With the dawn of the Internet, the birth of Internet slang, and the growing use of SMS, many of us are starting to forget the fundamental aspects of English punctuation. Would you like to write a great paper for one of your classes or submit a polished, impeccably written proposal to your boss? If so, proper punctuation is a must. Consider this article a crash course in English punctuation, and see Step 6 below to get started.
Shakespeare and More Grammar and Punctuation Tips
I really like your site and I too am a grammar stickler and agree with virtually everything you say with the exception of punctuation always going inside quotation marks.
How to Use English Punctuation Correctly (with Examples)
8. The comma (period, punctuation) goes INSIDE the quotation mark and the apostrophe. Always. DO NOT PUT THE COMMA OUTSIDE THE QUOTATION OR APOSTROPHE. This is my main pet peeve. Didn't we learn this rule in the fourth grade? Come on, people. This is likely by far the most common mistake I see.
Example: She said to me, "It's a beautiful day, don't you think?"
Not: She said to me, "It's a beautiful day, don't you think"?
Example: My favorite show is "Seinfeld."
Not: My favorite show is "Seinfeld".
Example: He loves "Seinfeld," especially the one wherein Kramer gets an award for being retarded.
Not: He loves "Seinfeld", especially the one wherein Kramer gets an award for being retarded.
Punctuating Titles: When to Use Italics, Underlining, and
8. "They're" = contraction of "they are"
Example: "They're up on the roof."
Not: "Their up on the roof."
Example: "They think they're doing well, but they're not."
Not: "They think their doing well, but there not."
I generally appreciate the occasional parenthetical if the subtext of that parenthetical indicates an emotion that is perhaps contrary to the line, such as above. Do not use a parenthetical to state the obvious interpretation of the line.
Example:
SARAH
(smiling)
I'm going to slit your throat and watch you bleed to death.
Row, row, row your boat / Gently down the stream. / Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, / Life is but a dream.
Caps also can be used for loud noises (SCREAM) or to flag an important word within an action sequence (for example, the introduction of a GUN or a LEAP across a building).
To my mind, the capping of selective words on the page helps the reader read down the page (dialogue and key words to understand the plot). If you cap too many words, the reader will not know where to focus the eye, and then won't get those outstanding details. Make the reader's job very easy and in long sequences of action lines CAP only the key words the reader needs to get the story.
However, I can say that lately especially with so much online writing now that nobody proofs I looked up recently the horrible phenomenon of the punctuation outside the quotes (to me, it 8767 s nails on a chalkboard, truly), and I was surprised to discover that it is more standard in British English. I didn 8767 t know about Canadian, so thanks for educating me on that one. Brits and Canadians get a pass 🙂
6. "There" = location, placement, here/there, over there
Example: "Look over there."
Not: "Look over their."
Example: "There's the gun." (there is the gun)
Not: "Theirs the gun."
