Punctuation is essential as when mistaken or left out, it can change the meaning of the whole sentence. Punctuation predominately helps show and designate the emphasis and pauses on thoughts and specific ideas as discussed in the message. “Dear John punctuation” is an example of the damages poorly punctuated sentences can cause. The letter is written by John’s girlfriend to him about how much she loved him. However, punctuation errors and mistakes can make the letter convey a very different message, leading to John getting heartbroken. I have witnessed punctuation errors that have led to an alteration of the original meaning of the sentence. I came across this sentence: “I love baking for my family and my friends.” When poorly punctuated, it means the writer loves baking with family and friends, which is misleading. Still, when it is correctly punctuated with commas, it means they love baking, their family, and friends. Error 1 presents the rule when “and” connects two independent sentences. Originally, “and” is a conjunction, so to follow all punctuation instructions, a comma should be placed before this conjunction.
Punctuation plays an essential part in delivering the intended message. The wrong placement of punctuation marks changes the meaning of a sentence entirely or makes the complete sentence make no sense. Even though this class ends today, it is crucial to keep in mind the importance of punctuation as in academic writing, proper punctuation marks are called for as they help strengthen the points and arguments in a text. I have learned that commas are used after introductory clauses and phrases like “however” or “furthermore,” and this rule will help me during the exam. I am glad that I had punctuation practice in my studies and sure that it will help me in life. The purpose of punctuation is not just to provide room to take a breath but to help avoid a sense of confusion and obscurity in the process of putting a sentence together using words. Punctuation mistakes can cause damage, ruin relationships, or even cause misunderstandings between people. It is essential to use the correct punctuation to convey the message as it was intended.