Grammar

Punctuation helps with clarity, organization, and effective communication in writing. It can guide the reader through complex ideas by indicating pauses, stops, and relationships between clauses. Proper punctuation also sets the tone, rhythm, and professionalism of a sentence. It ensures that sentences are structured correctly, facilitating smoother flow and readability. Overall, punctuation plays a key role in conveying the intended message accurately and maintaining a clear and polished written form.

Missing comma in a compound sentence

• Description: Failing to use a comma before a conjunction in a compound sentence.
• Example: I wanted to go to the park but it started raining.
• Correct: I wanted to go to the park, but it started raining.

Unnecessary commas

• Description: Commas that are placed in places where they are not needed, which disrupts sentence flow.
• Example: My sister, is coming over later.
• Correct: My sister is coming over later.

Mistakes in apostrophe usage

• Description: Incorrect use of apostrophes, especially with possession and contractions.
• Example: The dogs bone is on the couch.
• Correct: The dog’s bone is on the couch.

Capitalization problems

• Description: Misapplying capitalization rules to titles.
• Example: the Great Gatsby
• Correct: The Great Gatsby

Here is a non-exhaustive list of capitalization rules: 

• proper nouns (ex. Rosa Parks or Nashville) 
• generic names with a proper noun (ex. Main Street)
• first word of a sentence 
• the pronoun I
• title of a named relative (ex. my Aunt Trina) 
• titles that precede a proper name (ex. President Carter or Doctor Michelle) 
• words in a title (ex. Fourth Wing) 
• races and ethnic groups (ex. Austrian or Black) 
• historical, religious, or political groups (ex. Wiccan or Republican) 
• points on the compass (ex. Northwest) 
• specific courses (ex. Biology class) 
• seasons that refer to semesters (ex. Fall semester) 
• sacred names (ex. Qur'an)