The use of ambiguous sentences in an academic study can easily lead to misunderstanding of the author,
or even cause the message to be completely different from the one he wants to give and sometimes the opposite. This article discusses five of the most common punctuation mistakes, with examples.
Consider text is written without periods, commas, and double quotation marks. You can imagine how difficult it can be to read these texts. The use of ambiguous sentences in an academic study can easily lead to misunderstanding of the author,
or even cause the message to be completely different from the one he wants to give and sometimes the opposite. Punctuation marks are mainly used to prevent possible semantic confusion in sentences. Note that even simply removing a comma in a sentence can have extremely dramatic consequences.
Examine the sentences below and the picture carefully, which is one of the most common examples of semantic shift caused by comma error, and note the dramatic change in meaning:
In this article, Best Edit Proof discusses five of the most common mistakes made by proofreaders and its editors about punctuation errors that they detect during the editing process of academic studies and proofreading, with examples.
1- Colon (Colon [:]) and Semicolon (Semicolon [;]) Usage Errors
Colons (colon [:]) and semicolon (semicolon [;]), which are different combinations of period and comma, are the most confusing punctuation marks because they look so similar to each other. Let's just say that the English variant (American English or British English) you have adopted in your article must be taken into account when using these punctuation marks.
Except for some subtleties of the English language, the colon is generally used just before a list of items, an explanation, or a quote, and is often just after a complete sentence. The semicolon, on the other hand, has the function of connecting these two sentences in cases where there are two independent clauses in which the second sentence explains the first sentence. It seems that one of the most common mistakes in this topic is to use semicolons instead of colons before the list of items is given. The situation will be better understood by the following examples.
- Jane bought these items; groceries and stationery. (Wrong)
Using the semicolon as in the example is incorrect because the expression after the semicolon is not an independent clause. However, the correct usage should be the use of colons like this:
- Jane bought these items: grocery and stationery. (True)
2- Capitalizing or Lowering the Words After Colon (Colon [:])
One of the most difficult issues for the authors is the question of whether to write the word following the colon sign in uppercase or lowercase letters. As with many things in English, the question of whether words after a colon should start with a capital letter is a complex issue and is one of the most common mistakes, especially since it is not considered in academic writing. However, let us point out right away that there is no universal rule in this regard and how it will be used is mainly related to the citation style adopted. For example, according to the APA style, the first word after the colon should be capitalized if the following sentence is complete.
The use of colons can also vary depending on the preferred English variant. For example, in British English, the first letter of the word after the colon should be capitalized only if it is a proper noun or an abbreviation. In American English, however, the first word after a colon must be capitalized in some cases if the next sentence is complete.
Here are some basic rules for using colons:
- A colon mark (colon) if it contains a list of items, that the words on the list, including the first word, the first word that comes after him unless there is a special name with a capital letter is not written.
- A colon mark (colon), explain an incoming sentence before him or colon as long as it is not an expression or a special name is an incomplete phrase used to add to her knowledge (colon), the first word of the mark with a capital letter is not written.
- When a complete sentence is placed after a colon, the first word after the colon may be capitalized according to some style guides. For this, you need to review the style guide you use and decide accordingly.
3- Using Single Quotes (' ') and Double Quotes ("")
The use of quotation marks is probably the most controversial and most confusing of all punctuation marks. Especially since different languages have different approaches to this issue, there are almost no writers who use this rule correctly among non-native speakers of English. Let us clearly state that many academics whose native language is English seem to make many mistakes in this regard. The main determinant of the use of single quotes or double quotes is largely the preferred English variant in your text. American English prefers double quotation marks in all cases where quotation marks may be required, while British English prefers single quotation marks. Therefore, the author
However, if another quotation is included in the quotation, there is a slight difference in the rule. In American English, single quotation marks are used for quotations within another phrase, while double quotation marks are used for regular quotations. Also, according to American English, punctuation marks should be used in quotation marks.
In British English, the rule is the opposite. Normal quotations are enclosed in single quotation marks, while other quotations within the quotation are made with double quotation marks within single quotation marks. Also, in British English, punctuation should be placed outside the quotation marks, not inside them. You can examine the usage differences in the examples below.
- American English: He said softly, I have a headache.
- British English: He said softly, 'I have a headache.
- American English: Many dream images were featured as raw, powerful, and evoc.
- British English: Many dream images were featured as 'raw', 'powerful', 'evocative'.
As you can see, punctuation marks are placed inside quotation marks in American English, while in British English they are placed outside quotation marks, just like in Turkish.
- American English: Some participants were skeptical about the process: I don't put any stock in these 'dream diaries' you mentioned.
- British English: Some participants were skeptical about the process: 'I don't put any stock in these ''dream diaries'' you mentioned'.
As you can see, in American English, the quotation itself is shown in double quotation marks, while the other quotation within the quotation is shown with single quotation marks. Whereas, in British English, on the contrary, the main quote is shown with single quotes, while the other quote within the quote is shown with double-quotes.
4- Hyphen (-) and Long Hyphen () Usage Errors (Hyphen vs. En Dash)
Although these two punctuation marks may seem the same at first glance, when looked at carefully, it is understood that they are different and have different lengths. The hyphen (hyphen [-] is a shorter dash than the em dash (en dash []). The difference is not only in the length of the lines with the symbols. They also differ in their usage functions and therefore are not interchangeable.
5- Errors in Using Comma (,) and Semicolon (;)
Another common punctuation error in academic writing is the use of commas and semicolons. Although the comma has the function of separating the items in a list,
it does not load a function such as separating two independent clauses. E.g:
- Smith had never ridden on the back of a camel, he tried out of curiosity. (Wrong)
As seen in this example, the use of commas is incorrect and semicolons should be used instead of commas. Because both sentences are independent sentences and the second sentence has taken on the function of explaining the first sentence.
- Smith had never ridden on the back of a camel; he tried out of curiosity. (True)
However, if the conjunction is used after the comma, there is no harm in using a comma, and there is no need to use a semicolon as seen in the example below.
- Smith had never ridden on the back of a camel, so he tried out of curiosity. (True)
Let's just say that the use of punctuation marks often differs depending on the preference whether the text is written in British or American English. Therefore, specifying which English variant you prefer when creating your order will make it easier for your editor and will contribute to consistent control of punctuation marks throughout the text.
