LEC052004. Agna Philip. "Mechanics of writing"

    Mechanics of writing

     Mechanics of writing are the regulations governing the technical aspects of writing which includes spelling, capitalization and punctuation. These regulations are directed to make the writing systematic and accurate. 

       Capitalization means writing a word with its first letter in uppercase. It helps to show the importance of specific words. They are used for the following purposes:

• for the first letter of a sentence.
• for the first letters of the names of people, places and special days.
• for the first letters of the main words of the titles of books, plays, newspapers and magazines.
• for the first letters of the main words of the titles of people and institutions.

  Punctuation comprises of certain marks that shows how strings of words are related, separated and emphasized. It helps the reader to understand the construction of the sentence and thus the meaning. These marks include:

      1. Full stop (.)

   The main use of a full stop is to show where a sentence ends. There is no need to use full stop in people's names or in abbreviations. It is also used in email and website addresses.

      2. Comma (,)

   This mark has the following uses:

• to separate the items in a list:

                They include Christians, Sikhs and Muslims.

• to mark off an introductory clause or adverbial in a sentence: 

                Unfortunately, it happened.

• to place a section of a sentence in a parenthesis:

               Richard, on the other hand, is an experienced jockey.

• to introduce and/or end a piece of direct speech:

                'No, sir,' said John,' and that is what is so curious'.

       3. Colon (:)

     A punctuation mark with four main uses:

• to introduce a list:

               There are two other varieties of poetry : Dramatic and Epic.

• to introduce a piece of direct speech, or a quotation:

               At once he said: ' I do not need it.'

• to separate two parts of a sentence where the first leads on to the second:

               And that is the end of his hopes: there is no return.

•  to separate a subtitle from a title:

                Fretful elements: Peter Brook's film of King Lear and the search for coherence

       4. Semicolon (;)

Semicolons are used to mark a break between two parts of a sentence. Usually the two parts that are separated in this way could stand as sentences in their own right. We use a semicolon in order to show that there is a close link between them.

             e.g. Rima likes fruits; Priya does not.

      5. Brackets

  A pair of punctuation marks used to indicate that the words enclosed are not essential to the meaning of the sentence, but provided additional information. There are two types of bracket: round ( ) and square [ ]. The words enclosed in brackets are described as being in parenthesis. 

     6. Hyphen (-)

   Hyphens make links. For example, they link words that form a composite adjective before a noun: computer-based work, short-term goals and three-year-old child. This kind of hyphenation helps to reduce ambiguities and stumbles. Hyphen are often used in the following situations:

• to form a verb from a compound noun:

             double-check, cost-effective

• to form a noun from a phrasal verb or a prepositional verb:

              walk-in, take-out

• sometimes to form a word with a prefix:

               co-opt

• to form certain compound adjectives:

               easy-care, right-handed

       7. Dash 

              A punctuation mark that looks like an extended hyphen. It comes in two sizes: an em dash(—) and an en dash (–). An em dash is used to mark a break in sentences. It can be used in pairs to show words in parenthesis.  It can introduce something that develops, or is an example of , what has gone before. In direct speech it can show that someone breaks off in mid sentence, or is interrupted. An en dash is used to show sequences ( e.g. 1999-2020, an A-Z guide).

       8. Apostrophe (')

               The main rules of this mark deal with two matters, possession and contraction. It can be used to denote possessives ( e.g. my friend's book). It also can be used to make contractions, where they shows the exclusion of one or more letters ( for example, "won't" instead of "will not" ).  

       9. Ellipsis (...)  

                A sequence of three full stops is used to show that some words have been omitted and also to show that a sequence continues in a similar way. It is used in dialogue to indicate that the speaker trails off. 

      10. Quotation marks ( ")

                 These marks are used to separate a group of words from the rest of the text. They can be single ( 'and') or double ( "and").They are used to denote someone's words and also used to title literary works.

     11. Exclamation mark (!)

                   The main use of the exclamation mark is to end sentences that express an exclamation or something that the speaker or writer  finds amusing and in direct speech spoken loudly or shouted.

     12. Question mark (?)

                 This mark is used to mark the end of a question. It can also be used in brackets to indicate that the writer believes that a statement is doubtful or questionable. 

              These are the mechanics of writing that plays a pivotal role in making writing effective and precise.

References:

1. The Mechanics of Writing Composition by Richard Nordquist 

2. Oxford A-Z Grammar and Punctuation by John Seely