What are the most common punctuation errors?

Here are 10 of the most common punctuation errors people make and how you can avoid making them.

1. Extraneous Apostrophes. The Problem: People putting apostrophes where they don’t belong.
2. Unnecessary Quotation Marks.
3. Missing Commas.
4. Too Many Commas.
5. Excess Exclamation.
6. It’s versus Its.
7. The Oxford Comma.
8. Hyphen (-) vs.

What is the most used punctuation mark in the English language?

Of the three, the period is most often used; almost every sentence has one. Commas are used extensively within sentences. Some sentences have a lot of commas while some sentences have none. So although the comma is quite common, it is next to impossible to say whether it is more common than the period.

What is incorrect punctuation?

Don’t place periods and commas outside quotation marks (in the US). Here’s a tip: Always place periods and commas inside quotation marks. Place all other punctuation — colons, semicolons, question marks, etc. — outside quotation marks, unless they are part of what is being quoted, such as a quoted question.

Why is the comma the most misused punctuation mark?

Writing Wednesday: 3 Most Commonly Misused Punctuation Marks. You may be surprised to see that this post is about commas, apostrophes and quotation marks. And yes, there are trickier punctuation mark selection decisions out there, like whether to use a hyphen or en dash, or colon or semicolon.

What are the three common comma mistakes?

Incorrect: The car, that banged on the wall was old. Correct: The car that banged on the wall was old. This is another common mistake in comma usage. Not using a comma between two independent clauses separated by a conjunction can change the meaning of the whole sentence.

What is the most common punctuation mark in English?

The full stop or period is the most common punctuation mark in the English language. It has two main functions. 1) It shows the end of a sentence.

What is an example of a quote with punctuation?

Good example: “What time is it?” How to Avoid: The punctuation is part of the text you’re quoting, so the punctuation goes inside the quotation marks. Note that in American English, the punctuation goes inside the quotation marks, while the British punctuate outside of the quotation marks.

What is the difference between American and British punctuation?

Note that in American English, the punctuation goes inside the quotation marks, while the British punctuate outside of the quotation marks. If you are on the Internet and see punctuation marks outside of the quote marks, the source could be British. Sarah Scott is the Digital Marketing Manager for Walsworth.

What are the most common punctuation mistakes people make?

It’s always best to check your writing for common punctuation mistakes so you don’t inadvertently alienate those who will be reading your material. Here are 10 of the most common punctuation errors people make and how you can avoid making them. 1. Extraneous Apostrophes The Problem: People putting apostrophes where they don’t belong.