Punctuation Part 1

In this blog post I will go over the three sections of punctuation that I read in rules for writers, and what I found interesting and useful about them.

Jelte "Semicolon" Via Wikimedia Public Domain

• The Comma:  I use commas very often in my writing, which is why I picked this section to read.  I found it interesting that it is recommended to use a comma between all items in a series, including the last.  In prior years I had learned that it is generally not recommended to use a comma for the last item in a set, but this says otherwise.  Essential information is typically not enclosed within commas, but nonrestrictive and nonessential information is enclosed within commas.

• Semicolon: On the other end of the spectrum, the semicolon is a tool that I rarely use, if ever.  The passage clarified  the situations in which I should use a semicolon, and where to avoid them.  For example, one should never use a semicolon between a subordinate clause and the rest of the sentence, between an appositive and the word it refers to, or to introduce a list.  Independent clauses only rarely can be used alongside semicolons in the event that the independent clause contains internal punctuation.

•  Quotation marks:  Quotation marks are sometimes misused, and I wanted a better understanding of when it is right to use them.  The obvious usage is that they are meant to directly quote another source when applying it to your own works.  One interesting nuance that I found is that when a quote contains a quote, to use a single quotation marks to mark the second quote.  They can also be used to "set off words used as words" when the subject of the phrasing is about the word itself, however this is more commonly used with italics.  

Reflection:

Unsurprisingly, there was very little usage of semicolons, but I saw interesting variety of usage in comma's and mostly traditional usage of quotation marks.

"But more specifically, it is geared toward anyone who may have been excited about or supportive of Mars One, because the purpose of the article is to show what the situation really is." from the draft has usage of commas in the beginning and middle of the sentence. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mQxmOQKXx3ymizvft7RYYFhDbw4sN3oU2_kacM5puAY/edit

"The words, “we were all told,” create an aggressive tone that establishes a clear line between a hypothetical “them” and “us.” " from the draft has interesting usage of quotation marks in two places that are used to point out specific words. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EDzHLIiTnYuIHQ5aHD_Rog5HQ2t9HrDeNO4Wwm5lTzY/edit