Punctuation, Part 2

In this post, I will continue a reflection on the "Punctuation" section of Rules for Writers." I will be discussing the comma, apostrophe, and quotation marks.


The Comma

 A few notable functions in the "commas" section is the option to use a comma only after an introductory clause, listing a series of adjectives, coordinating conjunctions, and more. The restrictive and nonrestrictive elements of the comma is important. Knowing what needs to be separated by a comma (nonessential information) and what does not can make your writing feel more smooth. Commas are also used to separate years from days to indicate time, set off a quote, and isolate nouns to direct attention to who the sentence is addressing.

The Apostrophe

The main function of the apostrophe is matters of possession. It indicates if a noun is possessive by using and " 's" at the end of the word, unless there is an "s" at the end of the word already. In this case, adding an apostrophe at the end of the word will indicate possession. Apostrophes may also be used for marking an omission with contractions. It should not be used to create the plural forms of words, letters of numbers, and do not use it when the noun isn't possessive.  In formal writing, there are some more specific guidelines. They should be used to cite works, but contractions should be avoided entirely in formal writing.

Quotation Marks

Quotations marks are frequently used in literary analysis essays or other scholarly works. Quotations marks are used mainly for quoting other's works. Using proper citation and essential quotes can seriously strengthen a paper, and quotation marks are key to this. When quoting someone speaking, use a "singular" quotation mark (aka an apostrophe ' ) to enclose the speaker's quotation inside the "outer" quotation.  They have other functions as well: titles of papers, words used as words, punctuation, brackets and ellipses.


REVISING

While revising my own draft, I came across a few punctuation errors that were easily fixable. The sentence
"For example, in Spiegelman’s opening line to the interviewer’s question about Maus’s ban, he claims he worries the decision is..." has some unnecessary commas and improper apostrophe usage. The same line could be changed to read 
"For example, Spiegelman’s opening line to the interviewer’s question about Maus’ ban claims he worries the decision is...".  
Another sentence that needed revision is 
"However, it’s linkage to a dark and brutal history has ruined this peaceful interpretation." There is no noun for "it" to take possession of, nor is it a proper contraction of "it is". The sentence should be changed to 
"However, its linkage to a dark and brutal history has ruined this peaceful interpretation."