Punctuation has been defined in many ways. Some grammarians use the analogy of stitching: punctuation as the basting that holds the fabric of the language in shape. Another writer tells us that punctuation marks are the traffic signals of language:they tell us to slow down, notice this, take a detour, and stop.

But the best of all, I think, is the simple advice given by the style book of a national newspaper:that punctuation is "a courtesy designed to help readers to understand a story without stumbling.".

Examples:

"What would you do with the king?"

"What? Would you? With the king?"

"A woman, without her man, is nothing."

"A woman:without her, man is nothing."

"Why English is crap"

Have you ever asked yourself...

Why when the stars are out, that can be seen, but when the lights are out, they cannot be seen?

Why when one gets fit one is healthy, but when one has a fit one is ill?

Why a fast horse runs and fast colours don't

Why one can ship by truck and send a truck by ship?

Why a seeded loaf of bread has seeds in it, but seeded raisins have them taken out?

Why one's house goes up in flames at the same time as it is burning down?

Also, examples of the "double-negative" which is regarded as sub-standard English where there is no intention of having the two negatives cancel each other out. In other words it does nothing for language. However some people who pride themselves on speaking standard English are sometimes caught out by a no no.

"He can't make friend with no one"

"She doesn't never eat since she's been on that diet"

" I never saw nobody"

"They didn't know nothing"