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How Punctuation Influences Your Writing Voice

by Henneke | 92 enchanting opinions, add yours? :)

How Punctuation Influences Your Writing Voice

Proper punctuation is both the sign and the cause of clear thinking.

~ Lynne Truss (Eats, Shoots & Leaves)

Yeah, yeah.

But who really cares about punctuation?!?

Writing is hard enough. You must think about writing proper sentences, choosing the right words, and avoiding spelling mistakes. Who has time to worry about commas and full stops?

Isn’t worrying about commas and semi-colons for grammar freaks and pedantic teachers? For poets and writers with too much time to ponder away?

I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.
~ Oscar Wilde

In the past years, I’ve come to understand that I’ve been wrong about punctuation. These humble marks in our writing matter more than I thought.

Punctuation changes your voice. We can sound more excitable. Or authoritative. Or empathetic. We can build suspense. Make readers stop, or get them to rush ahead to the next paragraph …

Want to know how?

The most powerful punctuation mark

The full stop is the most powerful punctuation mark

It’s an easy mistake to make.

Many writers think the exclamation mark adds power to their voice. But that’s untrue. The real power comes from full stops.

For instance, read this final paragraph aloud:

Your job as a blogger is not simply to write tutorials, to share tips, facts, and advice.

A useful tip that’s not implemented is like a riveting book that’s never opened. It’s forgotten and useless.

Instead of acting solely like a blogger dishing out your tips, become a mentor for your readers, a chief of your village, a leader of your tribe. Fire up your tribe and jump-start their actions because your readers are waiting for you.

It fizzles out a little, doesn’t it? It doesn’t make you feel excited about your blogging journey.

Here’s an alternative version with more full stops:

Your job as a blogger is not simply to write tutorials.

Your job is not to share tips and facts and advice.

A useful tip that’s not implemented is like a riveting book that’s never opened. It’s forgotten and useless.

You’re not simply a blogger. You’re a mentor for your readers, a chief of your village, a leader of your tribe.

Come on. Fire up your tribe. Jump-start their actions.

Your readers are waiting for you.

From: A Rabble-Rouser’s Rules for Writing Kick-Ass Closing Paragraphs (Copyblogger)

Using more full stops is the easiest way to invigorate your words. To add stress to specific phrases. To become more authoritative and inspirational.

But be careful. Don’t use full stops all the time as it would make the rhythm of your writing too monotone.

How to add a soft pause

The comma adds a soft pause

If the full stop is a sign of power and authority, then the comma is a quiet whisper, creating a soft pause rather than an abrupt end.

The comma makes your text flow softly—like a lullaby of undulating sentences disappearing into the distance, sometimes turning into a wild river when a multitude of commas is used in one sentence.

Here’s an example of a sentence with 15 commas:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

~ A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens

If you replace all commas in the above sentence with a full stop, then the whole atmosphere of the sentence changes and the text becomes difficult and monotonous.

Play around with commas and full stops in your writing. Notice how it changes your voice.

My favorite punctuation mark

use more questions to engage your readers

You may think that writing is a monologue. You are the writer. You share your thoughts.

But empathetic writers engage their readers with questions.

How?

Here’s an authoritative opening paragraph without question marks:

Most bloggers wish they’d gain more email subscribers when they publish guest posts.

You might work hard to establish connections with editors and share your most valuable tips in your guest posts. But if you ever feel disappointed with your guest post performance, then follow the tips below to get more email subscribers.

Here’s the more empathetic version with questions:

Ever wanted to know how you can gain more email subscribers when you guest post?

You work hard to establish connections with editors. You share your most valuable tips. You polish your writing until each word shimmers and shines.

But when your article goes up?

You feel a tad disappointed.

Why don’t more people join your email list? What’s stopping them?

From: How to Unleash a Surge of Email Subscribers from Your Guest Posts (Copyblogger)

Note the difference in tone?

Next time you edit your writing, try a few extra questions, and see how it changes your voice.

The exclamation mark hints at lazy writing

Overusing exclamation marks is a crime against enchantment

If the question mark engages, the exclamation mark repels.

