Does punctuation really matter? The pandemic has turned many of us into homeschool teachers, so you may encounter this question soon if you haven’t already. Or perhaps it’s you, not your kids, who is wondering about punctuation’s importance. In any case, I’m here to help you—and your kids—figure this out. We won’t get into what all the punctuation marks are or how they function today. We’ll only focus on whether they matter and, if so, how much.
The Value of Commas
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Even though the celebrations may be smaller this year, somewhere out there a child will say, “Let’s eat, Dad!”
Really look at that sentence. It’s short. There doesn’t appear to be much punctuation in it at all—just an apostrophe, a comma, and an exclamation point. However, that comma is critical to the sentence. The child is trying to tell the father that it is time to eat. It’s very simple and straightforward. But let’s look at the sentence if we leave out the comma.
Let’s eat Dad!
None of the words changed. Please note that the punctuation is the same except for one small thing: We removed the comma. Suddenly our sentence takes on a whole new meaning.
Instead of telling the father that it is time to eat, the child is saying that they should eat the father. Now I know there are shortages at the grocery stores right now, but I am confident that none of you has turned to cannibalism. None of you seriously wants to eat your father for your Thanksgiving feast. But if you leave the comma out of that sentence, Dad is part of the menu.
I think for that reason alone, we should conclude that punctuation does matter, but if you need more evidence, we’re happy to oblige.
Punctuation Options
Let’s look at a new example. We’ll leave all the punctuation marks out so you can think about what to use and where to place them.
A woman without her man is nothing
Some of you probably wrote:
A woman, without her man, is nothing.
Or you may have written:
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
Now, grammatically, both of those options are punctuated correctly. Whether or not you agree with either statement is another matter completely. Despite that, both sides will agree that the punctuation definitely changes the meaning of the sentence.
Hyphens Make a Difference
Let’s examine a less controversial example. Once again, we’ll leave the marks out so you can consider what’s best for the sentence.
I have twenty five dollar bills
Maybe you wrote:
I have twenty-five dollar bills.
But you could have written:
I have twenty five-dollar bills!
Do you see the difference? In option one, you have twenty-five dollars total. On the other hand, in option two, you have a total of one hundred dollars and you’re excited about it. All of a sudden, your grocery budget just quadrupled! Even though both options have a hyphen, the placement of your punctuation mark alters the entire meaning of the sentence.
Semicolons Save the Day
Imagine you’ve had a huge fight with your boyfriend. Many things were said. It got ugly. As a result, your relationship is definitely on the rocks. But you take a day to think things over, then you send him this text message:
I’m sorry I love you
Autocorrect added that apostrophe for you, but it didn’t add anything else. What exactly is that text supposed to mean? Obviously, if we take the text at face value, it means you regret loving him. But what if that was supposed to be an apology?
I’m sorry; I love you.
I’m sorry. I love you.
So, are you trying to apologize, or are you being rather mean? Who would have thought that a semicolon could save your relationship? Take note, kids: punctuation matters when you text.
Punctuation Takeaways
Both the placement and the punctuation marks themselves can alter a sentence’s meaning. Generally speaking, punctuation is meant to prevent ambiguity and confusion. Therefore, as writers, we must be very careful to make sure our punctuation choices are in line with what we’re actually trying to communicate with our audience.
Do you need someone to proofread your articles or novel for punctuation errors? If so, I’d love to help. Contact me today!