In Praise Of Punctuation

An indispensable ally of any communicator.

A few days ago, while wandering on Twitter, I read a quote from American author Russell Baker: “In writing, punctuation plays the role of body language. It helps readers hear you the way you want to be heard.”

(CC) Kevin Trotman

The digital-driven explosion of the practice of writing, which is extremely positive in many respects (as demonstrated by Deborah Brandt), sometimes results in the loss of the sense of punctuation.

Punctuation is an eminently living language: It evolves over geography and time, as well as with the meaning of our writings. As a matter of fact, a modest comma makes all the difference between “Let’s eat children!” and “Let’s eat, children!”

Punctuation is as important as the words it separates and gives life to. That’s why it is an indispensable ally of any communicator for both written and oral expression.