Colon and Semicolon
Colons usually are considered quite easy to use. Most people can grasp the colon because the usage rules are pretty straightforward and this punctuation mark is not used that often. A colon usually introduces something. It might introduce a word, thought, or phrase; but its job is usually to introduce something to the reader. For example:Lisa wanted to talk about one thing: baking cookies.
Lesley daydreamed all day about the same topic: massages and spas.
Marco claims to have only three friends in the world: the cat, the dog, and the remote control.
The semicolon is used to connect two sentences together. Using a semicolon can help you avoid a comma splice. For example:
She wanted to bake the chocolate cookies; chocolate is her favorite flavor.
Using the Dash
The dash is not used that often, but there are times when it can be an effective punctuation mark. Dashes are used to group words together in the middle or near the end of a sentence. They often are used where commas would be used to offset information or make it stand out, but the dash is chosen instead because you desire to place more emphasis on the information between dashes. For example:Laura Langly - the most trusted person in the office - is going to be getting a promotion.
Usually we can see the economic reports, so we know what direction the company is going in - but today we can't.
Other punctuation areas that you should keep in mind:
Exclamation Point! This mark should be used when you really want to express something that is very exciting, a yell, or strong feelings. Those people who are fans of the television show Seinfeld will recall that one whole episode centered on one of the characters using the exclamation point. You really have to be sure that you want such emphasis placed on a sentence when opting to use one.Brackets. There are four different kinds of brackets that one can choose from, including the parentheses ( ), square ones [ ], curly or brace ones { }, and angles or chevrons < >. They are used in business writing to add supplemental information. For example:
She is going to go downtown (she hasn't left yet) but needs directions.
Period. The period should be used at the end of every sentence if you are not using another punctuation mark, such as a question mark. It also is used in abbreviations, especially in those for titles, such as Dr. Linton. It also is common to use periods when writing out acronyms and initials.
Did you know?
Years ago, before people used the personal computer to type their business letters, they were using the typewriter. To make it easier to read, people were taught to hit the spacebar twice after a period at the end of a sentence. Doing so made the text more spread out and easier to read. Today, that is not necessary because computers do a better job of creating text that is easy to read with only one space between sentences. Some people still opt for two spaces between each sentence, but it is no longer necessary to do so.
Most formatting styles agree that in today's technical age it is not necessary to have two spaces after a period or the end of the sentence. Now, if you are still using a typewriter for some reason, you may want to continue to do so until you are using a personal computer.
There is much to learn about punctuation and business writing overall. Once you master the mechanics of good writing, it will be a breeze to create effective, aesthetically appealing, and professional documents each and every time. Most of these grammar rules are probably review to you, as they have been covered somewhere throughout your past school experience. Like anything else, however, if you do not use them you tend to lose them, or at least forget much of it. Brushing up on punctuation skills will provide benefits that can last for many years to come.
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