Basic Rules of Punctuation (I)

Mastering the 14 punctuation marks is essential to hone one’s writing skills as a regular user of the English language. Many writers struggle with them because they lack a solid understanding of when and how to use each of them while expressing their thoughts. Of course, reading a poorly punctuated piece on any subject can be an eyesore to readers, especially when the messages passed across are incomprehensible. According to Grammarly (2023), “Punctation tells readers of your writing where to pause, what words are quotations and which facts are clarifications, where words have been omitted, and more”. Today’s class provides an ample opportunity to extensively discuss their ins and outs for clarity.

Question 1: Should full stops and commas come outside the final quotation marks?
A few minutes after a lesson on quotation marks was uploaded on my WhatsApp, an ardent follower questioned why my full stops are usually used after the closing quotation marks. For example, In May 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced, “Fuel subsidies are gone”. Her objection blindingly goes thus: The full stops ought to have come before the double inverted commas. Well, I was not taken aback because her stance reflects her limited knowledge of the topic.
First off, British English which has always been our model for everyday communication, most especially the non-verbal aspect, encourages the use of full stops after the closing quotation marks. The decision to adopt the style in my works offline and online was motivated by this uncommon information. Below are other example sentences I found in the University Writing & Speaking Centre’s article while penning down my thoughts for today’s column:
The UWC says, ‘This is how British people, as they say, “do it”.’
The UWC says that British people write it “this way”.
In American English, the rule is completely different because the inverted comma is expected to come after the full stop. The sentences below are written to buttress this discovery.
The UWC says, “This is how British people, as they say, ‘do it’.”
The UWC says that British people write it ‘this way.’
Also, British English was known for using single quotation marks for direct speech before double quotation marks gained wide acceptance among many writers, even in Nigeria. I made several attempts to confirm ‘single quotation marks’ in the direct speech in our major national newspapers and textbooks.
In contrast, American English adopts double quotation marks, as observed in their writing. E.g. My friend said, “Many Nigerians are leaving the country for the United States.”
This is the pivot of the question: It is grammatically OK to have your full stop and comma after the inverted comma.

READ MORE Several poorly-edited books?

Study the following sentences:
“Who instructed you to discipline the students?”, the principal asked the governor’s son.
The minister said, “I want to retire from politics”.
“When did Dr. Nola Femi become a professor?”, an undergraduate asked the vice chancellor during the last orientation exercise.
A prospect inquired, “How long does it take to make fifty-six thousand naira from your business?”.

Question 2: When should colons be used?
One of the popular business companies in Oyo State made a mistake with the information printed on their customized nylons. I pored over how to use the colon correctly in our sentences for today’s lesson.

Produced by: Folagbade Street, Ilufonja, Oyo State. (not the real address)
It is important to state that the colon is unnecessary and erroneous in the information above. Before you use it, find out if the text before the colon is a sentence. So, it should correctly read, “Produced by Folagbade Street, Ilufonja, Oyo State”.
The two types of colours are: primary colours and secondary colours. (Wrong)
The two types of colours are primary colours and secondary colours. (Correct)
I deleted the colon for the second sentence because putting it will separate the verb ‘are’ from its complements (‘primary colours’ and ‘secondary colours’).

Question 3: Can I use hyphens for adverbs ending in -ly?
Compound adjectives can also be formed when a hyphen connects an adverb with an adjective to describe a noun. But it is wrong to use a hyphen if that adverb ends in -ly.
Nigerian commissioners are highly-respected public servants. (Wrong)
Nigerian commissioners are highly respected public servants. (Correct)

Assignment

Attempt the following questions:
The University of Abuja is one of the _________ universities in Nigeria. (a) highly-ranked (b) highly ranked (c) highly ranking
The politician is _________ in his hometown. (a) well respected (b) well-respected (c) well respecting
In American English, ________ are always used for direct speech. (a) double quotation marks (b) single quotation marks (c) half quotation marks