June 03, 2011

Parentheses, Dashes, and Slapdash Punctuation

Your writing can look incoherent if you use too many different punctuation marks in a short space. In this example, it looks as if the author threw in parentheses and dashes at random:

[Lonnie magazine] has attracted big-name advertisers (Kravet, Room & Board and Bloomingdale’s all ran ads in the latest issue), as well as competitors. Since Lonny started, in October 2009 — at a time when many traditional shelter magazines, including House & Garden, Metropolitan Home and Blueprint, had gone out of business — three more online shelter magazines have popped up.

— Steven Kurutz, “The Thriving (Online) Shelter Industry,”

June 1, 2011, nytimes.com

We think simple commas and periods would make these sentences much easier for a busy reader to follow:

[Lonnie magazine] has attracted big-name advertisers such as Kravet, Room & Board and Bloomingdale’s, which all ran ads in the latest issue. The venture has also attracted competitors. Many traditional shelter magazines such as House & Garden, Metropolitan Home and Blueprint had gone out of business when Lonny started in October 2009. Three more online shelter magazines have popped up since then.

At Write It Well, we love to see authors correctly use a range of punctuation marks. But we like clear writing even more. Short sentences and simple punctuation are usually the most effective ways to communicate for a busy audience.

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Write It Well’s newly updated book Essential Grammar includes two clear chapters on punctuation. The book is a thorough review of the fundamental grammar you need to project a credible, professional image through your writing. It also includes nuances of punctuation and grammar that help your writing look especially polished.

Do you have an important document but not enough time to polish it? Just use Write It Well’s editing services. We’ll make sure the prose is correct, clear, concise, and engaging so your document will create an excellent impression.