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Category Archives: Common Punctuation Errors
Tips Library
On the right you have access to close to 150 brief posts from my blogging phase. They reflect my desire to clear up many of the common misunderstandings and commonly missed opportunities I see in workplace writing—without making you feel … Continue reading
The Moral of the Stories
No quiz this time; just two stories and a few add-ons. #1 Years ago, we heard about a small, independent bakery that sounded perfect for the cake we wanted for our daughter’s birthday party. The place was called Just Desserts, … Continue reading
Grab Your Red Pen
Okay try and read my mind. Why did the following headline aggravate me? Fathers’ Day is Fast Approaching. Now decide how many changes you would make to improve all three sentences above. My edits 1. We need a comma after the … Continue reading
The Semicolon’s Dual Identity
Having covered the colon the past two weeks, we can now progress to its poorly understood cousin*: the semicolon. And continuing a familial theme, does it seem that if a period and comma had a kid, it would look like … Continue reading
Keys to Success II
Last week we looked at a few virtues of the colon: its ability to lend clarity or emphasis to a sentence and, on occasion, act as a substitute for the unexciting verb “to be.” Today we’ll round out our look … Continue reading
Keys to Success
Our computer keyboard isn’t the same as that of an old typewriter, but one constant is the seldom-used colon/semicolon key. Do you use it with confidence? Do you use it at all? Because Rodney Dangerfield probably would have said the … Continue reading
Togetherness
In recognition of the lack of cohesion in our country right now – and in recognition of Black History Month – the above photo seemed apt. Now, on to business. How would you refine the following sentence? Our Department and … Continue reading
Making Headlines
A major online news source committed two errors in one headline. Do you see them? John Avlon Discusses George Washington’s Farewell Speech and it’s Relevance Today Both mistakes are in it’s. One is the apostrophe. Although we were taught the … Continue reading
Fine Points
See if you can make a slight refinement in each of these sentences from the Bridge Bulletin, the monthly magazine enjoyed by members of the American Contract Bridge League. 1. Masterpoints, as they are presently constituted are meaningless. 2. Watch … Continue reading
Major League Mistakes
With the Cleveland Indians playing in the 2016 World Series, a local theater showed the cult classic, Major League. Do you spot any errors in this sentence from an announcement of the special showings? Lead by veteran player, Jake Taylor … Continue reading