Punctuation, Part 2

In the following post I will be analyzing three more topics from the Rules for Writers advice on common punctuation mistakes and how they relate to my writing style and paper.

StockSnap "Dictionary" 4/19/2015 via pixabay. CC0 Public Domain License.

The Apostrophe 

I consider myself well-versed in most apostrophe rules. However, one I have always struggled with is whether one should be used with plurals of certain words that don't show possession. Section 36d stated Do not use an apostrophe to form the plural of numbers, letters, abbreviations, and words mentioned as words. It also clarifies that there are exceptions, such as using apostrophes to form the plural of lowercase letters. 

Quotation Marks

Everything the book said about quotation marks were things I was already aware of. They emphasize that quotation marks can be used to set off words in a sentence. They also mention that long quotations don't traditionally include quotations; but, rather, are set apart from the text. 

End Punctuation 

This section was also self-explanatory. It talked in large part about when it is appropriate to use question and exclamation marks in sentences. I don't necessarily think this is viable in the context of this project, as it's not the exclamation mark kind of paper. 

Examples from my Draft 

At this point in the process, I have already extensively edited my draft. As such, I didn't find there were many grammatical mistakes past typing too fast and having said on instead of own. The following are examples of my use of two of the above mentioned punctuations. 

Quotation Marks - title of an article is in quotation marks

The organization Doctors Opposing Circumcision article by George Hill, “The case against circumcision,” presents a weakly constructed argument by blatantly defying the organizational norms for an intellectual and rhetorical piece in the medical field.

Quotation Marks and Apostrophe - quote from the article; society's - possessive

Hill claims that medical society’s hidden, emotionless intentions are concealed behind their fear of “...[lost] income and… risk of lawsuits…” (Hill, 2007, p. 318) should the public come to realize the deception.