Punctuation, Part 1

In the following blog post I will discuss three topics about punctuation that I read about and gained further knowledge from Rules For Writers. The topics I chose to read about reflect areas I feel like I struggle with in my writing.

No author.

"File:Icelandic quotation marks.svg". Public Domain. 

Unnecessary Commas
What I found most helpful was the advice to not use commas to set off restrictive or mildly parenthetical elements. I find myself making this mistake. Also one should not use a comma to set off a concluding adverb clause that is essential to the meaning of the sentence.

Quotation Marks
I understand and know pretty well how and when quotation marks should be used. However, this chapter really helped me understand the correct punctuation to use according to convention. For example, colons and semicolons are placed outside of quotation marks and question marks and exclamation points are placed inside of quotation marks.

End Punctuation
This chapter was pretty straightforward, Periods should be used at the end of sentences, exclamation points should not be overused, and brackets should be used to enclose any words or phrases that I have inserted into an otherwise word-for-word quotation.

Reflection:
After reviewing my two classmates drafts I have learned that we all have a good grasp on punctuation and that none of us are really struggling with the conventions of punctuation.

Alyssa used colons and commas correctly in her opening sentence, "The medical profession for much of the ancient world consisted of broad generalizations concerning the human body: bloodletting, spells, and ancient rituals were widely accepted as antibiotics."

Ayra has used end punctuation successfully throughout her entire analysis. Here is one example where she used a period to end her sentence, "All of these strategies employed are important because the opinion Bennett has is an unpopular one."