Punctuation for Better Reading

8/2/2019 Punctuation for Better Reading

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/punctuation-for-better-reading 1/22

Noticing Punctuation to Improve Reading

Comprehension

What are thesetiny littlethings ?



Signs guide people to safety.

Punctuation helps guide the reader tocomprehension.



Background Information

•

Writers carefully choose their punctuation to make informationclear and understandable.

•For this reason, we must notice the punctuation that the writersuse because it tells us when to stop, pause, connect,disconnect & notice ideas.

•It helps us understand what the writers would like us tounderstand.



Commas with parenthetical information: Information that comesbetween the subject and the verb

Mirdif City Center, which is one of the most popular centers inthe U.A.E, was given a green energy ribbon for saving power.

Sunfix, a new solar power company, was accused of selling costumers fake equipment for their homes.

The frontal lobe, associated with brain functions like reasoning

and planning, was damaged in the motorcycle accident.



Commas with introductory information: Information that comes before thesubject that affects the meaning of the sentence.

Worried about the environmental problems, the college decidedto start an organization called Let's Act Now.

Not paying attention to their customers, Sunfix is losing a lot of money.

Commas are a request to pause...



...Commas with introductory information

To help the students, the teachers decided to work harder.

With the help of the students, the teachers were able to improve

education.

In the morning, the students went to the beach to clean upthe rubbish.



Commas with inverted complex sentences: shows part one and part two of the sentence.

After the issues are looked at carefully, we will be able to comeup with a solution.

Because of the serious issues with the environment, manypeople are taking action.

If we take action now, we might be able to solve the problem intime.



Commas with transition phrases

We enjoy the sights in Canada because we lovenature. However, it is very cold during the winter months.

Scientists these days are creating solutions to the world's

environmental problems. As a result, they are making moremoney.



Commas to help coordinating conjunctions: They show a connectionbetween two related sentences

The companyhad problems, but they did not take action.

The problems are serious, so we must take action now.

We can choose to use oil for energy, or we could try solarpower.

A comma & coordinating conjunction is

like a small bridge that connects two

sentences closely related.



Semicolon: takes the place of a comma and coordinating conjunction.

The event was so exciting; I won two prizes.

The event was so exciting, for I won two prizes.

I have a big test; I should study.

I have a big test, so I should study.

A semicolon is like two short sentencesholding hands because they are closelyrelated to each other and the relationship isobvious.



Direct address

Students, please have the assignments handed in by tomorrow.

Sunfix, return our money by tomorrow!

People of this fine country, we need to think about reducing the

use of plastic bags.

The direct address comma is

like asking for attention

because someone is going to

speak directly to someone else.



Quoted elements

The company said in an interview, ‘We are sorry for taking ourcustomers money’.

‘We will not cheat our customers again,’ said the companyspokesman. The company added this remark, ‘We will be

terminating our upper management’.

This comma usage is like

saying get ready to listen towhat someone said



The colon: used to emphasize

I have one problem with the Sunfix company: They stole mymoney.

My teacher is a nice person: He always seeks ways to help me

improve.

I enjoy one thing in life: sports.

The colon is like the writershining a light on an idea so

the reader sees the

importance. The reader should

pay close attention to colons.



The dash -- used to emphasize

We have two types of problems in the world -- environmentaland economical.

The company is losing a lot of money. If this continues, there

will be a serious consequence -- bankruptcy.

The park--the one by 3rd street--is closed now.

The dash is like the writer pointing to

say, ‘look at this important idea’.



Items in a series

The students have brainstormed ideas, read articles, conferencedwith the teacher and written several drafts. I think they will besuccessful with their project.

Commas for items in a series are like

musical notes – they change the

rhythm of a sentence.



Readingwithout punctuation is confusing...

There are many serious problems in the world today weneed to do something about it in the news yesterday theexecutive director of Sunfix said that his company couldhelp solve the problem because his company has cheatedpeople before we don't really believe him.

Punctuation is necessary

to separate and connect.

In this paragraph it is

hard to see where oneidea ends and another

begins. This leads to

confusion.



The possible ways the mind might group the information without theguidance of punctuation

There are many serious problems in the world/ today we need to dosomething about it in the news yesterday /the executive director of Sundfix said that his company could help solve the problem becausehis company has cheated people before we don't really believe him.

There are many serious problems / in the world today we need todo something about it in the news yesterday /the executive directorof Sunfix said that his company could help solve the problem becausehis company has cheated people before we don't really believe him.

The different colors show the

different ways the reader canconnect the ideas without any

punctuation as a guide. These

ideas are like a pile of books

all mixed together with no

separation.



Let's add the commas, full stops, transition phrases and capital letters toreally make things clear.

There are many serious problems in the world today; we

need to do something about it. In the news yesterday, the executive director of Sunfix said that his companycould help solve the problem. Because his company hascheated people before, we don't really believe him.

This paragraph can only

be read in one way – the

way the reader wants the

ideas connected. It has

punctuation to separateideas and to connect

ideas.



What is the difference between the two paragraphs?

•Without noticing the punctuation in a text, our mindsdon't know how to group the information into meaningfulunits. This can create confusion.



Students, because of the serious issues in today's world, people

are taking action. Interested in making a difference,

the Emirates Environmental Group, which performs many

important environmental functions in the UAE, is seeking

applicants for employment. With this company, I am sure youcan make a real difference. However, there is only one

problem: They are interested in college graduates only, so make

sure that you graduate from college first. On their website, they

say it clearly, ‘college graduates only’.



The difference between them is punctuation• A woman, without her man, is nothing.

• A woman: without her, man is nothing.

l



Conclusion

Reading in progress

•In conclusion, reading is an

act of construction: We usetools to construct meaning in atext:

•Punctuation is an important

tool for constructing meaning

•Punctuation tells us when tostop, slow down, connect,

disconnect and noticeinformation.

Punctuation for Better Reading

Documents