Punctuation Rules

Even though many things on Earth are rapidly changing and developing, there are certain things that should remain constant. People have begun to neglect certain elements of punctuation but this alteration is harming to the English language. Following established guidelines of punctuation enables a writer to convey tone effectively and for the reader to interpret the meaning correctly. Changing the current rules of punctuation would create unnecessary confusion in the literary world. The meanings of the various marks would be interpreted differently by each reader. The established rules have given a certain connotation to each punctuation mark. For example, colons "give you the feeling of being rather ordered around" and semicolons "tell you that there is still some question preceding the full sentence" (Source D). So while the people who would like to alter the rules might argue that social media sites, such as Twitter, force writers to be "concise and less flowery"(Source E), they fail to acknowledge the fact that punctuation can not only do the same thing, but also do it more efficiently. It can remove the need for "flowery" language while maintaining the intended meaning.