If you're like most readers, you barely notice the punctuation marks in a passage of text. That doesn't mean they're unimportant, though! Punctuation marks can make a text sound more exciting, authoritative, or empathetic. These marks can build suspense or fear as well. Because punctuation--or the lack of it--can make readers slow down or cause them to rush ahead, punctuation is one tool that writers use to try to affect the emotional responses of readers.
Which punctuation marks matter most? Many students assume that an exclamation mark creates the most dramatic effect in writing, but this is rarely the case. Adding periods, or "full stops," where readers don't expect to see them can create a much stronger impact. Read the beginning of this personal essay. (You may have read the entire essay earlier this year.) As you read, notice where the writer has placed periods, or full stops, in this passage.
It was just a week, I kept telling myself, I can get through it. But when you're nine years old, a week can feel like an eternity. Especially when you’re at summer camp for the first time. And especially when the week starts out the way it did for me. That was five years ago, and I have never been back.
Use these questions to take a closer look at how the author of this passage defies conventional rules about punctuation.
| Which sentences in this paragraph break from conventional rules regarding punctuation? | All the sentences except the last one. The first sentence uses commas--not periods--to separate complete thoughts. The second sentence is essentially a sentence fragment because it begins with the word but. So are the next two sentences that do not contain subjects. |
| What effect is created by the first sentence's use of commas instead of periods? | It rushes the reader through the sentence, which imitates the way the writer felt about that week of summer camp: She wanted it to be over soon. |
| What effect is created by the two sentences that include the word "especially"? | They cause the reader to stop and think about each sentence and let its meaning sink in. These are probably the most important sentences in the paragraph because they reveal key aspects of the story's conflict. |
