Punctuation Marks in the English Writing - Research Paper Example

Assignment Supervisor Punctuation Marks in English Writing: Why Do We Use them? Punctuation in English writing isbecoming less of a focus in general public writing throughout the English-speaking world. As particularly electronic methods of communication grow, informal language and instant electronic communication among particularly younger people, and English Second or Third Language users, writing does not always rely on formal and traditional punctuation. This essay is based on research into the history of punctuation marks in English, the traditional purpose of a variety of punctuation marks, and the current changes in the use of punctuation as observed in everyday communication. It was concluded that despite the less formalized and rules-based approaches to punctuation in English currently, there is still a valuable place for these technical, structural parts of the language, particularly in making meaning clear. Introduction More and more users of English are joining this language community worldwide, as globalization increases. A common language to use in communication across the globe is necessary: electronic technology allows people to reach anyone, from anywhere in the world, so communication has to take place in a common language, if the advantages of instant access and wide connectivity are to be realized. The structure, syntax and construction of English have been, throughout its history, adaptable. From its earliest documentation, by writers such as Geoffrey Chaucer, to its latest uses in text-messaging and social website writing, this language has changed. These changes have often been visible in the words used, the structure of sentences, the positions of parts of speech in expressed sentences, and in the punctuation marks used in writing. Punctuation is defined in the Encyclopedia Britannica as “The use of spacing, conventional signs, and certain typographical devices as aids to the understanding and correct reading, both silently and aloud, of handwritten and printed texts.” Many say that punctuation is necessary to “clarify meaning” and that its misuse “appears to reflect wider social decline” (Hitchings, 2011, web page), and hence it needs to remain traditional. But clear and accurate meaning is important in any written communication, and changing a language for the sake of change is not wise. Still, there seems to be room for change in the punctuation of English. Thesis Statement This essay will focus on the question of why we use punctuation marks in English writing. To explore this question, the flowing ideas will form the structure of the discussion: The historical development of punctuation marks in language, with specific focus on English The current use of punctuation marks in English, and how this is changing The continued need for accurate use of punctuation, to ensure clear communication Background – The Historical Development of Punctuation in Written Language Earliest Forms In classical times, the Greeks and then the Romans used punctuation to indicate to speakers when and for how long they had to pause in their speech. These symbols were eventually named after the pauses they represented, so that a period came to show the longest pause, when a speaker had reached the end of a complete idea; the comma indicated a short pause, for breathing or effect; and a colon indicated that a clause, or a sub-idea, had ended (Nordquist, 2011, web page). Nordquist cites W.F. Bolton (A Living Language, 1988), who suggests that these punctuation marks came to assist speakers in planning the pace, emphasis and elocution of a speech. The Vulgate Bible, for example, allowed St. Jerome to begin to standardize the use of punctuation – he used the period to show when a passage should be read in one breath – from period to period – rather than to end an idea (Crandall, 2008, web page). From the Fifth to the Twelfth Centuries, punctuation continued to determine the reading style of a passage, rather than any syntactical structure, even though St. Jerome had tried to make it apply to writing. It is only with the invention of printing that the more than thirty punctuation marks (Hitchings, 2011, web page) used during the medieval period began to be limited, during the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries. Ben Jonson wrote that punctuation should be used for more than just elocution or inflection, in his text The English Grammar (1640). Punctuation should follow the meaning and structure of written language, according to Jonson. So these marks were used to show phrases, clauses and sentences gradually by writers from then on. While these marks still showed readers and speakers how to read passages aloud, the focus changed so that punctuation could be used to divide language into ideas (Nordquist, 2011, web page). Punctuation also, according to Jonson, allowed readers to interpret texts better, according to a standard set of rules explaining the functions of that punctuation mark. It is also important, though, that Jonson argued that choice in the positioning and use of punctuation marks was available to the writer, leaving the system flexible and “creative” (Van den Berg, 1995, p. 23). Punctuation has, therefore, never been an unchanging aspect of the language. The period began as indication to a speaker to pause in reading or speaking. The comma and the virgule (or forward slash – which was sometimes doubled to indicate a long pause, or the start of a new section) had similar functions. Chaucer used