Punctuation In Lynn Truss's 'Apostrophe'
Question Mark? Exclamation Mark! Comma, Apostrophe’ " Quotation Marks” Colon: Semicolon; Dash- Hyphen - Period [.] ... Punctuation!!!! Who needs it???? Do you really care that the italic typeface was invented by a man called Aldus Manutius the Elder? Is it of interest to anyone that he was also the man who printed the first semicolon? Do you really have to count to two in between two related but independent clauses before you use it? Will not an ordinary dash - like this one - do just as well? Truss’ work provides a caustic statement regarding punctuation in modern society, and attempts to remedy this problem by providing an upbeat lesson in the subject. Lynn Truss' attitude to punctuation is enthusiastic, and outraged, as her subtitle makes it clear. She wants you to become angry at the misuse of apostrophes and misplaced commas.
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She also regrets that books are losing their value as the main medium of communication in our society and that newer and more uncensored media is the fate of our punctuation systems. She remarks intensely about the Internet and texting: “Meanwhile, in the world of text messages, ignorance of grammar and punctuation obviously doesn’t affect a person’s ability to communicate messages such as “C U later”. But if you try anything longer, it always seems to turn out much like the writing of the infant Pip in Great Expectations: MI DEER JO I OPE U R KRWITE WELL I OPE I SHAL SON B HABELL 4 2 TEEDGE U JO AN THEN WE SHORL B SO GLODD AN WEN I M PRENGTD 2 U JO WOT LARX AN BLEVE ME INF XN PIP.” (page 18) Lynn Truss also talks about how a misplaced comma or semicolon completely changes the meaning of a sentence. For example, “A woman, without her man, is nothing.” Compared to the same sentence, but punctuated differently, “A women: without her, man is nothing.” (page 9) Now that’s more like it. You see putting an extra comma completely changes the meaning of the sentence. Now you know why Lynne Truss obsess’ about using our punctuation
She also regrets that books are losing their value as the main medium of communication in our society and that newer and more uncensored media is the fate of our punctuation systems. She remarks intensely about the Internet and texting: “Meanwhile, in the world of text messages, ignorance of grammar and punctuation obviously doesn’t affect a person’s ability to communicate messages such as “C U later”. But if you try anything longer, it always seems to turn out much like the writing of the infant Pip in Great Expectations: MI DEER JO I OPE U R KRWITE WELL I OPE I SHAL SON B HABELL 4 2 TEEDGE U JO AN THEN WE SHORL B SO GLODD AN WEN I M PRENGTD 2 U JO WOT LARX AN BLEVE ME INF XN PIP.” (page 18) Lynn Truss also talks about how a misplaced comma or semicolon completely changes the meaning of a sentence. For example, “A woman, without her man, is nothing.” Compared to the same sentence, but punctuated differently, “A women: without her, man is nothing.” (page 9) Now that’s more like it. You see putting an extra comma completely changes the meaning of the sentence. Now you know why Lynne Truss obsess’ about using our punctuation