Noticing Punctuation to Improve Reading Comprehension

What are these tiny little things ?

Signs guide people to safety. Punctuation helps guide the reader to comprehension.

Background Information

Writers carefully choose their punctuation to make information clear and understandable. For this reason, we must notice the punctuation that the writers use because it tells us when to stop, pause, connect, disconnect & notice ideas. It helps us understand what the writers would like us to understand.

Commas with parenthetical information: Information that comes between the subject and the verb

Mirdif City Center, which is one of the most popular centers in the 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 the subject that affects the meaning of the sentence.

Worried about the environmental problems, the college decided to 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 up the 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 come up with a solution. Because of the serious issues with the environment, many people are taking action. If we take action now, we might be able to solve the problem in time.

Commas with transition phrases

We enjoy the sights in Canada because we love nature. 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 more money.

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

The company had 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 solar power.
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 sentences holding hands because they are closely related to each other and the relationship is obvious.

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 our customers money. We will not cheat our customers again, said the company spokesman. The company added this remark, We will be terminating our upper management.

This comma usage is like saying get ready to listen to what someone said

The colon: used to emphasize

I have one problem with the Sunfix company: They stole my money. 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 writer shining 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 -- environmental and 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, conferenced with the teacher and written several drafts. I think they will be successful with their project.

Commas for items in a series are like musical notes they change the rhythm of a sentence.

Reading without punctuation is confusing...

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 company could help solve the problem because his company has cheated people before we don't really believe him.
Punctuation is necessary to separate and connect. In this paragraph it is hard to see where one idea ends and another begins. This leads to confusion.

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

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

The different colors show the different ways the reader can connect 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 to really 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 company could help solve the problem. Because his company has cheated 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 separate ideas and to connect ideas.

What is the difference between the two paragraphs?

Without noticing the punctuation in a text, our minds don't know how to group the information into meaningful units. 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 you

can 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.

Conclusion

Reading in progress

In conclusion, reading is an act of construction: We use tools to construct meaning in a text:

Punctuation is an important tool for constructing meaning

Punctuation tells us when to stop, slow down, connect, disconnect and notice information.