That's right, kids. You remember it. Dad coming home with nicely wrapped apostrophes, mom dressed in a flowing gown made of semicolons. Ahh, the memories.
No seriously, today is, in fact, National Punctuation Day. Don't believe me? Look here.
So what's your favorite punctuation mark? I don't have a favorite, but I despise semicolons. Just make up your mind and decide whether you're a period or comma for God's sake.
I also have a particular fondness for the old em dash--love it.
10 comments:
First let me say, thanks for reading my first post and for your kind words. That was a crazy rough time but it all worked out in the end.
Now, onto punctuation. I have to say - that - I - LOVE - the - dash. And - I probably tend to - over-dash. But, heck - its freeing - in a weird sort of way.
Yay dashes!!! - - - - - - - - - -
"I'm partial to the quotation mark," she said, smiling coyly.
And yes, I'd like to lobby for the eradication of the semi-colon. I think it should make up its mind and either be a comma or a colon.
I'm not sure; let me see...wait, I've got it!
It would have to be the *asterisk*
Although it probably is not legally a punctuation mark, is it?
*I despise semicolons. Just make up your mind and decide whether you're a period or comma* LOL
Hey! What's up with people deriding my much loved semi-colon? You can just glom sentences together with this baby; you get that breathlessness that comes with speech but without having to use seventeen ellipses; it's pretty much the cornerstone of my dialogue, so please don't eradicate it.
Besides, how else will I keep my grammar police designation if you do away with semi-colons? ;)
Well, this clearly explains why you all are always trying to remove my semi-colons; I find commitment a difficult thing.
And I just have to say, duh, it's got to be quotation marks. How else can we writers talk??????!!!!!!!!!
Hmm, my favorite would have to be the exclamation mark. Which is ironic, because I'm not exactly an exclamation mark kind of person. More the well-placed comma, the kind you never notice.
And I do have to agree on the semi-colon. :)
Oh, now see here, Balthazar, the semi-colon is AWESOME. In fact, I am guilty of semi-colon abuse, as my agent and editor can probably attest! I like to think it's its ambiguity I enjoy. As you said, is it a period? Is it a comma? It does not know. These are the existential questions the semi-colon asks as it lives its life on the edge of grammar. ;)
That said, I HATED to teach the semi-colon when I taught high school English. I could never get the kids to understand that the sentences had to be related, hence many essays with sentences like, "Shakespeare was born in England; I like cake."
Rachel! Thanks for coming over. You're one of my favorite blogs. Every time I need a bit of inspiration I read your post on your Road to Pub story. Truly cool.
"Shakespeare was born in England; I like cake."
LOL!!
Tabitha! I like exclamation points, too! But only occasionally! Thanks for coming over!
I don’t have an absolute favourite, but do admit a fondness for the semi-colon. The em dash is pretty great, too!
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