Punctuation Part Two

In the post below, I will be describing three more punctuation topics from Rules For Writers.

Eric Ralph. "Double Alaskan Rainbow." July 14 2007 via Wikipedia. Public Domain Dedication.

1. Quotation Marks

In this section, the book explains when to use quotation marks. Also, the book explains when to use one quotation mark or when to use two. I learned where to place punctuations when using quotations as well. I found it interesting you have to place a period inside the quotation mark, not outside of it. Also, I did not know you have to use commas before and after a quotes. The book also explains what to do if the quote is at the beginning of a sentence: only use a comma after, unless the quote ends in an exclamation or question mark.

2. End Punctuation

This section of the book explains end punctuation in sentences. I found it interesting the book advises not to overuse the exclamation point because that's a convention that nobody really addresses, rather it is an unspoken rule. I also learned from this section when to use brackets and parenthesis, an ellipsis and the slash. This section is useful in understanding the conventions of constructing sentences and how they should be ended.

3. Unnecessary Commas

This section explains necessary commas. Commas are unnecessary if they are used to separate a verb and its subject; before the first or after the last item in a list; between adjectives and nouns; or after a phrase that begins an inverted sentence. I found the last piece of advice interesting because I've never considered the rule that a comma should not go after a phrase beginning an inverted sentence. This section is helpful to me because I love commas and I like knowing the actual rules of how to use them.