Advent of Punctuation
IN ANTIQUITY EVERYTHING WAS WRITTEN IN CAPITAL LETTERS NOTHING WAS DONE TO SEPARATE SENTENCES SO THE READER HAD TO PUZZLE THIS OUT WITHOUT ASSISTANCE
Then came the Middle Ages and, according to Oscar Ogg in The 26 Letters, two great innovations showed up. One was really from trying to copy books faster by hand. Lower case letters made their debut leaving capitals for beginning sentences and important names.
Then readers were blessed with punctuation. No longer did the reader have to decide when a sentence began and ended. Other aspects such as clauses and lists were easier to read.
The writer's nightmare began.
Exactly what comprises a sentence? When do you use a comma? What on earth is a semicolon?
Then there are those pesky sentence enders like exclamation marks and question marks. When is a sentence a question, not a comment or speculation? How many exclamation marks are too many?
Just when a writer thinks the rules are down pat, they change.
Editors are delighted. Punctuation is job security.
Then came the Middle Ages and, according to Oscar Ogg in The 26 Letters, two great innovations showed up. One was really from trying to copy books faster by hand. Lower case letters made their debut leaving capitals for beginning sentences and important names.
Then readers were blessed with punctuation. No longer did the reader have to decide when a sentence began and ended. Other aspects such as clauses and lists were easier to read.
The writer's nightmare began.
Exactly what comprises a sentence? When do you use a comma? What on earth is a semicolon?
Then there are those pesky sentence enders like exclamation marks and question marks. When is a sentence a question, not a comment or speculation? How many exclamation marks are too many?
Just when a writer thinks the rules are down pat, they change.
Editors are delighted. Punctuation is job security.
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