What Are Punctuation Marks And What Are They For?

The punctuation marks are very helpful tools that allow the reader to favorably determine the structuring of the meaning of the texts, since it teaches them when there is a pause and how the proper intonation of speech is.

It has a great function, because if it is done correctly, it allows a better understanding of what is read, it is interpreted consistently and without ambiguity. By means of these signs the texts can be better structured and the main and secondary ideas can be easily ordered, which allows the reader a better content analysis.

What is the purpose of punctuation marks?

A good punctuation can guarantee an appropriate articulation of the union of the meanings that make up a paragraph, a phrase or a sentence, because of that they need a good use with great precision.

When placed in a wrong place, phrases or words lose their meaning and stop saying what the author really meant. The more these signs are highlighted in the structure of a content, it will give more coherence and make the text more precise.

This score can vary depending on the style of writing, despite this, the differentiation of the way it can be presented does not exonerate anyone from complying with some basic rules and avoiding making mistakes that may be considered unacceptable. . Therefore, it is very important to know and know how to apply the regulations required by scoring.

As we well know, writing is a way of communicating and implies a linear construction, because it is totally impossible to write everything at the same time, it is necessary to properly separate all ideas, rank them and place them in complete order for good understanding.

In this sense, it can be said that these signs serve to:

• First of all, structure the text.
• Then determine what the sentences and paragraphs are.
• Emphasize to get the main ideas.
• Sort all secondary ideas in an orderly manner
• And finally eliminate inaccuracies.

Functions that fulfill punctuation marks

These signs have 2 very important functions, because they can help everything that is written, can be read and understood clearly and fluently. These functions are:

Punctuation marks pause the utterance

When we listen to a person doing a reading or read a paragraph of a text, most of the time, there will be a moment when the writing must stop for a moment and then continue. This is a process that you must do in order for the reading to be effective and correct.

Punctuation marks indicate the sense of interpretation and coherence of a sentence

When meaning is given to the interpretation of a sentence, it must be given coherence at the same time, since the written language is full of many hues and nuances. Sometimes it can happen that a simple comma can make a big difference in interpretation.

How to use punctuation marks appropriately?

Even when the rules of punctuation are carefully consulted, there are some basic tips that should be put into practice when writing. Some of them are:

• Intonation should not be used as a reference for punctuation. Writing is a mute communication and reading is generally done in silence. But it is important that you know that speaking is not the same as writing, nor is listening to a conversation or a talk the same as reading a text.

• This means that the punctuation must be guided by some rules to be able to construct a written speech, which are totally independent of oral communication.

• Literary texts are not always the most appropriate for the use of punctuation, this is because literary art allows writers full freedom of expression, which sometimes allows them to break the conventional regulations of the language.

• That freedom of expression is very appropriate when writing a narrative or a poem, but it must be clear that it leaves the context of academic writing.
• It is important to verify the punctuation of the texts before printing or publishing them and thus you can check what has been written is expressed clearly.

Classification of punctuation marks

These signs contain some general rules, in order to make the proper use of them, however, there is the possibility of giving them a particular use. The types of signs are:

Point (.)

Displays a pause that occurs at the end of a sentence, paragraph, or sentence. After placing it, it should begin to capitalize, unless it appears in an abbreviation. The point is classified into 3 classes:

• The period and followed: it is indicated to separate the sentences that make up a paragraph. After placing it, you must continue writing on the same line.
• The full stop: it is the one that separates the paragraphs within a text.
• The full stop: it is used to close a text.

Comma (,)

It is used to make a brief pause within a paragraph or sentence. Used to:

• To separate components of the sentence.
• Lock in clarifications or point out omissions.
• Separate the integer part from the decimal part of a number.
• For adverbial or conjunctive phrases.

The two points (:)

It is used to pause greater than that of the comma, but less than that of the period. It can be used in the following cases:

• Before a verbatim quote
• As a wake-up call.
• For courtesy formulas that head a document or letter.
• Before a statement.
• To relate sentences without nexus when expressing a cause or a conclusion.

Semicolon (;)

It is the representation of a pause greater than the comma and less than the period and followed. It can be used:

• Before conjugations.
• When a long sentence is entered within the paragraph.
• For the separation of elements of an enumeration.

Suspensives points (…)

They are made up of three points in a row and without space. They can be used to:

• Express fear, doubt or hesitation.
• At the end of an open enumeration.
• When a text, a verbatim quote or a saying is incompletely made.
• If an expression is suspended or incomplete.

Question marks (?)

It is placed at the beginning and at the end of the formulation of a question.

Exclamation marks (!)

They are used in various sentences to express intense emotions or feelings.

Auxiliary punctuation signs

They help in the pauses that are needed to achieve the proper intonation when taking a reading and thus maintain cohesion. Among them are:

• The parentheses () : are used to clarify sentences, insert data in a paragraph and to make paragraphs.
• The line (_) : it is also used to make paragraphs, begin dialogues and to mark interventions.
• The hyphen (-) : used to make divisions between words.
• The quotation marks (“”) : are used to highlight words with an ironic character and to make quotes within a text.
• The asterisk (*) : is used to highlight unknown words or footnotes in the margin of a page and is prepended over words that must be written differently or if they are closed.
• The umlaut (‘) : it is placed in the upper part of the vowels to be able to distinguish between different pronunciations.
• The key ({}) : they are only used to make diagrams and to enclose some sentences.
• The bracket ([]) : can be used to highlight specific information.

Importance of punctuation marks

With its help, the various types of pauses, intonation and the indicated pronunciation of words can be differentiated within texts.

Currently communication is the most common in our lives, therefore, it is essential to learn the language properly.

Lack of knowledge of punctuation marks can give a totally different meaning to a text, which can cause confusion for the reader.

For all this, it is very important that the rules and the proper use of these signs are well known, since they are essential to be able to convey ideas accurately and emphasize what you really want to highlight.

Correct punctuation, apart from being necessary for reading comprehension, is also essential to have a correct spelling and adequate linguistic knowledge.

Conclusion of the use of punctuation marks

To conclude, it can be said that punctuation is a spelling necessity that can stimulate and teach efficient writing and reading. They are the best tool that a good reader can have in order to have a high level of reading comprehension of the texts. Therefore, their learning allows us to make the correct pauses and excellent intonations when speaking.