Introduction
In his book "Making a Point," David Crystal takes readers on an engaging journey through the history, evolution, and importance of punctuation in the English language. This comprehensive exploration delves into the origins of various punctuation marks, their functions, and how they shape our written communication. Crystal's work is not just a dry recitation of rules, but a lively discussion that challenges common assumptions and highlights the ever-changing nature of punctuation in our language.
The Birth and Evolution of Punctuation
From Spaceless Text to Modern Conventions
Punctuation, as we know it today, didn't always exist. In fact, early written languages didn't even use spaces between words. It wasn't until around 700 AD that spaces became the norm in England, and even by 1100 AD, only about half of inscriptions used spaces. This might seem strange to us now, but it made sense in a world where there were few written words, and most inscriptions were about familiar people and places.
The introduction of spaces marked a significant shift in written communication. They helped reduce ambiguity and made reading easier, especially when encountering new texts. For example, without spaces, a phrase like "therapistsneedspecialtreatment" could be read as either "Therapists need special treatment" or "The rapists need special treatment." Spaces save us the trouble of decoding such ambiguous statements.
The Hierarchy of Punctuation
Crystal presents punctuation as a hierarchy of mutually exclusive choices that divide text. This hierarchy ranges from spaces between paragraphs to hyphens between words. At the top of this hierarchy are spaces, which break up pages and indent paragraphs. Next come periods, which divide sentences. Smaller dividers like colons, commas, and hyphens follow.
Interestingly, periods have played multiple roles in this hierarchy. During the days of the telegraph, they were so important that they were spelled out as "STOP" after each sentence to avoid confusion. Today, periods also serve as powerful separators at the bottom of the hierarchy, as seen in abbreviations like U.S.A. or in monetary amounts like $6.30.
The Interconnected Nature of Punctuation
One of the fascinating aspects of punctuation that Crystal highlights is how interconnected all punctuation marks are. If the value or use of one mark changes, it affects all others. This interconnectedness is evident in the evolving use of periods in instant messaging. As line breaks increasingly separate sentences in digital communication, the period at the end of a message has taken on new meaning, sometimes connoting dissatisfaction, anger, or exasperation.
The Rules and Exceptions of Punctuation
The Danger of Overzealous Rule Enforcement
Crystal shares a cautionary tale of two friends who took their obsession with correct punctuation to extreme lengths. These individuals formed the Typo Eradication Advancement League and embarked on a year-long journey across the United States to correct typographical errors on signs. Their well-intentioned but misguided efforts led to legal trouble when they "corrected" a historic sign at the Grand Canyon, resulting in fines and a ban from national parks.
This anecdote serves as a reminder that while it's good to care about correct punctuation, it's possible to take this concern too far. Even famous authors like Mark Twain have reacted strongly to perceived "corrections" of their work, highlighting the personal nature of punctuation choices.
The Myth of Unbreakable Rules
One of the key messages in Crystal's book is that punctuation doesn't follow a set of hard and fast rules. Instead, it has a varied history of trends, fashions, and arguments. This reality challenges the common practice of teaching students that there are unbreakable rules of punctuation.
Crystal argues that this approach to teaching punctuation can actually have a negative effect on literacy. When students encounter deviations from these supposed "rules," they may become confused and end up making the very errors they were trying to avoid. For instance, the common generalization that an apostrophe always goes before the letter "s" to denote possession breaks down when considering possessive pronouns like "its" and "hers."
When Rules Don't Work in Practice
Sometimes, even rules that make sense in theory don't work when applied in real-world situations. Crystal illustrates this with the story of the English bank Lloyds. The bank's name originally included an apostrophe (Lloyds'), but people kept getting it wrong, thinking it had been founded by a single man named Lloyd and writing it as Lloyd's. This mistake had legal consequences, and the simplest solution was to remove the apostrophe altogether.
This example demonstrates how practical considerations can sometimes override grammatical correctness. It's a reminder that language and punctuation are tools for communication, and sometimes clarity and ease of use take precedence over strict adherence to rules.
The Creative Potential of Punctuation
E.E. Cummings and Innovative Punctuation Use
Crystal celebrates authors who view punctuation not as a set of restrictive rules but as a creative tool for expression. He highlights E.E. Cummings as a prime example of how writers can breathe new life into punctuation marks through innovative usage.
Cummings was known for his inventive use of spacing, parentheses, and square brackets to layer meaning within his poems. In his poem "mortals)", for instance, he uses parentheses and blank spaces to mimic the movement of aerial acrobats swinging through the air. This creative approach to punctuation adds depth and visual interest to the text, enhancing the reader's experience and understanding of the poem.
