The Power Of Punctuation

Yesterday, an intelligent colleague of mine, Mr Godswill Amadi, shared with me a sentence that showcased the relevance of punctuation marks in English language. It was really educative and I will be sharing it with you today.

Punctuation marks are very important in English language as they ensure a swift flow of the writer's thought in the mind of his/her readers or audience. Proper punctuation enhances proper comprehension of a writer's thought whereas wrong punctuation deposits a different meaning in the mind of the readers or audience.

Today, I will be showing you how the difference in the placement of punctuation marks in a particular sentence gives the sentence two distinct meanings.

The original state of the sentence is:

    "Every woman without her man is nothing."

Now let's see how the punctuation marks are first placed and call it sentence one:

      "Every woman, without her, man is nothing."

Let's see sentence two:

         "Every woman, without her man, is nothing."

Did you notice any difference in the meaning of both sentences? If you didn't, try observing the punctuation marks while reading the sentences again.

Did you still find it difficult to notice the semantic difference in both sentences? Now, check the analysis below.

                    SENTENCE ANALYSIS

Whereas sentence one places emphasis on the importance of a woman in a man's life, sentence two does the opposite.

I am sure you felt the power of punctuation. Learn how to properly use and place the English punctuation marks as wrong placement and usage of these symbols can deposit in the mind of your reader/audience a thought that is totally different from yours.