“Punctuation is one of the most important aspects of written English, and yet punctuation it is one that is taken the most lightly.” (Writecorner) Punctuation in written communication is very important because expert writing skills, punctuation-use included is a criteria for employment, punctuation is vital in the clear definition of meaning, and it is important in being able to write good English, whether academically, technically, or creatively.
Despite the known value of using punctuations in written communication many youngsters fail to use these in more modern communication such as texting. However, with the advent of modern technology, the value of punctuation is still reiterated especially with work involved in colleges and universities.
Employment entities value an applicant’s written communicative skills because even with the advent of modern technology, the skill of being able to write with few or no grammatical errors, which is connected with punctuation use, is still preferred. Employers prefer applicants who are conscious of their grammar and punctuation and who are experts in this aspect. “Punctuation has a very important purpose: clear communication.” (L.C.)
Punctuation is also important in conveying meaning and more accurately. Readers consider punctuations as visual cues to the material that is being read. Punctuation is seeks “to give written words the intended meaning and expression of the spoken words.” (Wakish) For instance, in ‘girl’s’ and ‘girls’, the absence of the apostrophe in the second example results to the word having an entirely different meaning. The first word is interpreted as ‘belonging to the girl’ while the second word is mere the noun in plural form. This the difference that punctuations represent. Another example is when writing a letter; a comma after the salutation indicates a more informal tone, while a colon suggests a more formal letter.
Finally, the use of punctuation is especially vital in being able to write properly in English, whether creatively, academically, or technically. College papers that do not use punctuations correctly do not rate well academically. The use of punctuation is a basic skill. College writing means one has first to be aware of the basic rules of punctuation.
Bibliography
L.C., . “Fiction-writing: The role and importance of punctuation .” Helium.com. http://www.helium.com/items/1585501-role-and-importance-of-punctuation (17 May 2010).
Wakish, . “The Importance Of Punctuation In Writing Good English.” Wakish Wanderz. http://wakish.info/importance-of-punctuations-in-writing-good-english/ (17 May 2010).
Writecorner, . “The Importance of Punctuation.” The Write Corner. http://thewritecorner.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/the-importance-of-punctuation/ (17 May 2010).
