The Punctuation Police
We're the Punctuation Police1. We roam the Guide, seeking out and eliminating aberrant uses of punctuation. Do you put apostrophe's on all your plural's? Do you not know your "your" from your "you're"? We'll be on your case. Be afraid, be very afraid!
Apostrophes
Apostrophes are probably the biggest punctuation problem most people have.
Some simple problems
- Your vs you're. "You're" is short for "You are".
- Their vs they're. "They're" is short for "they are".
- Whose vs who's. "Who's" is short for "who is".
A not-so-simple problem
Its vs it's. "It's is short for "it is" or "it has". "Its" means "belonging to it".
These problems are both explained in the section on apostrophes.
Commas
Commas are probably the second-biggest problem people have with punctuation, so they are worth learning about. The problem is that they have so many uses. Read here for details.
Hyphens and dashes
Semicolons and colons
Semicolons and colons are rarely used, but they can be very effective. Read here for details.
Peer Review
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| Welcome to H2G2 | Apr 17, 2009 |
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The Punctuation Police
Researcher U206380
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