Why?

Because it’s overused! Or worse!!!

As HubSpot points out in their educational flowchart, only use an exclamation mark for real exclamations. Whoa! Let’s go!

In other cases, use powerful words instead of exclamation marks. Instead of writing She’s popular! try She’s mega-popular or She has a raving following.

Good writers choose their words with piercing precision so they don’t need to opt for lazy exclamation marks.

How to Use Punctuation to Fine-Tune Your Voice

There is an underlying rhythm to all text. Sentences crash and fall like the waves of the sea, and work unconsciously on the reader. Punctuation is the music of language. As a conductor can influence the experience of the song by manipulating its rhythm, so can punctuation influence the reading experience, bring out the best (or worst) in a text.

~ Noah Lukeman, A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation

Stop thinking punctuation is for grammar sticklers and pedants.

Punctuation matters.

Start playing with commas, full stops, and question marks. Read your text aloud, and notice how your voice changes.

Have fun!

PS Want to learn how to use punctuation correctly? The online punctuation guide is useful, including lots of examples.

Recommended reading on voice and punctuation:

How parentheses can set the tone of your writing (yes, really)
3 ways to use an ellipsis aaaand … keep your readers hooked
Can this humble writing technique triple your persuasive power?

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Comments

  1. Alexandra says

    February 6, 2023 at 3:55 pm

    A big thank you, Henneke!
    I stayed in front of this post for a long time. It made me think. I even took notes.
    I’ve read this post before, but now I see it with a new eye.

    Thank you for the extra links and the punctuation guide online as well. 😀

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      February 6, 2023 at 7:32 pm

      That’s such lovely feedback. Thank you, Alexandra. I am glad (and honored!) that you came back to read this again. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Sonia Akter says

    November 11, 2022 at 4:20 am

    Probably I have read 15+ posts and become a fan of your writing. Your posts blessed me with tons of insights to think differently and get out from my comfort zone.

    Thanks Henneke 😊

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      November 11, 2022 at 11:39 am

      I’m glad you’re enjoying my writing, Sonia. Thank you for stopping by. I much appreciate it. And happy writing!

      Reply
  3. Tajammul Husain says

    August 3, 2022 at 6:11 pm

    The post highlights the importance of punctuation. You’ve cleared the matter using some instances. It deserves appreciation.

    Pls keep your efforts on providing us posts like this one.

    Thanks a lot.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      August 4, 2022 at 3:42 pm

      I’m glad you enjoyed this. Happy writing!

      Reply
  4. Simone says

    July 30, 2021 at 7:39 am

    Thank you for the article! I am taking a grammar class and we are discussing punctuation. I linked to your article in my class discussion board talking about how punctuation can influence our voice and tone. If I may, I do have one small objection to a word used within the explanation of commas. I agree that commas are softer than periods, but the issue I have is with automatically associating the terms of “soft” and “quiet” as being inherently feminine, which can be seen with the word “sister.” I think it would be better to use “sibling” instead. On another note, I loved what you said about exclamation marks. It is good to keep in mind that we should use better words and not lazy punctuation. I will definitely keep this in mind in the future.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      July 30, 2021 at 12:06 pm

      Hi Simone, I understand your point. I had thought of the punctuation marks as a band of sisters, and the comma being the quiet one. But I can see that it can be interpreted as the others are louder brothers, and only the quiet one is a girl. I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t really like the word sibling so will try to think of an alternative.

      Reply
  5. Ann Shea says

    February 13, 2020 at 1:37 pm

    Henneke,

    Another useful post. Thank you. I’m learning to refrain from unnecessary exclamation marks and to shorten my sentences will a full stop. These are vital tips. Keep feeding us ideas on how to improve our writing.

    Ann

    P.S. The illustrations are, always, delightful.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      February 13, 2020 at 1:41 pm

      Thank you so much, Ann. I’m glad you’re finding my tips useful. Happy writing!

