Punctuation, Part 1

People Who Do Not Use Punctuation Deserve Long Sentences

WebDonuts Funny Comics "WebDonuts-Punctuation-Cartoon" (4/22/2013) via Flickr
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I will analyze three topics I found in the "Punctuation" section of Rules for Writers that I could improve upon.

Semicolon    ;

• Avoid common misuses of the semicolon
• There are many exceptions to the common misuses of the semicolon, so even though I feel that I have gained a much better understanding of the semicolon, I will still be on the lookout for any ways in which I may misuse it. I used to use a semicolon between a subordinate clause and the rest of the sentence, and I hope to remedy this.

Colon    :

• Avoid common misuses of the colon
• I will occasionally decide to place a colon between a verb and its object or complement. This is usually because I mistakenly identify the object / compliment portion of the sentence as a list. Hopefully my enlightened eyes will be able to accurately judge the true situation of the sentence.
• Use a colon according to convention
•  Until recently, I thought salutation in a letter was followed only by a comma, but apparently it's followed by a colon. I never use them this way, I always use commas, and so - it seems - does everyone else. I am considering whether I should remedy this when I send e-mails, but I'm fairly certain that commas have also become an accepted convention in letters greetings.

Apostrophe    '

• Use an apostrophe to indicate that an indefinite pronoun is possessive
• I hesitate in using commas for words like something's or no one's. This is most likely due to my issue with its, as you will see below. I have always been aware that I misuse apostrophes for possessive pronouns, so I question using apostrophes for any pronoun that is possessive in a failed attempt to avoid making the same mistakes.
• Do not use an apostrophe to form the plural of numbers, letters, abbreviations, and words mentioned as words
• I was actually taught to use apostrophes for numbers, and it still feels strange to me to write 1,000s instead of 1,000's. The weird thing is, the Blogger grammar editor is prompting me to alter the correct version, but is letting the number with an apostrophe go unquestioned... Regardless, I need to break myself of this habit - for some reason I really like the way the apostrophe separates the letter from the number. Hopefully I can get over this!
• Avoid common misuses of the apostrophe
• I will tend to slip up on this a lot. I use apostrophes in possessive pronouns such as its too often, and I always end up having to take an extra step in my proof-reading process to eliminate all of them.

Reflection: As I peer reviewed Chingiz and Chloe's Drafts, I only noticed a couple punctuation issues, and only one of them related to my personal struggle with punctuation! 

Chloe, like me, had an issue with apostrophes:

"Obviously, you would take your friends side if they framed such a dramatic argument."

In this case, friends should become friend's as it is possessive. 

Chingiz, on the other hand, knew exactly how to use a colon:

"Mr Daines does not make any radical statements that would severely upset any possible left-wing readers: he still claims that renewable energy research is an avenue that must be pursued."

He uses the colon to lead into an elaboration!

Overall, I get the sense that I'm one of the few people who still struggles with apostrophes, colons, and semicolons....