Table of Contents
What is the oldest punctuation mark?
The comma is one of the oldest marks of punctuation. It was created over 2,300 years ago by a Greek scholar named Aristophanes, head of the fabled Library of Alexandra, in a punctuational big bang that also gave us the colon and the period.
What do you already know about punctuation?
Punctuation is the system of signs or symbols given to a reader to show how a sentence is constructed and how it should be read. Every sentence should include at least a capital letter at the start, and a full stop, exclamation mark or question mark at the end. This basic system indicates that the sentence is complete.
Who invented punctuation marks?
Aristophanes of Byzantium
Aristophanes of Byzantium, who became librarian of the Museum at Alexandria about 200 bc, is usually credited with the invention of the critical signs, marks of quantity, accents, breathings, and so on, still employed in Greek texts, and with the beginnings of the Greek system of punctuation.
When was punctuation invented?
By the fifth century BC, Greek playwrights were using some basic symbols to show where actors should pause, and the scholar Aristophanes of Byzantium (c257– c185 BC) invented a formal system of punctuation.
How many punctuation are there?
14 punctuation marks
There are 14 punctuation marks that are used in the English language. They are: the period, question mark, exclamation point, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, brackets, braces, parentheses, apostrophe, quotation mark, and ellipsis.
What is the most used punctuation?
Of the three, the period is most often used; almost every sentence has one. Commas are used extensively within sentences. Some sentences have a lot of commas while some sentences have none. So although the comma is quite common, it is next to impossible to say whether it is more common than the period.
What is the best punctuation?
1. The Semicolon ; Finally, number one! It was a close call with the em dash, but the semicolon is ultimately the best of the English grammar punctuation.
What is punctuation used for?
Punctuation fills our writing with silent intonation. We pause, stop, emphasize, or question using a comma, a period, an exclamation point or a question mark. Correct punctuation adds clarity and precision to writing; it allows the writer to stop, pause, or give emphasis to certain parts of the sentence.
What are the fourteen punctuation mark?
There are fourteen punctuation marks commonly used in English grammar. They are the period, question mark, exclamation point, comma, semicolon, colon, dash, hyphen, parentheses, brackets, braces, apostrophe, quotation marks, and ellipsis.
What are braces in punctuation?
The punctuation mark braces is represented by two pointed and curved parenthesis one after the other and appears as { }. Braces: Braces are used in English language punctuation to mark pauses and represent choices. Braces are extensively used in mathematics to denote numerical sets of numbers.