      Reply
  6. Derrick Washington says

    November 24, 2019 at 3:14 am

    Hi, Henneke. This blog is awesome! You are absolutely right about punctuation. It definitely influences our writing in a major way.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      November 24, 2019 at 5:04 pm

      Thank you, Derrick! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Happy writing 🙂

      Reply
  7. Tamara says

    September 26, 2019 at 4:23 am

    There is no post of yours that’s not useful. You never disappoint, there’s always something to learn. Thank you for being so generous

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      September 26, 2019 at 2:28 pm

      Thank you for your lovely compliment, Tamara. I appreciate your comment 🙂

      Reply
  8. K O'Neal says

    June 25, 2019 at 2:17 am

    This is something I need to work on. I love that you pointed out exclamation points can be lazy. I think I knew that was true on some level but I was in denial. Great article, as usual 🙂

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      June 25, 2019 at 12:48 pm

      Thanks so much for your lovely comment. Happy writing 🙂

      Reply
  9. Mah Has says

    February 27, 2019 at 4:31 pm

    When I read your blog, I feel inspired, more confidence.
    don’t know why?

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      February 27, 2019 at 8:49 pm

      I’m glad you’re feeling inspired and more confident. This is what I aim to do with my writing 🙂

      Reply
  10. Lisa says

    October 2, 2018 at 9:50 am

    Thanks for the Punctuation Guide Henneke and cool use of Henrietta?

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 2, 2018 at 8:40 pm

      Henrietta seems to love reading in her comma-shaped sofa 🙂

      Thank you, Lisa, for stopping by.

      Reply
  11. Jeanette Martin says

    July 16, 2018 at 6:09 am

    I really enjoyed reading this blog. It was informative and very helpful, but not boring and stuffy. It made it okay for me to relax a little. It help me understand that it I don’t have to be grammarily correct at all times, but have fun and enjoy writing. Yes, the word “grammarily” isn’t in the dictionary, but it is in mine !

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      July 17, 2018 at 1:36 pm

      Yes, it’s important to have fun with your writing. Happy writing, Jeanette! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Aditya says

    April 21, 2018 at 9:28 am

    I was recently thinking about the same topic. But you have put it in a really fun and enjoyable way.
    Loved to read it.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      April 21, 2018 at 6:53 pm

      Thank you for your lovely comment, Aditya.

      Reply
  13. Soniya says

    March 29, 2018 at 10:40 pm

    Brilliant post!

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      March 30, 2018 at 11:14 am

      Thank you, Soniya 🙂

      Reply
  14. Paul Boudreau says

    June 15, 2017 at 4:01 pm

    Great post, Henneke.
    Charles Dickens shows us all how an ” overused ” punctuation can sometimes be a real winner. I agree with rules, but at times they have to be broken to produce classic reasons why we should not follow the rules.
    Poor fellow, he probably failed English Grammar at school.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      June 19, 2017 at 9:29 pm

      Yes, that’s true. “Overused” punctuation can work. It’s kind of: you need to know the rules, and then feel free to break the rules 🙂

      Thank you for stopping by, Paul

      Reply
  15. Owen Cloete says

    October 19, 2016 at 5:45 am

    Could Commas and Cats be Connected?
    Really?
    Yes…they can.
    Strangely. Fascinatingly, Pun-ishingly so:
    OK. OK here goes.
    “A comma is a pause at the end of a clause;
    A cat has claws at the ends of its paws”.
    Catastrophic?

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      October 19, 2016 at 11:44 am

      This made me a laugh. I like it 🙂

      Thank you, Owen.

      Reply
  16. Joan Bell says

    July 6, 2016 at 2:55 am

    What a fabulous post. I’m doing a writing course at the moment, and my biggest issue is punctuation. Reading this fun and easy to follow post helps enormously. And I adore the sketches.

    Reply
  17. Andrew M. Warner says

    May 17, 2016 at 12:21 pm

    Hey Henneke,

    Really great job with this.

    In the past, I had a lot of issues with punctuation.

    I would definitely abuse the exclamation mark when I didn’t have to. And you’re right . Those that tend to do that is typically lazy.

    But I improved my writing over the years and I’d like to say I’m much better. Especially when using the question mark.

