Punctuation

Hyphens are among the most challenging punctuation marks. In two phrases that seem very much alike, one will have a hyphen and one will not. Consider an example. Would you add hyphens to the following sentence? Syntax Training is celebrating its 30th anniversary in Seattle… continue reading

Making my Thanksgiving salad dressing, I read in the list of ingredients "1/4 teaspoon salt/pepper." Because both condiments are named, I am going to assume that the recipe author meant this: 1/4 tsp. salt1/4 tsp. pepper But why not say that? With the slash, "salt/pepper"… continue reading

Punctuation experts: See whether you can find a variety of punctuation errors sprinkled throughout the business letter below. In some places, punctuation is missing; in others, it’s unnecessary or wrong. Find and correct the errors, but do not change the wording. ******************************* Dear Professor Donaldson, Kate Michaels… continue reading

Test your punctuation prowess in these four punctuation challenges. First Game: 100-Word Hyphens In this 100-word passage, insert hyphens wherever they belong: The new four story condominium development on Bank Street features homes with state of the art appliances and the latest in furnishings. Buyers looking… continue reading

Do you think you are a punctuation pro? Take this 10-item test, which contains the most common punctuation errors I see in business writing classes. Each item is either correct or has one punctuation error. Find and correct the errors. Thank you Lynn, for taking… continue reading

If you have ever wondered how to set off a long quotation in a blog post, a report, an email, or another document, this blog post is for you and Laura. Laura, who manages her company’s intranet, emailed me to ask how to render long… continue reading