A discussion of layout and design of a document could easily
lead to a consideration of punctuation marks as tools of page and lay-out design.
Like arrows and bullets, punctuation marks are simply visual
cues that help a reader to know when to pay attention to a grouping of words
that fit together to form an idea.
Decoding what words
mean is what reading is, and punctuation marks help a reader to see how
words and groups of words unite to represent the intended meaning by the writer
of them.
Mathematicians perform the same service for people who
translate numerical sentences and equations by relying upon the visual cues of
< > + - = and [ ]. For some reason the symbols used with numbers
seem to make an easier sense to us than the symbols : ; !, . ? and “ “ do with words, but it is
really the same concept.
Punctuation marks
proclaim and forecast relationships on the page for the reader. These little shapes and marks group words
for the reader because decoding words is harder to do than the word reading implies. Deciphering the intended message of long
blocks of words can be as difficult for some people as it is for readers who
are trying to translate a language that is not native to them.
If reading were as easy as breathing then people would not
have to work so hard to become better writers, but writing for clarity’s sake
and with respect for the reader’s need to understand the message intended
requires commitment, humility, perseverance and the ability to try and
understand the process of punctuation until you find a way to connect with how
you as the writer see the patterns of your own words on the page or screen and use them
efficiently in such a way as to help the largest number of readers understand
how you group words and use them in complete thoughts like sentences, which is
the function that a period performs.
It is quite possible
that you can come to the conclusion that after a lifetime of believing you
would never understand the use of the comma that you rather easily can—you just
need to figure out the way your brain sees the words on the page. For
punctuation of sentences is not really about the vast numbers of ways that one
can write all kinds of sentences and learn and remember all of the rules for and the ever-changing set of exceptions
to the rule of comma usage; it is about learning your own patterns and know how
to punctuate the sentence patterns and word groupings that you use as your
bunch of standard tools.
We all have them. And
we can all learn to punctuate ourselves.
When we figure out that we have a chronic problem with a certain kind of
punctuation, then our free will allows us to simply give up and say, “Using a
word that ends in ‘ing’ at the beginning
of a sentence leads to a punctuation dilemma I just can’t solve. So, I will simply stop beginning sentences with
words that begin with ‘ing’ until I do understand.” It is always your choice how you plot out a
sentence or a paragraph, and you are always free to keep using a comma before a
conjunction even though the world now says, uh-uh, we don’t do that anymore.
Because people have so many ways of seeing patterns and
because the language that usually teaches punctuation does not accommodate
those differences very well, here is an effort meant to explain punctuation in
terms of stances associated with different ways that people make sense out of
the design or layout of documents and the symbols they contain.
White Space equals silence.
It is not scary. You know those
old adages about looking at a blank page and having writer’s block. Let go of that idea. White space is your friend. White space is your reader’s friend, too, for
the presence of it signals the reader where to rest, take a breath, stand easy.
Consider the indention of paragraphs. While much writing now is not indented, when a block of prose lacks that first 5
empty character-sized spaces called an indention and in terms of document design that small area of white space signals that a new idea in a a
new paragraph begins here. When the indention is abandoned, you should certainly see two lines of white space that separate
the two paragraphs instead. Both mean the same thing: new idea starts here. The use of white space is one of the most powerful
tools of lay out and design.
Traditionally, two white spaces occur after a period, which allows the reader’s
eyes to recognize that something more final has happened there, but that little mechanical choice is fading away as word processing cleans up "extra white spaces" that are no longer relevant in many ways. But some are.
White space is a
document creator’s and reader’s friend because it helps to communicate and to
read. Indentions, tabs and lines of
space between paragraphs are important in easing the reader’s eyes along. The same is true of the right side of the
margin. Called ragged right margin, when
the writer does not turn on the function called justified right margin which results
in blocking the prose, the reader will find that the ragged right margin where
the lines are uneven is simply easier to read than blocked prose, which is
associated with accountants and lawyers.
So, to begin in thinking about how to lay out a document,
just consider the use of white space.
When you see the page do not panic or think ‘I have to fill that
up.’ You don’t. You really plant symbols on the page that
will become ideas for the reader and lead the reader’s eyes along, which is a major function of document design.
The Period—the
most basic punctuation mark at work is the period. One uses it to show that a complete idea has
been expressed, but that is not the only symbol at work to do that. The capital letter of the first word of the
sentence also helps with this design function.
One looks for the complete idea that is expressed between that word that
begins the idea and is capitalized and the last word that finishes the
thought. Then, the period is applied and
two taps of the space bar add the two white spaces that help the reader to
recognize the finality of that expressed completed thought. Or, not.
