Punctuation is a fascinating and controversial topic that has one express purpose: to convey meaning to the reader. There are many different style guides – including MLA, APA, Chicago, or AP – that dictate certain punctuation rules. Other rules are established house style guides. Benjamin Dreyer, copy editor in chief at Random House, explains in his book, “As a lexicographer friend once confided over sushi, the dictionary takes its cues from use: If writers don’t change things, the dictionary doesn’t change things” (Dreyer, pg. 57). The lesson learned from this violent agreement on the importance of uniformity in writing, such as varying applications of capitalization after a colon, is that punctuation is indeed as subjective as the rules surrounding a comma splice.
How does punctuation convey meaning to the reader? Lynne Truss, best-known as the author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves, has a delightful children’s book on apostrophes. In it, she demonstrates through visuals how an apostrophe changes the meaning of a sentence.
In the above pictures from her book, “The giant kids’ playground” is a giant playground for normal-sized children (Truss). “The giant kid’s playground” is a playground for one giant-sized kid (Truss). While this is a small example, it is a clear example of how punctuating one’s sentences affects the semantics. On a larger scale, the New York Times broke a story, followed by the Atlantic, quoted here, that a single period changed the meaning of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” in the Declaration of Independence (qtd. Ohlheiser):
See that period? According to Princeton professor Danielle Allen, it’s not actually in the original document… Instead, with the period in place, there’s an implied hierarchy. So you can begin to see how one little punctuation mark’s presence or absence could become the subject of heated debate among those who have strong opinions about the role of government as it concerns individual liberty (Ohlheiser).
These examples show the importance of punctuation and the meaning they convey to the reader. In what ways is punctuation subjective? One example would be the punctuation following colon. APA style guidelines dictate that “[i]f the clause following the colon is a complete sentence, it begins with a capital letter” (Publication Manual). The 8th edition MLA handbook makes a passing reference to include punctuation that a phrase would use if the colon was not in place (MLA Handbook, pg. 87). The internet confirmed this assertion:
Use a lowercase letter when the word that follows the colon is normally lowercased:
Bonnie had to admit what was already obvious to her roommates: she was allergic to the cat (Colons).
Dreyer’s English takes a different approach: “If what follows a colon is a full sentence, begin that full sentence with a capital letter, which signals to your reader: What’s about to commence includes a subject, a verb, the works, and should be read as such” (Dreyer, pg. 35). He recognizes there isn’t a single rule for punctation after a colon:
This differentiation is by no means universally recommended, much less observed, and writers who were trained to commence anything that follows a colon with a lowercase letter (a convention I find puzzling, as if suggesting that a sentence following a colon is somehow not a legitimate sentence) bristle at it, but I consider it a valuable way to signal to readers what flavor of text they’re about to read and to avoid sending them scurrying grumpily back to the colon once they realize that what they thought was going to be a sentence isn’t one, or that what they thought wasn’t going to be a sentence is one (Dreyer, pg. 35).
Like the quote provided in the introduction, if writers continue to adhere to a standard, the standard will eventually change until it is uniform across all style guides. An example of this is the outdated practice to include two spaces after a period. This is no longer accepted in any publications and is removed by all copy editors.
Considering the subjectivity, a wise writer understands grammar, usage, and punctuation when making decisions in their writing (Random House, pg. xi). It is important to utilize dictionaries and style guides when confronting difficult sentence structures, “[w]hich is what big fat stylebooks are for, so do keep yours handy” (Dreyer, pg. 21). Once these concepts are understood, punctuation can be applied artistically, bringing a rhythm and life into a work specific to the writer. Comma splices are an example of that. “As a rule you should avoid comma splicing, though exceptions can be and frequently are made when the individual sentences are reasonably short and intimately connected…” (Dreyer, pg. 28). Dreyer explains that comma splices occur most frequently in fiction. “Most composition teachers are aware of the fact that the comma splice or comma fault is not always a mortal sin in standard written English and is, in fact, sometimes appropriate and effective rhetorically, but rather than teach its use when appropriate… most teachers prefer to discourage its use and to insist that students rewrite or repunctuate any sentence containing a comma splice. This practice is largely attributable to the composition handbooks, which generally project this same attitude: that comma splices are often used by good writers but students should avoid them” (Brosnahan, pg. 184). Deciding when it is appropriate to utilize a comma splice “takes into consideration not only syntax but also semantics, stylistic level, and rhetorical purpose, and these criteria are best stated simply as conditions under which the comma alone can be used to separate independent clauses, that is, as a sub-rule of the proper use of the comma” (Brosnahan, pg. 185). Having a clear understanding of grammar allows the writer to take appropriate stylistic liberties.
This allow writers have the freedom to make stylistic choices, consistent with the writing style and rooted in an understanding of the principles of grammar. With the support of style guides and dictionaries, writers can confidently navigate the complicated and subjective world that grammar can be to effectively use punctuation to convey meaning to the reader. It is through this application and consistency that writers become the driving force behind established standards in style guides.
Works Cited:
Brosnahan, Irene Teoh. “A Few Good Words for the Comma Splice.” College English, vol. 38, no. 2, 1976, p. 184. EBSCOhost, doi:10.2307/376343.
“Colons: How to Use Them.” The MLA Style Center, 20 Sept. 2017, style.mla.org/colons-how-to-use-them/.
Dreyer, Benjamin. Dreyer’s English. Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
MLA Handbook: The Modern Language Association of America. The Modern Language Association of America, New York, 2016.
Ohlheiser, Abby. “Have We Been Reading the Declaration of Independence All Wrong?” The Atlantic, 3 July 2014, theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/07/typo-could-mean-weve-been-reading-the-declaration-of-independence-all-wrong/373915/. Accessed September 2019.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th Edition (3520100021035): 6th Edition Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C., 2013.
Random House Webster’s Pocket Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation (Pocket Reference Guides). Random House, New York, 2008.
Truss, Lynne. The Girl’s Like Spaghetti: Why, You Can’t Manage without Apostrophes! G.P.
Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2007.
Cite this page:
Reach, Kimberly. “Punctuation” Kimberly Reach, 30 September 2019, https://kimberlyreach.com/punctuation/.