Lessons for the future

Lessons for the Future

I rarely write on grammar since it’s not my strong suite however my eyes see mistakes that are blinding so with that I ask you reader, what do an over abundance of exclamation points, ellipses, a comma splice, colons and a period outside a quotation mark have in common? They are written in error.  

Many newbie authors run the risk losing their credibility with readers because of punctuation errors.  But there's a solution.  Why panic when you can strengthen your writing habits by identifying errors before you submit your work.  Steer clear of these poor punctuation habits.

Excessive use of exclamation points

Often a result of attempting to create exciting and energized content, authors will use exclamation points with reckless abandon. The result: Content that's on the verge of hysterics!!! Use an exclamation point or mark for exclamations, commands, or sound effects and review your piece for wayward exclamation points.

Excessive use of ellipses

An informal ellipsis is used to indicate trailing-off, hesitation, to be continued, or to convey the passage of time. So ... when you see it used in writing ... it ... leaves much ... to be desired.  Be clear, direct, and confident in your writing and skip the ellipses.

The comma splice

Joining two independent clauses is not the job for a comma. The following is an example of comma splice: "The Siberian Husky looks like a small wolf, they may appear friendly, but they can be vicious creatures." Avoid this error by joining two independent clauses together with a period, semicolon, or a conjunction (e.g., "The Siberian Husky looks like a small wolf; they may appear friendly, but they can be vicious creatures."

Using an apostrophe in pronominal possessives

Even if you know the rule and you let the apostrophe go to your head, pledge to place a little extra care spotting apostrophe errors. One prevalent common error is the apostrophe used to indicate possession in a pronominal possessive (e.g., "your’s " instead of "yours"). It's redundant; a pronominal possessive is already possessive.

Using a colon to separate a verb from its complement or separate a preposition from its object.

A verb (e.g., need) shouldn't be separated from its complement (i.e., someone or something that completes the statement).

Sean needs: pants, a shirt and a tie. (Incorrect)
Sean needs pants, a shirt and a tie. (Correct)

Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks.

It may not seem correct at times, but the comma and period always belong inside quotations marks. Other forms of punctuation (e.g., semicolons, question marks, and exclamation points) may vary, but the comma and period is a fairly straight-forward rule.

"I love you". (Incorrect)
"I love you." (Correct)

Avoid these poor punctuation habits to strengthen your writing skills and become a better writer.  What punctuation errors do you commonly see? Let me know by sharing your comments and questions—I’d love to hear from you!