Common Punctuation Mistakes

(1) Missing Commas (,)

(i) In lists:
Incorrect: I brought apples bananas and oranges to the picnic.
Correct: I brought apples, bananas, and oranges to the picnic.

(ii) After introductory phrases:
Incorrect: Despite the rain we still had a fantastic time at the park.
Correct: Despite the rain, we still had a fantastic time at the park.

(iii) Separating clauses:
Incorrect: My best friend is moving to a new city so I’m feeling sad.
Correct: My best friend is moving to a new city, so I’m feeling sad.

 

  1. Comma Splices

Joining two independent sentences with only a comma:
Incorrect: It started to rain, we decided to go inside.
Correct options:
It started to rain, so we decided to go inside.
It started to rain. We decided to go inside.

 

  1. Misusing Semicolons (;)

Often used in place of commas or periods when joining related independent clauses:
Incorrect: I love baking; my favorite thing to make is chocolate chip cookies.
Correct: I love baking; my favorite thing to make is chocolate chip cookies. (Or I love baking. My favorite thing…)

 

  1. Apostrophe Confusion (‘ vs. ‘s)

Its vs. It’s: “Its” shows possession; “it’s” is a contraction (it is)
Incorrect: Its my sister’s birthday.
Correct: It’s my sister’s birthday.
Plural Possessives:
Incorrect: The dog’s chased the squirrel’s.
Correct: The dogs chased the squirrels.

 

  1. Unnecessary Quotation Marks (“ ”)

Overusing them for emphasis or for words used in unusual ways:
Incorrect: We should “focus” on the project.
Correct: We should focus on the project.

 

  1. Hyphen (-) vs. Dash (– or —)

Hyphens join words into compound terms or to break words across lines.
Example: State-of-the-art technology
Dashes are longer and create pauses or indicate an abrupt change in thought
Example: I rushed out the door—forgetting my keys, of course.

 

  1. Colon (:) and Semicolon (;) Confusion

Colon announces a list or further explanation
Example: You’ll need the following supplies: pens, paper, and a calculator.
Semicolon joins independent clauses with closely related ideas:
Example: Jane loves the color blue; Tom prefers green.

 

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