A review of common college student writing flaws --
including this issue of poor punctuation.
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by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Poor Punctuation.
Somewhere along the line, some students just never seem to learn the basic
rule of punctuation, especially the use of commas. Think of punctuation marks
as traffic signs that tell the reader to stop or pause. The most common
punctuation errors revolve around using way too many punctuation marks,
or using too few. If your paper lacks the appropriate stops and pauses -- or
it has too many, it probably won't read well and would benefit from periods,
commas, and other punctuation.
When you have too much punctuation, readability is greatly affected. The thrust
of your writing can become ambiguous or obscured. Refer to the rules of
punctuation, especially for the use of commas, semicolons, and colons.
The other extreme, of course, is too little punctuation, often leading to the
reader feeling disoriented -- searching for understanding and trying to
determine where on clause ends and the next begins.
The best way to improve your punctuation is to refer to a good grammar
book and/or use the grammar-checker on your document software.
Go to the next common college student writing flaw:
Poor or
Nonexistent Transitions.
Back to the main page of
The Top
15 Writing Flaws That Can Lead to Lower Grades
Looking for more writing assistance? Go to our sister site,
EnhanceMyWriting.com: Indispensable Writing Resources.
Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information
(definitions and links) on key academic terms by going to our
College Success Glossary.
Dr. Randall S. Hansen, CEO of EmpoweringSites.com, has been empowering people his
entire adult life -- to help them better their lives. In fact, empowerment is part of his professional
philosophy statement. He is also founder of
Quintessential Careers, one of the oldest and most
comprehensive career development sites on the Web, as well as founder of
MyCollegeSuccessStory.com and
EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. He is publisher of
Quintessential Careers Press
as well as a published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds
of articles. He's often quoted in the media and conducts
empowering workshops around the country. Hansen is also an educator, having taught at the
college level for more than 15 years.
Dr. Katharine Hansen, Creative Director of EmpoweringSites.com,
is a former speechwriter and college instructor who provides content for several of our sites, including
Quintessential Careers,
MyCollegeSuccessStory.com, and
EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. She also edits
QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for job-seekers,
career counselors, and students. She is author of Dynamic Cover Letter for New Graduates; A Foot in the Door: Networking Your
Way into the Hidden Job Market; and, with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters
and Write Your Way to a Higher GPA, all published by Ten Speed Press.
She can be reached by e-mail at kathy@quintcareers.com.
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