periods to end verse lines, without regard for the meaning of the line. And Ben Jonson commented on and introduced into his writing, standardized use of colons, parenthesis, question mark, and exclamation point (Nordquist, 2011, web page). In 1925, Ernest Hemingway wrote: “My attitude to punctuation is that it ought to be as conventional as possible … You ought to be able to show that you can do it a lot better than anyone else with the regular tools before you have a license to bring in your own improvements” (Parks (1993) cited by Nordquist, 2011, web page). This, in my opinion, is the best approach – to consider punctuation rules as understood, but also to be used to make meaning clear. Findings – Current Use of Punctuation in English and Contemporary Changes Grammar teachers have changed the way we look at punctuation. The point of learning grammar is to learn clear communication in writing, according to researchers such as Chomsky (1957) and Ziegler (1996) cited in Patterson (1998, web page). Correctness in the use of punctuation is important in teaching, and this has used to maintain a class-based hierarchy within societies, so that the privilege of using “correct English” could be used to maintain class differences, according to some writers (Patterson, 2011, web page). If this is the case, then we need not use punctuation correctly. The modern trend toward democratization means that we should not discriminate, and that any behavior that leads to differentiating between people should be avoided. Language is so fundamental to human existence that we have to allow anyone to use it in any way they are comfortable. However, while the use of punctuation and the purpose of specific marks may change, we have to use them consistently: meaning may depend on it. Especially in legal and contractual documents, this necessity is illustrated by the following instance, illustrated by Nordquist (2011, website “Punctuation Matters: …”). An agreement between two companies, determining the frequency of rate hikes, was signed with the statement included: “ shall continue for in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year term, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.” The lack of a second comma after “successive five year claims” would have implied that a rate hike could not take place in the first five years; its inclusion, though, was argued by company lawyers to mean that a rate hike could take place any time within the first five year period. This was supported by the court. Hence, the simple rule that a pair of commas should be used to set off interrupting words, phrases or clauses was taken to mean that one year’s notice of a rate hike could be given immediately after the contract was signed. But other punctuation marks may not be so precisely interpreted, since they do not so specifically indicate meaning in context. In fact, some theorists argue that punctuation may disappear altogether (Hitchings, 2011, web page) and certainly that the internet culture of today shows that we use punctuation very casually. Other punctuation marks that change the emotive meaning of words can also be found in English. Exclamation marks, and question marks, for example, have been around for some time to show emotion in the writing. These may be closer in their function to the current use of emoticons which in electronic writing serve to indicate mood and state of mind (Nordquist, 2011, Punctuation Matters:…). Only the period seems to mean today what it meant years ago. Punctuation and its use in writing seem to be disappearing. Editors avoid the use of the comma; dashes are on the increase, because they show pauses in speech easily; the semi-colon is almost never used; the hyphen has lost its function as coined words are either used separately, or become a single word. Graphic designers favor not using the apostrophe, as it clutters text. This particular punctuation mark appeared in an English text in 1959 for the first time and its use has never been stable (Hitching, 2011, web page). What seems to happen with the apostrophe is that writers tend to use it too often, in the wrong circumstance, or not at all (Hitchings, 2011, web page). The apostrophe can prevent ambiguity, but not using it would not cause much confusion because we would hear what understand if a possessive or an omission was happening from the meaning of the conversation. In fact, in speech we do not need it. Fowler (1930) notes that it can be used to form a next syllable, as in “The Times’s opinion” (p. 451) and that the additional “’s” is kept when in lines of verse, it is needed to maintain a rhythmic structure. In the possessive form, “its” is an “absolute form like that of who … their, our, and your” (Fowler, 1930, p. 303) where an “s” is added, without the apostrophe. As Hitchings (2011, web page) suggests, the apostrophe may disappear altogether, as its uses are confusing and not needed for language to be understood. Certainly Fowler criticizes its use with “it’s” for “it is” as colloquial, too informal and unacceptable in English writing (Fowler, 1930, p. 567). We know that “its” is used in speech almost exclusively. It is also true that the use of typing rather than writing has changed the use of punctuation. A writer can emphasize meaning in an e-mail, for example, by using a line of exclamation marks, or an exclamation mark with a question mark, both not strictly acceptable in formal punctuation convention. The Underscore is used in typing – perhaps with no meaning at all, outside of website links. Similarly, the double