    That really does help engage readers and is my favourite punctuation mark too. Thoroughly enjoyed this.

    – Andrew

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 17, 2016 at 7:17 pm

      I’m glad to hear you like the question mark, too! 🙂

      Reply
  18. Manidipa Bhaumik says

    May 14, 2016 at 8:30 pm

    Hey Henneke,

    A very informative article on powerful usage of punctuation. I also used to think that an exclamation mark can boost the impact of a sentence. Thanks for clearing the misconception 🙂

    Proper use of punctuation can only portray the right intention of any message. Thanks for sharing. Take care.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 15, 2016 at 7:42 pm

      Thank you, Manidipa. Happy writing!

      Reply
  19. Saleem Rana says

    May 14, 2016 at 4:15 pm

    You are just getting more brilliant every time you write. I need to read this a few more times to grasp the significance of all the nuances.

    Mastering punctuation may be the secret to writing well! It’s the hidden structure that holds the integrity of a sentence together.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 15, 2016 at 7:41 pm

      Yes, punctuation is probably more important than most of us think. It’s not just about using punctuation correctly, but about using punctuation to express our voice and adjust our tone.

      Thank you for your lovely comment, Saleem. 🙂

      Reply
  20. Karina Bailey says

    May 12, 2016 at 4:25 pm

    You explain punctuation very eloquently, I am in awe; also for the Punctuation Guide link, which I will no doubt use often.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 12, 2016 at 9:39 pm

      Thank you, Karina. Happy writing!

      Reply
  21. Kitty Kilian says

    May 11, 2016 at 8:33 am

    I have nothing to add. Period.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 11, 2016 at 10:42 am

      Me neither …

      Reply
  22. Julian says

    May 11, 2016 at 6:46 am

    Wow!

    Hey Henneke,

    I had no idea punctuation was so important.

    I remember someone telling me that full stops were a bad thing. At least now I know they can actually help. 😀

    The question marks, too. I’m going to try to use them more in my writing. 🙂

    Thanks for the post, Henneke.

    You’re the best!

    Julian

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 11, 2016 at 10:42 am

      Yes, I love full stops. I don’t know why anyone would call them bad.

      Happy writing, Julian! And thank you for stopping by.

      Reply
  23. Marcella Friel says

    May 11, 2016 at 5:27 am

    Thanks, Henneke. What fun to romp barefoot again in the world of punctuation.

    The former editor in me is stuck on the compound predicate in the Noah Lukeman quote that is separated by an unnecessary comma. Delete! Delete!

    And … what about those other, more nuanced forms of punctuation: the ellipsis; the colon; the semi-colon; the em dash–?

    XXOO
    M.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 11, 2016 at 10:41 am

      Yeah, it’s an unnecessary comma. I can see you’d want to cross it out. I find it supports readability, so I quite like to have it. I probably use far too many commas for your liking 😉

      Perhaps I can pick up the courage to write another post about the other punctuation marks some time. Who knows?

      Thank you for stopping by again, Marcella!

      Reply
  24. Dennis says

    May 11, 2016 at 5:00 am

    Great article, thank you.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 11, 2016 at 10:34 am

      You’re welcome 🙂

      Reply
  25. Sherman Smith says

    May 10, 2016 at 9:09 pm

    Hey Henneke,

    Punctuation adds a road map to your writing. It let’s you know when to stop, slow down, speed up and go with the flow of traffic.

    I like the examples you have here. I try to add more questions within my posts now to include my readers more on the topic. It engages them more and it feels like you’re speaking directly to each one of them. At least that’s what it feels like when I read posts with questions.

    Thanks for sharing Henneke! Have a great day!

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 9:40 pm

      Yep, so true, and well put. Without punctuation we would get lost. Try reading a text without punctuation… that’s a real struggle!

      Thank you for your comment, Sherman. I’m glad you like my examples 🙂

      Reply
  26. Terry Gorry says

    May 10, 2016 at 7:51 pm

    Wonderful, educational, thoughtful piece.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 9:38 pm

      Thank you, Terry!

      Reply
  27. Linda says

    May 10, 2016 at 7:18 pm

    I never get enough of your posts Henneke.

