Writing 101: The Ampersand, Percent Sign and Other Stuff You Can't Use
As an author, you're free to use words any way you want to paint pictures, evoke emotions and tell your story. But you're not free to use any symbols you want. It's time to find out about the ampersand, the percent sign and the other stuff you can't use.
Symbols vs. Punctuation
The ampersand, the percent sign and the slash actually are not punctuation. That's the first thing you've got to know and that's what you'll need to remember. These parts of the keyboard are actually symbols, not punctuation. And that's why you can't use them.
The ampersand stands for a specific word. It means and. Writing Jimmy & Bobbi is the same as writing Jimmy and Bobbi. However, one is acceptable when you're writing a novel and one is not.
The percent sign is the exact same thing. It is a symbol that stands for a word. If I write 54%, it's the same as writing 54 percent or fifty-four percent. But of course, only one is acceptable in novel form.
Always be mindful of using symbols rather than words. When you're writing a book, always use the word instead of the symbol. There are only a very few exceptions to this rule:
Proper names: If you're talking about a specific brand or business, like Ben & Jerry's, then you must use the symbol. Always write proper names, business names and When it comes to using symbols of any kind, there's really just one simple rule: when you can spell it out, spell it out.
Symbols vs. Punctuation
The ampersand, the percent sign and the slash actually are not punctuation. That's the first thing you've got to know and that's what you'll need to remember. These parts of the keyboard are actually symbols, not punctuation. And that's why you can't use them.
The ampersand stands for a specific word. It means and. Writing Jimmy & Bobbi is the same as writing Jimmy and Bobbi. However, one is acceptable when you're writing a novel and one is not.
The percent sign is the exact same thing. It is a symbol that stands for a word. If I write 54%, it's the same as writing 54 percent or fifty-four percent. But of course, only one is acceptable in novel form.
Always be mindful of using symbols rather than words. When you're writing a book, always use the word instead of the symbol. There are only a very few exceptions to this rule:
Proper names: If you're talking about a specific brand or business, like Ben & Jerry's, then you must use the symbol. Always write proper names, business names and When it comes to using symbols of any kind, there's really just one simple rule: when you can spell it out, spell it out.
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