How to use punctuation in an essay
Learning how to write essays is perhaps one of the most difficult things about university. OK, some students have already been taught how to write essays, and others are just naturals at it. But most people aren’t so lucky.
Many students say that spelling, punctuation and grammar are serious obstacles to essay writing. In fact, there are a lot of students who are ashamed of their ability to write English. But there’s no need to be – not everyone is taught how to write English properly.
The most important thing to remember is, there’s always help. If you don’t know something, look it up or ask someone. Check the spelling of a word in a dictionary – use an online one if you like. There are many useful grammar and punctuation resources you can use to look things up, too – just ask in your library or a bookshop.
Don’t be afraid of punctuation
There’s more than one way to skin a cat. If you’ve got a sentence that’s too long, and you don’t know how to punctuate it properly, split it up into chunks. Consider the following sentence:
“As the end of 1944 approached, Hitler’s military decision-making grew not only more and more suspect, but also more and more centralised – with decisions often taken by the Fuhrer alone – which led to suspicion and plotting amongst the senior Wehrmacht generals and the increased fragmentation of the Nazi state. “
In fact, you could make four or five sentences out of that – and it would be much easier to understand. Long sentences don’t always make your work look more impressive – sometimes they can make it harder for the reader. What’s more, they make it harder for you to write.
Use examples
If you’re not sure how to use punctuation in a quote, for example, you’ve probably got the answer right there on your desk. If you’ve used any kind of criticism, or if you have a textbook, check to see how the authors do it. Nine times out of ten you’ll be able to find an excellent example of how to write what you want to write. You might even want to keep a journal or a cheat sheet. Always remember – it’s a learning process. You’re not expected to know first time, but if you take notes, even if you get it wrong to begin with, you’ll know for next time.
Be consistent
In fact, there’s often more than one ‘right answer’. Quotation marks are a good example – some people will use single quotes, others double quotes. Full stops at the end of bullet points is another example – some people use them, others don’t. Check with your university or department, and if they prefer one or the other, then use that. If not, just decide which one you like best and stick with it
Some common mistakes
Probably the most commonly misused punctuation mark is the apostrophe. But there are some really simple rules you can stick to that will help you avoid mistakes. Here are three:
- Its: Using its, or it’s, is something that lots of people get wrong. But it’s easy. You only ever use it’s when you mean it is. Never any other time. It’s that simple. It’s just something you get used to. You don’t need to remember anything else.
- Yours/hers/theirs: OK, English is a weird language. Possessive apostrophes can be confusing. Just remember – there’s no such word as her’s. Or their’s. Or your’s. Use hers, theirs, yours.
- If in doubt, miss it out. This is a bit of a cheat’s approach, but your work will look a little bit better if you just miss off the apostrophe, rather than stick them in willy-nilly.
And remember, the spelling and grammar check is your friend. Microsoft Word will pick up many common errors. Turn on “Check spelling as you type” and “Check grammar as you type” (go to Tools > Options > Spelling and grammar). But don’t just use it mechanically – when Word suggests a change, look it up before you accept it. Try to learn the rule, so you don’t make the same mistake again.
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