The importance of punctuation
By Skyedame1
@Skyedame1 (18)
April 14, 2008 3:53pm CST
How important do you think punctuation is?
I recently read a book in which one of the main characters kept in touch with her sister via email. The annoying thing was that the author, I assume in an attempt at 'authenticity', had the emails typed without any punctuation whatsoever. So that, for example, a sentence might read like this: "Shed gone without me." Eh? Oh! it should have read She'd gone without me!
Some modern thinkers say that punctuation isn't important but I disagree. How on earth are we to make sense of anything we read if there is no punctuation?
What do you think?
7 people like this
17 responses
@goergineo (1498)
• Jordan
15 Apr 08
punctuation is super important. without punctuation there are gonna be too much confusion about sentences, sometimes people will misunderstand you for that and opinion are gonna hit each other.
1 person likes this
@egdcltd (12059)
•
14 Apr 08
Punctuation, spelling and grammer are important. There was an idea recently that enforcing strict spelling on children stifled creativity. Finally, it seems to have been realized that this is a bad idea. If everyone uses their own variation of language, how will people understand each other?
1 person likes this
@Arkadus (895)
• Canada
15 Apr 08
Well apparently myLot's filters won't let me use the sentence I was going to but I understand to a point. (Although I do think filters like that should stick to actual factual cussing and not crude things in general.)
Proper Grammar, like all things has it's time and place. Email isn't one of them, unless you're using it for some sort of newsletter thing. And really 'Shed gone without me' is only going to confuse someone who knows zilch about english.
@Skyedame1 (18)
•
15 Apr 08
Why shouldn't one use correct grammar in email? The recipient still has to make sense of what the writer is trying to communicate.
If you are referring to emails between close pals then maybe it could be forgiven but only if the writer has poor English skills and/or is not a fast typist! If the writer of the email can type fairly quickly, why not take the trouble to include punctuation?
Surely business emails should always include punctuation?
If I received a poorly written email from a business client I would doubt their credibility!Forgive me if I sound pedantic but when I was taught English at school (English is my main language) spelling and punctuation went hand in hand.
I do text occasionally but - and you're going to love this - I can rarely bring myself to to use 'text speak'. My old English teacher would turn in her grave to read such things as 'ur L8'!!
2 people like this
@Arkadus (895)
• Canada
15 Apr 08
Well I suppose I should have been more clear. I did mean just in personal emails it shouldn't be such a big deal. Business email should of course be properly punctuated and all that. And I'm of the opinion that the only place 'txtspk' belongs is in text messages, even then I don't use it, aside from a few joke posts here and there around the internets.
@rhettaa (213)
• United States
14 Apr 08
I think that grammar and punctuation are extremely important. It only takes a few moments to write things at least somewhat correctly. I don't mean that everything has to be perfect. Small mistakes are just that, small mistakes. But when people use "u" and "ur" on message boards, or don't capitalize or punctuate when they should, it just makes me think they don't care enough about what they're saying for it to be worth my while to read it most of the time.
@thewriter (198)
•
15 Apr 08
The author was obviously labouring the point of the importance of punctuation within the text of her or his book.
I note that punctution is not used as it should be, particularly in emails. But Chomsky would delight in this as a means to revolutionary discourse.
@simplyjemz (188)
• Philippines
15 Apr 08
It's very hard for us to read texts without punctuation...we might have a different interpretation...we will be having lots of interpretation and meaning...there will be misunderstanding...
just like what is happening to me. i usually use exclamation point(!)whenever i chat and send text messages. so, they say that am always angry...coz of those puntuation marks that i use...
@djmarion (4898)
• Philippines
15 Apr 08
punctuation is a very crucial matter in forming a sentence, without it our sentence no matter of good will not make perfect sense. punctuation serves as the icing in the cakes or the toppings of your ice cream, they can be done without it yet it will not look like the way you want it to look.
if you don't use a punctuation in your sentence a question, a request, a surprise will become a mere statement and so the feelings that go with that statement will not be noticed.
@mchristine519 (83)
• Philippines
15 Apr 08
Punctuation marks are very important in one's sentence construction. I find it annoying if I am reading an email or a paragraph without the proper punctuation marks as this confuses the reader on what the writer really wants to convey..
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
15 Apr 08
Poor punctuation can completely change the meaning of what is being written. I agree with you that it is extremely important for good communication.
@studymonkey (13)
•
15 Apr 08
Punctuation exists for a reason - it makes things readable! I hate reading things which are badly puctuated. I can put it up with it for a short poem (e e cummings anyone?) or txt msg but otherwise it annoys me. It would annoy me in a novel.
Having said that I don't think we should be too hung up on punctuation. So long as the meaning is clear to any possible readers that is all that's needed. Myself I can't be bothered to put apostrophes in words in text messages as it takes too long! So I can't complain too much.
@mlucas43 (39)
• United States
15 Apr 08
Punctuation is very important. It could change the meaning of the sentence if we didn't use it. Especially in Medical transcription, if we didn't use it what a mess that person would be in.
@simplyshawn (650)
• United States
14 Apr 08
I agree, punctuation is so important! Especially when it's only written and not verbally said.
I don't know all the grammer rules, (I was just happy to pass English). How else are you supposed to know when someone is excited or simply making a statement.
@paid2write (5201)
•
15 Apr 08
It is important to use punctuation. I think it's okay not to use it in a text or a quick email, but if you want to communicate something well you need to write out clearly what it is you want to say.
I certainly would not be impressed by a business email with incorrect punctuation, and I have seen some bad errors on websites.
