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Punctuation Fact

In Spanish, as in English, a question is marked by a question mark. However, the Spanish place an inverted question mark at the beginning of a sentence and a normal question mark at the end.

RESOURCES

Interested in improving your punctuation?
Great!
Here are a few books and websites
that will help you:


Style Books and Guides

The Elements of Style, William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White — First published in 1918 by Strunk, a professor at Cornell University, it was known as “the little book” on the Ithaca, NY campus. Updated in 1957 by E.B. White, the great columnist for The New Yorker, it is still a little book, a timeless, 105-page paperback that should be read and referred to by anyone who writes.

The Associated Press Stylebook — The style bible of the newspaper industry clearly defines news writing. Often called the “journalist’s bible,” The AP Stylebook is an essential handbook for all writers, editors, students, and public relations specialists.

The Chicago Manual of Style — This University of Chicago Press manual is more comprehensive and easier to use than ever before. It remains an essential reference for authors, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers in any field.

Online Resources

Einfoweb.com — English punctuation marks and mechanics usage are something that everyone, no matter in what industry, needs. An apostrophe, colon, comma, dash, ellipse, exclamation point, hyphen, parentheses, period, question mark, quotation mark, semicolon, and underlining are all necessary to usage, grammar, and mechanics. When you write, only through the correct use of punctuation usage rules will words make sense.

Guide to Grammar and Style — Jack Lynch, an associate professor of English at Rutgers University in New Jersey, compiled these grammatical rules and explanations, comments on style, and suggestions on usage for his classes.

OWL Online Writing Lab — A brief overview of punctuation: semicolon, colon, parenthesis, dash, quotation marks, and italics, brought to you by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab.

Guide to Grammar and Writing — This guide is sponsored by the Capital Community College Foundation, a Hartford, CT-based nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that supports scholarships, faculty development, and curriculum innovation.

HyperGrammar — The Faculty of Arts at the University of Ottawa, in Canada, put together this online directory that will help you understand and use different types of punctuation more effectively in your writing.

Apostrophe Protection Society — England’s protector of the apostrophe.

Literature Web Directory — A directory of literature and the arts.

Writing Correct Website Content — A Guide to Grammar, Punctuation, and Vocabulary

DirPedia.com — Combining a dictionary, an encyclopedia, and a Web directory.

Clickinks.com — Printable English grammar and writing help.

The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks — Making fun of bad punctuation since 2004.

Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar — Do you adore clean, correct sentences? Do ungrammatical advertisements make you cringe? We understand completely, and this is why the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar and MSN Encarta have designated March 4 as National Grammar Day.

Writing Explained — Free educational articles on grammar, style, and usage with examples and quizzes.

Books

Hands-On English — This English handbook (now in its second edition) makes grammar visual with functional symbols to represent parts of speech. It can help fourth graders through adults develop independence and confidence in English. Author Fran Santoro Hamilton also offers practice pages and a card game, as well as a variety of free resources to help people enjoy English and use it effectively.

Everyday Editing — Everyday Editing is a terrific book for teachers and students. Jeff Anderson, the author, asks teachers to stress that editing and revision are meaningful parts of the writing process, not merely a hunt for errors. And, he invites students to carefully look at their writing and to think about how punctuation, grammar, and style can best be used to hone and communicate meaning. Visit www.writeguy.net for more information on Everyday Editing and Jeff’s other books.

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation — This easy-to-use reference guide and workbook by Jane Straus is now available in a NEW edition. Straus has added 50% more material — more rules, more exercises, more tests, and, of course, more answers. In 112 pages that are painless and amusing, Jane will reveal to you the mysteries of grammar and punctuation.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation — The international bestseller by Lynne Truss. In her delightfully urbane, witty, and very English way, Lynne says it is time to look at our commas and semicolons and see them as the wonderful and necessary things they are.

How Not to Write: An Office Primer for the Grammatically Perplexed — Author Terence Denman sets outs the top 10 grammar myths and the 10 grammar rules to live and work by.

Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English — English is a living language, says author Patricia T. O’Conner. It grows, it changes, and it can be messy and confusing. This witty, best-selling guide will give you a grasp of the subtleties of the language.

The Elephants of Style — Bill Walsh presents an acerbic, witty, in-depth look at the basics of style, including spelling, capitalizations, abbreviations, subject-verb agreement, and possessives. Ever wonder why major publications differ in their handling of basic spelling, capitalization, and punctuation issues? The answers are in this book.

Death Sentences — Don Watson details how cliches, weasel words, and management-speak are strangling public language.

How Not to Write: The Essential Misrules of Grammar — Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Safire, who writes the New York Times Magazine column “On Language,” hones in on mistakes that call attention to the major rules and regulations of writing.

The Geek’s Guide to Grammar — From pronouns to participles, Linda J. Beam tells you everything you need to know.

Common Errors in English Usage — Since 1997, Paul Brians’s website, “Common Errors in English,” has attracted more than five million visitors. His entertaining and essential information has become a enlightening and amusing book.

Don’t Let Your Participles Dangle in Public — A fun, easy-to-understand guide to American usage and writing styles by professional speaker M. Kay duPont, CSP.

The Pocket Idiot’s Guide To Grammar & Punctuation — Bring perfect grammar into your everyday language with this handy guide by writer/editor Jay Stevenson, Ph.D., who has taught at Rider University, Rutgers University, and Boston College.

A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation — The first practical and accessible guide to the art of punctuation for creative writers.

Nitty-Gritty Grammar — The not-so-serious guide to clear communication by teachers Edith Fine and Judith Josephson, used in colleges, high schools, middle schools, and even upper elementary grades.

More Nitty-Gritty Grammar — Another not-so-serious, user-friendly grammar guide by teachers Edith Fine and Judith Josephson.

Word Trippers — Know the difference between “farther” and “further”? Not sure when “between” is accurate or when “among” is the perfect choice? Not sure if you should use “fewer” or “less” when counting the eggs in a basket? Don’t get egg on your face by using the wrong word. You’ll never confound your readers again when you use a quick-reference e-book called 2009 Word Trippers. This easy-to-search e-guide does more than help prevent embarrassment. It adds power to your writing by providing the perfect word when you need it most.

Writing Contests

The Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration — This annual writing contest motivates young writers and provides writing practice with purpose. Students in grades 4-8 preserve their families’ stories and possibly become published in the annual anthology. The website includes contest details, previously published stories, and a variety of resources.

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Contact Jeff Rubin for more information about punctuation
(510) 724-9507
Jeff@NationalPunctuationDay.com