Larsen Idealog

The Perils of Problematic Punctuation

National Punctuation Day is four months away, but there are “signs” everywhere that we should celebrate this unique learning opportunity more often than once a year. How about once a week?

Unlike misspelled words, which we usually recognize immediately, incorrect punctuation often results in a double take. You know something’s wrong, but it can take a moment to figure out what it is. Punctuation problems often result in a misplaced emphasis that can turn a serious warning into an unintended joke. In the example here, from The “Blog” of “Unnecesarry” Quotation Marks, the apostrophes used as quotation marks force the reader to question the sincerity of the store’s dedication to both crime prevention and public safety. It works if the sign were meant to be sarcastic or snarky, but that seems unlikely.

Don’t wait for National Punctuation Day (September 24th) to check and double check your punctuation. After all, no one wants to be ‘misinterpreted.’