    The fun part is reading them out loud…every single word of the post – always!☺

    The comma is my favourite punctuation too.
    I’ve seen some people messing them up though…In an attempt to add flavour, the writing ends up being too choppy and sleazy.
    I’ll rather have that though than an unending sentence that leaves one huffing and puffing.

    As for exclamation marks ( the smiley faces of the punctuation world☺)…i used to enslave these poor symbols. Thanks to your rehab, I’m recovering and haven’t used? in a while.

    We rely on them far too heavily when what we really need to do is to go back to our words and try to make them convey more precisely what we’re trying to say.

    But…i trust you to stamp out these crimes.

    Keep them coming my lady.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 9:37 pm

      Yes, I hate the huffing-and-puffing sentences, too, when somewhere halfway you get lost wondering what’s connected to what, so you have to start again to figure out the meaning of everything.

      I do my best to stamp out these crimes against enchantment 🙂

      Thank you for your lovely comment, Linda. I appreciate it!

      Reply
  28. Tom Southern says

    May 10, 2016 at 5:34 pm

    Hi Henneke,

    Great stuff! Glad to see my liking for short paragraphs
    is shared by Copyblogger.

    Punctuation does matter, as you’ve shown here. I wish you’d
    been my English Language teacher. I love the examples you’ve used
    especially the Dickens one. The comma in (what is possibly the longest sentence
    ever) gives the sense of a wheel turning, which also draws in the reader.

    Great writing always brings in readers. You show how punctuation makes this possible.

    – Tom
    PS., I wonder if the emoticons are new punctuation marks? 🙂

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 9:04 pm

      I don’t think that as a non-native speaker I’d be allowed to teach English! My accent would put any school head off 😉

      That sentence from Dickens is crazy in a nice way, isn’t it?

      Lynne Truss discusses emoticons briefly in her book Eats, Shoots & Leaves and calls them “the greatest (or most desperate, depending how you look at it) advance in punctuation since the question mark in the reign of Charlemagne.” So, I think they qualify as punctuation marks 🙂

      Reply
  29. laurie says

    May 10, 2016 at 5:22 pm

    Shorter sentences make for a faster read and happier reader. That’s what it’s all about. Thanks for the reminder.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 8:57 pm

      Yep, that’s it 🙂

      Reply
  30. Singaravelu A.P says

    May 10, 2016 at 4:26 pm

    Thank you Henneke, now I have learnt the usage of these punctuation marks!
    I will certainly use these marks in my writing, with careful placement.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 8:57 pm

      Happy writing! 🙂

      Reply
  31. Lisa says

    May 10, 2016 at 4:25 pm

    Thanks Henneke, a timely reminder as I head into a few weeks of writing posts. I am guilty of overusing the exclamation mark. I always go back and take a bunch out, but I like your advice of only using them for real exclamations. I’ll give it a try! (Is that right to put one there?)

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 8:56 pm

      With comments or on Twitter, I tend to use exclamation marks a lot more often than in blog posts or emails. So, I’m fine with that exclamation mark 🙂

      Happy blog writing, Lisa!

      Reply
      • Lisa says

        May 10, 2016 at 9:33 pm

        Thanks Henneke! That gives me an idea about how strict to be with my new resolution.

        Reply
  32. Katharine says

    May 10, 2016 at 4:18 pm

    Well!
    As a grammar stickler and a punctuation pedant, I must say, you had me at “Truss”. I was itching to slide down here and exclaim about the darling “apostro-tree”. I’m so glad I did not, since it actually was a comma. Ha!
    I constantly marvel at an ESL learner teaching English speakers their own language. Great job, as always, Henneke.
    I have written about overuse of exclamations on Jim Bessey’s site, and would like to add clarification about its use:
    Yes, as you said, the clipped and true exclamation needs the exclamation mark. There is another instance when we may choose to include it, when we use those “question” words and are not asking anything, but exclaiming, such as, “What a beautiful day!” This is merely a point of intent, though. The same sentence could be intended to indicate sarcasm, such as we might say flatly on a very muddy, raining day. Then, omitting the exclamation point truly relays the point.
    My most overused punctuation is what Mary DeMuth calls “word art”, the smiley. 🙂

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 7:40 pm

      Yes, that’s an excellent point. I didn’t make that clear. Thank you so much for adding that, Katharine.

