.

(A) "I would like to thank my parents who devoted so much hard work and so many resources to raising me. I would not be here accepting the Award for Best Actor if it weren't for you."

(B) "I would like to thank my parents… I asked you to pay for. But hey, I made it, so you can't say I wasn't worth the expense!"

(C) "I would like to thank my parents for all the hard work and resources they devoted to raising me. I know you two weren't happy about all… I asked you to pay for. But hey, I made it, so you can't say I wasn't worth the expense!"

(D) "I would like to thank my parents who… say I wasn't worth the expense… I would not be here accepting the Award for Best Car Commercial Actor if it weren't for you."

Read the passage below:

Danny and Sandra went apple-picking last weekend at Plump and Juicy Orchards. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. Sandra was determined to find the five juiciest apples because she wanted to bake an apple crisp. ________________. However, he did not expect that it would take them over three hours of searching. Sandra was pretty picky, but Danny was sure that only meant that this apple crisp was going to be the best one he's ever had.

Which sentence should be inserted into the blank?

(A) Danny knew that Sandra was an amazing baker, he said he would go along with the plan.

(B) Danny was willing to help her; since apple crisps were his absolute favorite dessert.

(D) Danny was willing to go along with this plan; he really liked the taste of baked apples.

You could write this statement multiple ways. Which of the following is NOT one of those options?

Everyone wondered who kept putting their vitamins underneath the couch cushions.

(A) The question at hand is, who keeps putting their vitamins underneath the couch cushions?

(B) The question at hand is, Who keeps putting their vitamins underneath the couch cushions?

(D) The question on everyone's mind: who kept putting their vitamins underneath the couch cushions?

Identify the option that does not retain the author's original intent in the passage.

For this short writing assignment, I would like to share a story about how my friend Vanessa saved me from total humiliation, not to mention a pulled muscle. Last Friday, we were dancing at my older sister's party. I have a huge crush on one of her friends, so I was trying to impress him with my dance moves. At one point, I accidentally lunged too far and would have ended up in the splits if not for Vanessa, who caught my arm and pulled me to safety. I did not win the affection of my crush, so maybe my moves are not actually all that great. However, I did realize that I have an incredible friend who will always have my back.

(A) "…my friend Vanessa saved me from total humiliation… I did not win the affection of my crush… However, I did realize that I have an incredible friend who will always have my back."

(B) "…I would like to share a story about how… I did not win the affection of my crush, so maybe my moves are not all that great."

(C) "At one point, I accidentally lunged too far and would have ended up in the splits if not for Vanessa… maybe my moves are not actually all that great."

(D) "For this short writing assignment, I would like to share a story about how my friend Vanessa… will always have my back."

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

(A) Sally went to the beach: and collected over 284 seashells in just one day!

(B) Just one second: where do you think you're going with all appetizers?

(D) During the ride, please hold on to: anything that might fall out of your pockets, as well as your mommy's hand.

Here are your results. Want to give it another go?
Click TRY AGAIN for a new quiz. Or click NEXT to get to studying.

0/5

Next Try Again

Punctuation Introduction

Think you know your stuff? CLICK HERE to quiz yourself.

Disclaimer

Quiz Yourself on Punctuation

Tired of ads?