forward slash, originally an indication of longer pause in reading, is now widely used in website address forms. The Internet has completely changed the way many English users understand punctuation. By the age of five or six, children are usually able to use language verbally quite well. They know the correct patterns of speech, with pauses, tones and inflections that in writing are represented by punctuation, and as they continue to practice the use of their language children get better and better at it. It is only when they have to learn to write that we tell them punctuation is important. Theorists such as Atwell (1997) and Meyer (1990) are quoted in Patterson (1998) to say that writing practice is better than formal grammar teaching to learn to use written communication. Rei Noguchi in his book Grammar and the Teaching of Writing (Patterson, 1998, web page) suggests that the only reason there is a “correct” use of grammar and punctuation, is that those in power in academic, corporate, political arenas have decided on a standard form that suits them. So, if we want to be democratic, we have to consider punctuation as less important, and less precise. It does seem that punctuation especially in modern English “is governed ‘two-thirds’ by rule and one-third by personal taste’” (Carey quoted by Hitchings, 2011, web page). More and more punctuation marks are disappearing as fewer people know their function and purpose. Conclusion Modern English writing has kept the use of the traditional marks, but these have been adapted and their use changed significantly over time. Marks in writing were only to show how the words should be spoken, then exact and traditional rules dominated, and now we are going back to electronically-based carelessness with the use of punctuation. And perhaps the next clear development in the use of punctuation will be the use of emoticons maybe eventually to replace traditional marks. If a smile emoticon appears next to a statement, this may mean that the writing has to be read in a bright, excited tone some day! If no one understands the function of the semi-colon – to introduce a related, independent and complete idea connected to the preceding idea – why not just use a period to end one idea and begin another? The semi-colon indicates the relationship between the ideas, but that relationship will be understood by an observant, thinking reader anyway. Inverted commas or quotation marks are used in writing to acknowledge the words or ideas of another person, and should give appropriate recognition to the ideas of others. Even if the quotation marks are replaced by italics for example, or underlining, some technique will still be needed as indication that some included ideas are not the writer’s own, if widespread plagiarism is to be avoided. Written language is needed by the modern English user. While this is the case, conventions of punctuation, used by all and understood by all will assist in making communication accurate and effective. Certainly, legally, and in the world of business, it helps to have the correct punctuation to show exact meaning in contracts and agreements. Also in academic writing, where persuasion and argument are precise, and debates where logic has to be structured, speakers or writers must agree on the marks used to create meaning. But some punctuation marks no longer seem as essential – the apostrophe, for example, which cannot be “heard” in speech, and where meaning is very clear from the context of the words anyway – and will disappear. Others will replace the ones that do disappear, because English is flexible and adaptable. While punctuation of some sort continues to make English easier to understand, and effective as an international language, it will not ever disappear completely. References Crandall, D. (2008) The History of English Punctuation on the Yahoo! Contributor Network website available at http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/916841/the history of english punctuation.html and accessed November 6, 2011 Finegan, E. (1999) “English Grammar and Usage” in Romaine, S. (ed.) The Cambridge History of the English Language, Vol. IV. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 536-588 and pp. 781-789 Fowler, H. (1930) A Dictionary of Modern English Usage London: Oxford at the Clarendon Press, Humphrey Milford Publishers. pp. 451, 303-304, 567-568 Hitchings, H. (2011) “Is this the Future of Punctuation?” from the Life and Culture page on WSJ.com website. Available at http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052970204618704576641182784805212-lMyQjAxMTAxMDIwNzEyNDcyWj.html?mod=wsj_share_email_bot and accessed November 7, 2011 Nordquist, R. (2011) “A Brief History of Punctuation: Where Do the Marks of Punctuation Come from and Who Made up the Rules?” and “Punctuation Matters: A ‘Dear John’ Letter and a Two Million Dollar Comma” from the About.com website. Available at http://grammar.about.com/od/punctuationandmechanics/a/PunctuationHistory.htm and accessed November 4, 2011 Patterson, N. (1998) “The Role of Grammar in the Arts Curriculum” on personal website of Nancy G. Patterson, from Ph.D. Studies at Michigan State University, available at http://www.npatterson.net/grammar.html and accessed November 10, 2011 Reimer, S. (1998) Manuscript Studies: Medieval and Early Modern. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. 14-97 Van den Berg, Sara (1995) “Marking His Place: Ben Jonson’s Punctuation” in Early Modern Literary Studies 1.3 1995. 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