Parents, teachers, and anyone working with children know that favourites is a hot topic. My favourite book or movie changes each time someone asks because I have so MANY favourites (if that is even a thing). So, what about punctuation…
Here are my three favourite (right now) punctuation marks. (Nerd alert!!)
Oxford Comma
The Oxford comma has a bad reputation lately: it clogs things up, adds clutter, and is outdated. The reason I like the Oxford comma (serial comma) is because it helps to add clarity to sentences. For example, I had brunch with my roommates, Steve and Josh. Are Steve and Josh my roommates? In this sentence, how many people went for brunch? It’s not clear. I can see using the Oxford comma only when required to add clarity, like in the example above, but something in me likes consistency, so I keep using the Oxford comma. I know that a lot of style guides for businesses mandate no Oxford/serial comma, yet sometimes it’s just necessary to get the job done. Although it’s one of my favourites, I don’t ask others to use it unless they choose to (or find they want to).
Semicolon
The semicolon was a mystery to me for so many years. I saw it, read it, yet couldn’t use it properly. I wasn’t taught grammar in school, and it was my university prof who sat down with me and explained how to use the semicolon properly, and it was a game changer! The semicolon lets readers rest with an idea then adds onto it. It’s not an end, but a long pause to digest information before developing the idea further. I LOVE the tattoo trend recently to use the semicolon as a symbol for choosing to continue on with life. It’s a symbol of affirmation; the story isn’t over yet.
Ellipsis
The ellipsis is something I started using in creative writing in high school and I thought it was genius: if your character doesn’t know how to respond, or takes a beat to answer, you can show that with the ellipsis. Timing is everything. Yes, you can use the ellipsis to show that words from a cited text have been left out, but I think of this punctuation mark more in its creative writing context. It’s not for everyone . . . but can be effective nonetheless.
What are some of your favourite punctuation marks?