Role of Punctuation Marks In Grammar & Why Is It So Important?

'ilikeicecream' – Can you tell what this is? Is it a word, a sentence, or a phrase? Now look at this: 'I like ice cream.' Can you see the difference now? This shows how crucial punctuation is. No writing at all is better than writing without punctuation. Learning to spell correctly, knowing about parts of speech, tenses, sentence structures, direct and indirect speech, active and passive voice, and various types of sentences does not matter if you do not know how to punctuate correctly.

One of the principal things that any punctuation and grammar checker or editor examines in writing is the punctuation marks. This happens because punctuation signs are vital as they may be used incorrectly and drastically change the meaning of your document in case of such a mistake.

It usually becomes more apparent when you are writing an academic paper. While literary or other types of writing might allow some flexibility with punctuation, academic writing demands precision and accuracy. In academic work, unclear sentences can easily lead to misunderstandings. Punctuation primarily helps clarify sentences. With this in mind, this article will discuss the importance of punctuation in academic writing and their roles.

Importance of Punctuation Marks

Punctuation signs or symbols, in the most general sense, belong to the group of signs that allows the coherence and structure of the sentences. The most common punctuation marks are periods, commas, question marks, colons, semi-colons, apostrophes, and quotation marks.

Punctuation cannot be underestimated in writing, as it contributes to structure, clarity and readability. Imagine how difficult it would be to read a text when the only little breaks are words and sentences. Moreover, reading a sentence without commas and full stops to separate the ideas is tough.

Fourteen different punctuation marks are usually used in English. These include:

• Period (or full stop)
• Question mark
• Exclamation point
• Comma
• Semi-colon
• Colon
• Dash
• Hyphen
• Parenthesis
• Bracket
• Braces
• Apostrophe
• Quotation mark
• Lastly, Ellipsis

We will understand their role further in the article. Students usually learn how to use these marks throughout their primary education.

The Different Roles of Punctuation Marks

Now that we have learned about absolute punctuation, let us zoom in on how it is properly used. We have previously identified the most common punctuation marks. Below, you'll find a quick guide on the different roles these punctuation marks can have.

1. Period (.)

You use the period, also known as a complete stop, to end a statement or command.

For example:

• Today is Wednesday, time to visit your best friend.
• Come on time and bring some snacks.
• Hello, buddy, come in.
• Enter.

(A command can be just one word, like "Enter," which means, "You may enter now.")

You also use a period in other situations:

• After an abbreviation, like Mr., Mrs., Dr. (but not after an acronym like NASA, NATO, YMCA)
• After an initial in names, such as A.P.J Abdul Kalam, John F. Kennedy, etc.
• In the form of a decimal point, Eg. 3.50 meters, $25.80, 72.5˚F
• When using an ellipsis (three periods) to show that words have been left out of a quotation: "Come and get your fill … and don't forget to leave some for others."

2. Comma (,)

You use commas to separate different parts of a sentence. Furthermore, they help someone understand what they are reading by breaking up groups of ideas, making it clearer. You might think of commas as natural spots in a sentence where you could pause, just like taking a breath when speaking. Here's how you can use commas:

To list items:

• He lost his house, his heritage, his hair, and his handkerchief.

To divide different parts of a sentence:

• Firstly, let's discuss the advantages of adding zinc extract to the diet. Secondly, infection can be fought off by introducing Vitamin C.

In this example, the comma after "Firstly" shows that this point is just the start of the ideas being discussed.

To link two related ideas:

• Following the French Revolution, several European nations were worried about potential civil unrest.
• While many scientists support evolution, some are actively challenging Darwin's Theory of Evolution.

To add a final thought that comes after the central part:

● Few people enjoy tough and long exams, especially on Saturdays.

3. Semi-colon (;)

A semi-colon looks like a comma and a full stop put together. Furthermore, thinking of semi-colons as a midpoint between these two punctuation marks is helpful. Here are some ways to use them:

To connect sentences that are closely linked:

● A deep sapphire colour covered the night sky; Claire realized that she had not observed its beauty until now.

Using a full stop here would separate Claire's realization too much, and a comma wouldn't provide enough separation for the ideas to be precise.

To connect sentences that contrast each other:

●  The foundation of his research methods was flawed; nonetheless, he collected the data.

The phrase following the semi-colon could be its own sentence in the case above. But there's also a common way to use semi-colons where this isn't necessary:

To separate items in a complex list:

● Mrs Smith was assisted by other members of staff: Dr Taylor from Animal Husbandry, Mr Jones from Botany, and Dr Green from Weather Science.

4. Colon (:)

In writing, you use a colon to separate parts of a sentence. But these parts don't always have to be complete sentences by themselves. Here's how colons are used:

To start a list:

● The results of the quiz competition were as follows: Charles came first, William and Noah were joint second, and Sage came last.

To connect two sentences that are related in theme:

● Psychological studies into domestic violence usually focus on the nuclear family. Henry Davis decided to take a more radical approach to his research.

In this case, the two sentences could stand alone, but using a colon helps lead the reader from one thought directly into another.

Lastly, to highlight a conclusion or result:

● Learning languages is challenging but very rewarding: without it, there's little hope for worldwide communication.

Here, the first sentence sets up the context, and the second sentence uses that context to draw a conclusion.

5. Question Mark (?)

The question mark is used when you're asking a direct question.

For example:

• Are you coming again next week to watch the rematch?
• Do you need any help with programming assignments?

However, you should not use a question mark after an indirect question.

For instance:

• Suarez and Gomez asked Leo if he had had a good time during yesterday's game. (This should end with a period, not a question mark.)
• The referee asked me what I should do after committing a foul. (This should also end with a period.)

Also, avoid using multiple question marks to show strong emotion. It's not correct.

Incorrect examples:

• Are you really, really coming???
• Did we lose again???

Final Thoughts

Now you comprehend what punctuation marks are and why they are so important in academic writing, you can see why they need to be given attention. If you misuse the punctuation, your sentence will lose its meaning or completely confuse the onlookers. Therefore, proper use of punctuation is a must. Furthermore, ensure that your academic work is shown in the best way by looking for an online grammar and punctuation checker or proofreader and using them as early in the writing process as possible.