Punctuation plays a major role in a writer’s life. It determines how a text is read in that it is almost like traffic signals. Readers are told when to stop and go. The analogy with manners is appropriate because even the root word of the term means “etiquette”. It can alter a string of words and even the meaning. Much confusion could have been avoided if proper punctuation were applied. With the mediums of Internet and text messaging, it seems as if the rules have deteriorated and everyone has become and author with no sense of capitalization or commas. Even movie titles and invested works sometimes do not get it right, which comments about the state of discourse we are in.
Truss’s article is both comical and honest. The realization that sticklers for grammar and punctuation can be staunch is funnily truthful. Many writers can feel like this because of the way textual rules are being thrown by the wayside nowadays. However, it is what makes one a good writer perhaps, as long as there is the understanding to be able to let some things slide because the style of discourse surrounding us has changed.
No comments:
Post a Comment