      And who knows … perhaps the apostrophe can make an appearance in another post.

      I always appreciate your comments, Katharine.

      Reply
  33. Shannon Suitter says

    May 10, 2016 at 4:10 pm

    I really love that you detest that damn exclamation point as much as I do. It’s so overused!!! And it’s so obnoxious!!!!! Always a pleasure to read your advice. THANKS A TON FOR SHARING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 7:38 pm

      My fingers are itching to edit your comment. But I’m resisting! 😉

      Thank you, Shannon, for stopping by 🙂

      Reply
  34. Fiona says

    May 10, 2016 at 3:45 pm

    Definitely encouraged to play with punctuation after reading your post, Henneke. Totally with you where you say that the full stop holds more punctuational (is that a word?) power than the exclamation mark. I tend to get turned off by what seems to be an over use of the exclamation mark in marketing copy or blogs. Making a stand for the full stop.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 7:38 pm

      Let’s add “punctuational” to the dictionary. Why not?

      I like making up words. Even “snackable” isn’t officially a word (but I didn’t make that up myself). Shakespeare also made up words.

      Reply
  35. Mark Crosling says

    May 10, 2016 at 3:17 pm

    Thank you Henneke. It sounds like you had fun writing this article – terrific Oscar Wilde snippet. You demonstrated the use of the full stop and comma beautifully (your dislike of exclamation marks is well known ….).

    Kind regards
    Mark

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 7:36 pm

      Haha! My dislike of exclamation marks is well known … I persevere in my mission 🙂

      And yes, I had a lot of fun. Well spotted! 🙂

      Reply
  36. Roan says

    May 10, 2016 at 3:10 pm

    Great read, I especially enjoyed the part about asking more questions. I did noticed a small typo in your Noah Lukeman quote though:

    “There is an underlying rhythm to all text. Sentences crashing fall like the waves of the sea, and work unconsciously on the reader.”

    It should be “sentences crash and fall…”. You can see it here (about 5 paragraphs down) – http://www.lukeman.com/adashofstyle/read.htm

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 7:32 pm

      Oops. That’s a good catch. I’m going to correct it straightaway.

      Thank you!

      Reply
  37. Rodney C. Davis says

    May 10, 2016 at 2:47 pm

    Another valuable piece of advice for content creators everywhere. Thanks Henneke. There’s been a lot of discussion about the relative desirability of the written vs. the spoken voice. The two will never be the same, but this post shows how to make written prose as powerful as a well delivered speech…maybe even more so.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 7:32 pm

      For me, the advantage of the written word is that everyone can consume it at their own speed. This is what I find hard sometimes with podcasts – they either go too fast or too slow for me. They give my mind too much chance to wander off or not enough time to process the ideas. Also, sometimes podcasts ramble too much for my liking 😉

      So, here’s to the power of the written word!

      Thank you for stopping by, Rodney. I appreciate it.

      Reply
  38. Mel Wicks says

    May 10, 2016 at 2:42 pm

    I first read that quote from Oscar Wilde about 20 years ago and my immediate reaction was. . . fist pump (exclamation mark, exclamation mark – which of course I never use) Yes (God, I want to use an exclamation mark here). I agonise over punctuation, which is why it takes me three weeks to write a first draft of anything. And I thought I was alone.

    Cheers, Mel

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 7:28 pm

      I tend to agonize over commas and full stops (and semicolons and dashes!) when I’m editing my draft. I know in some cases, I’ve made changes to the punctuation of one sentence three of four times 🙂

      Have you read the book Eat, Shoots & Leaves?

      Reply
  39. Jon P says

    May 10, 2016 at 2:13 pm

    Thanks Henneke,

    Having been in advertising for many years, I’ve always been hyper-aware of the rhythm of sentences. We’d tinker with different configurations of headlines for hours, just to create the magic combination that tickles the brain in just the right way.