The Comma—This
punctuation mark has a job description that is changing. One no longer uses it before a
conjunction—those words that connect two complete ideas although I still do
from time to time. I am nostalgic that way. One no longer uses it
before the last item in a series although I still do that from time to time too. Old habits die hard.
But in terms of adhering to a fast rule
for comma usage, there are two basic
ways that a comma needs to be in a sentence and that is after a long clause
that sets up the subject of the sentence and before a small clause that could
be left out of the sentence and the central meaning of that sentence would hold true. The name for that first set of words is an introductory clause and the name for the
last clause is a non-restrictive clause.
Do you see how those two names don’t really help you to
understand the function of a comma?
A shorthand way of
seeing each is that when there is a big string of words at the beginning of the
sentence add a comma before the noun that functions as the subject of that
sentence. If there is a phrase at the
end that you could chop off, add a comma before that.
Look at the meanings of each set of words and judge for
yourself. Frequently that phrase will
begin with the word “which” but not necessarily. You almost never place a comma before the
other word that signals a
clause. That word is that.
So, look at your own sentences. Is there a string of words before the noun
which help to introduce the noun in the sentence? Add a comma right before the noun or after
the string of words—however you see them.
Is there a tag clause at the end that you could chop
off? Place a comma before that phrase
begins.
Learning those two
hints will help you use a comma more efficiently and with confidence.
There are other considerations for using the comma, but the
truth is that they fit inside a variety of sentence patterns, which seems to
make the comma a punctuation mark with so many exceptions to the rule of it
that one can never learn them. That feels
true. But the more important truth is
that each writer uses a fairly limited set of sentence patterns, and once you
learn your own sentence patterns, it becomes pretty simple to use the comma
correctly.
There are the 7 basic
sentence patterns. Find out what
they are. There are many ways that many
different English-teaching folks try to
explain them, and it all sounds pretty complicated. Instead,
look at your own work and identify which of these patterns you most often
use. You probably rely upon three (or
four) of these patterns. Match your
patterns to the ones you learn about, and then nod knowingly because now you
know your patterns. Make sure you know
how to punctuate your own sentence patterns and then add a new sentence pattern
the same way you add a new dance step to your repertoire.
Quotation Marks—They
have two primary functions. To set off
the words someone has said or to set off an excerpt that you are taking from
another source. Other than that, the
most overused and ill-considered use of quotation marks is when people use them
to set off a word or term so that a
reader will pay special attention to it.
Most of the time people place quotation marks around a word or term
because they cannot think of the word they want or need to use and so highlight
their word choice this way to flag the reader’s attention. Quotation marks used that way mean something
like this: I sort of mean this word or
something like it. It is left to the
reader to figure out what the writer is trying to say and that is unwise.
It is unwise to expect the reader to try and read your
mind. It is unwise because even the most
carefully selected words have denotative values and connotative values. When a reader sees those quote marks and
tries to substitute a word of some kind to mean what they are thinking you are
trying to say there is no telling what kind of meaning-rich word he/she will
use.
If you cannot think of the word you mean, keep thinking
until you know and then use the best word.
Use those quotation marks as sparingly to set off special words as you
do the exclamation point, which has only one function: to proclaim excitement.
That’s it. How
excited can one person be? When an
exclamation point is used many times and sometimes repeated four or five times
at the end of a sentence to indicated extreme excitement, you can bet that the
exclamation point is being used there in the same way that the quotation marks
can be misused: to indicate a meaning
that is not clearly written for the reader and not truly known to the writer
either.
Ah, well. C’est la
vie.
The apostrophe
used in the above common French phrase is simply the way you spell that phrase,
but the apostrophe also basically has two main functions: it helps to spell contractions correctly (two
words mashed together) and stands in for the missing letters of the word that
has been compressed, such as “isn’t” and “haven’t” and “would’ve”.
But most often the
apostrophe is used wrongly in relationship to the tiny word Its and it’s. It’s is the contraction for It is but the apostrophe also is used
with words to show that what follows belongs with the word that has the
apostrophe. That’s called showing possession.
When something belongs to the word that is not a contraction and is
indicating a relationship that apostrophe is used EXCEPT when the word is ITS
because that’s the exception. Just learn
it. Then, use it correctly.
Punctuation, like layout design, can be as big a subject as
you want to make it, or you can tailor the discussion to fit the size that you
use and navigate daily. Start thinking
of punctuation marks as symbols that graphic designers could use to lead the
reader’s eyes along, and you may be able to use them more comfortably and
efficiently than you ever have before.
Try.