The Power of Omission: James Joyce's Ulysses
At the other end of the spectrum, Crystal discusses authors who choose to omit punctuation altogether. He points out that to break the rules so profoundly, one must first know them inside out. James Joyce's novel Ulysses is cited as a masterful example of punctuation experimentation.
In the final section of Ulysses, Joyce omits all punctuation for 40 pages to convey the stream-of-consciousness of the character Molly Bloom. This technique works effectively because the sentences are short and independent, allowing readers to grasp each segment before it flows into the next. However, Crystal notes that Joyce uses punctuation throughout the rest of the book, recognizing that a total removal of punctuation would be too confusing in more complex structures like group conversations.
This example illustrates how the strategic use (or non-use) of punctuation can be a powerful tool for writers to convey mood, thought processes, and narrative style.
Punctuation in the Digital Age
Emoticons and New Forms of Expression
Crystal explores how the internet has offered new uses for punctuation, particularly in the form of emoticons. These symbols add nuance to digital communication, although their exact meaning isn't always clear. An emoticon might signify happiness, laughter, or sarcasm depending on the context.
The author notes that young people are generally aware of the difference between formal and informal language, and tend to use different styles of language and punctuation in different contexts. This observation counters the concern that texting and informal online communication are degrading young people's ability to communicate effectively.
Interestingly, Crystal found that some social groups have moved away from using emoticons altogether, considering them uncool once their parents started using them. This shift demonstrates the dynamic nature of language and punctuation, especially in digital contexts.
Programming Languages and New Punctuation Marks
The digital age has also seen the appropriation of punctuation marks for coding languages. When programming languages were first being created, developers used existing symbols and even created new ones to increase versatility. For example, the forward slash (/) has long been used in literature, mathematics, and linguistics, but the backward slash () was introduced in the 1980s and is now widely recognized as a divider in file locations on PCs.
The Impact on Traditional Punctuation
Crystal points out how technology is changing our perception of traditional punctuation. For instance, the decision to bar apostrophes from domain name addresses has had repercussions for apostrophes in the physical world. As people grow accustomed to seeing brand names without apostrophes in web addresses (like www.mcdonalds.com), it may influence how these names are written in other contexts.
The Importance of Punctuation in Communication
Throughout the book, Crystal emphasizes the crucial role punctuation plays in written communication. While we could technically live without it, punctuation makes for a more enjoyable and clear reading experience. It helps reduce ambiguities, adds emphasis, and can even convey tone and emotion.
Crystal suggests simple exercises to explore the importance of punctuation, such as reading a piece of text without any punctuation or swapping out one punctuation mark for another to see how it affects the meaning. These exercises can help readers appreciate the subtle yet significant impact of punctuation on written language.
Balancing Rules and Creativity
One of the key takeaways from Crystal's book is the need to strike a balance between following established conventions and keeping up with modern trends in punctuation. While it's important to understand and generally adhere to punctuation rules, Crystal argues that these rules are always in flux and contain many exceptions.
He encourages readers to view punctuation not as a rigid set of rules, but as a flexible tool for effective communication. Understanding the functions and history of punctuation marks allows writers to use them more effectively, whether they're following conventional usage or breaking the rules for creative effect.
The Future of Punctuation
Crystal's exploration of punctuation's past and present naturally leads to considerations of its future. As digital communication continues to evolve, new forms of punctuation may emerge, while others may fall out of use. The author suggests that emoticons and other digital symbols may be seen as a new form of punctuation, adapting to the needs of online communication.
Moreover, as global communication increases, we may see influences from other languages and writing systems on English punctuation. Crystal's work encourages readers to be open to these changes while also appreciating the rich history and functionality of traditional punctuation marks.
Conclusion
"Making a Point" offers a comprehensive and engaging look at the world of punctuation. David Crystal's work goes beyond mere rules and conventions, delving into the history, evolution, and creative potential of these small but significant marks. By understanding punctuation's varied roles and fluid nature, readers can become more effective communicators and perhaps even contribute to the ongoing evolution of written language.
Crystal's book serves as a reminder that language is a living, changing entity, and punctuation is no exception. Whether you're a writer, editor, language enthusiast, or simply someone who wants to communicate more effectively, "Making a Point" provides valuable insights into the fascinating world of punctuation. It encourages us to approach punctuation with curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to adapt to new trends while respecting the fundamental purpose of these marks: to enhance clarity and expression in written communication.