    If you look at popular taglines or award-winning headlines, it’s easy to see how they could have been drab with only a slight difference in the wording or the punctuation. With words, we’re not just imparting meaning, we’re signalling intentions.

    Thank you for this excellent primer on punctuation. Even old dogs can learn new tricks.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 7:27 pm

      I can imagine that in an advertising agency deciding on wording and punctuation could take days rather than hours 🙂

      Thank you for stopping by again, Jon. I appreciate it.

      Reply
      • Jon P says

        May 10, 2016 at 9:43 pm

        Yeh, well, after the creative team is happy, you’ve got the creative director. Then the account people, then the client, and so on. But that’s another story.

        Reply
  40. Stan Dubin says

    May 10, 2016 at 2:03 pm

    Excellent article, HK. And your drawings continue to be an 11 on a scale of 1-10, especially the period and comma. Priceless.

    Fast question: In the section on question marks, you say:

    “But when your article goes up?”

    Hmm. I sense that’s more of a statement leading into another statement or potentially a question but itself not an actual question. Did you intend it that way?

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 3:15 pm

      The period and comma are my favorite illustrations in this post, too 🙂

      Yes, that’s not a correct full sentence, and some editors might not like it. A strict editor might prefer: “But what happens when the article goes up?” or “But what do you experience when the article goes up?”

      The shortened sentence is more colloquial. It was approved by Copyblogger editorial team.

      Reply
      • Stan Dubin says

        May 10, 2016 at 10:08 pm

        Okay, cool. I do see how it would be a colloquial use.

        If we ever meet, please, whatever you do, do not introduce me as a “strict editor.” 😉

        Reply
        • Henneke says

          May 10, 2016 at 10:14 pm

          Haha! Don’t worry 🙂

          You could probably also replace the question mark by an ellipsis (…); that would work, too, at least for me. Some editors hate ellipses and find them unnecessary. A lot of punctuation “rules” are personal preferences. I’m not a punctuation stickler (but I do appreciate proper use of the apostrophe 😉 ).

          Reply
          • Stan Dubin says

            May 10, 2016 at 11:02 pm

            When ellipses are used properly, I think they convey intent very nicely.

            Bottom line, grammar exists to assist in the communication of our message. It can improve speed of understanding and quality of understanding. What’s not to like about that?

            Reply
  41. Cathy Miller says

    May 10, 2016 at 2:00 pm

    Power to the punctuation! Love how beautifully you illustrate this, Henneke.

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 3:12 pm

      Thank you, Cathy. Creating the illustrations was fun! 🙂

      Reply
  42. Deborah says

    May 10, 2016 at 1:18 pm

    Always enjoy your tips. Keep up the good work! ( Overuse of !? LOL )

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 3:08 pm

      Thank you, Deborah! 🙂

      Reply
  43. Christian Krauß says

    May 10, 2016 at 1:15 pm

    Wow, this is almost creepy:

    I published a post just this morning about rhythm in writing. And the power of the full stop. And the over-usage of the exclamation mark 🙂

    So, yeah, I totally agree, hehe. It’s often those fundamentals that seperate mediocre from outstanding copy.

    Punctuation really seems like beginners’ stuff. But get it right and you can boost the readability of your copy tremendously.

    Thanks once again for this fun to read and easy to implement post, Henneke.

    Have a good one
    Chris

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 3:07 pm

      Hey, that’s spooky!

      Great minds think alike as they say 🙂

      Reply
  44. Kathy says

    May 10, 2016 at 1:14 pm

    Love this! You are brilliant. We would have legions of engaging writers if the English language was taught with the passion you have for it. Thanks for the inspiration… and clarity on a topic that up to now seemed very academic. ?

    Reply
    • Henneke says

      May 10, 2016 at 3:06 pm

      In my experience, most language teachers focus on using language correctly. Of course, using language correctly is important, as we need to follow some conventions to be understood.

      But I’d love to see more teachers nurture a love of language plus teach students how to use language to engage and persuade.

      Reply

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