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"Syntax crisis"

I'm going through a syntax crisis. Basically, I'm doubting my puntuation. My use of "-" (dashes); my use of ";" (semi-colons); my use of ":" (colons); my use of "........." (dots).

I'm ever asking myself questions like: "Should I use a comma or a semi-colon, or maybe a dash, or perhaps a fullstop?"
I can't decide which, and it's beginning to get - on - my - nerves.

I'm increasingly finding myself pondering the possibilities of punctuation for long periods at a time, unable to arrive at a firm decision - at a clear distinction. (Why did I use a dash just then?)

I think I'm showing signs of Punctuophobia. Or maybe I'm becoming a Punctuomaniac.

How d'you know when the punctuation in a piece of "serious-ish" writing is correct?
How d'you judge it?

Does anyone else suffer from my "dotty" affliction?

I even dreamt last night that I was being chased by a dashing colon who kept flicking my ears with question marks.... Eventually I slowly sank in an expanse of quicksand as the dashing colon conjured visions of jumbled gobbledegook before my i's - I mean, my eyes....

Everywhere I go I see dying dots and commas on the floor, helplessly flapping and wriggling like neglected haddock on a dry riverbed.... suffocating s.l.o.w.l.y, under the pressure of - indecision; not knowing which way to turn: just twitching, and fading away.... into the insignificance of no-man's-land.

?

I'm going through a syntax crisis. Basically, I'm doubting my puntuation. My use of "-" (dashes); my use of ";" (semi-colons); my use of ":" (colons); my use of "........." (dots).

I'm ever asking myself questions like: "Should I use a comma or a semi-colon, or maybe a dash, or perhaps a fullstop?"
I can't decide which, and it's beginning to get - on - my - nerves.

I'm increasingly finding myself pondering the possibilities of punctuation for long periods at a time, unable to arrive at a firm decision - at a clear distinction. (Why did I use a dash just then?)

I think I'm showing signs of Punctuophobia. Or maybe I'm becoming a Punctuomaniac.

How d'you know when the punctuation in a piece of "serious-ish" writing is correct?
How d'you judge it?

Does anyone else suffer from my "dotty" affliction?

I even dreamt last night that I was being chased by a dashing colon who kept flicking my ears with question marks.... Eventually I slowly sank in an expanse of quicksand as the dashing colon conjured visions of jumbled gobbledegook before my i's - I mean, my eyes....

Everywhere I go I see dying dots and commas on the floor, helplessly flapping and wriggling like neglected haddock on a dry riverbed.... suffocating s.l.o.w.l.y, under the pressure of - indecision; not knowing which way to turn: just twitching, and fading away.... into the insignificance of no-man's-land.

?

You're odd.

I'm a "mumbo-jumboist" of the highest rank. A higgledy-piggledy artist of world historic proportions. (kind of)

Heh.

If you find some web site or something that tidies it up let me know, eh?

I think some promotional bilge they'd printed off at work today had a gramma mis-call on it - a plural with an apostrophy before the S. But it was an abbreviation, so the rules may be different.

Or maybe because everyone else has such bad gramma, the rogue apostrophy would be generally seen as 'correct', looking better, for the PVA glue using public.
In a way gramma is only correct if those who read it consider it correct, the English language is not an abstract, but an evolving collection of language and gramma actually used by those who claim to speak it.

Ah well, fine by me, if it can bring my dodgy spelling and gramma abuse into fashion...

Dr Duck:
> In a way gramma is only correct if those who read it consider it correct, the English language is not an abstract, but an evolving collection of language and gramma actually used by those who claim to speak it.

These words are strangely soothing to my ears. Yes, maybe grammar [you spelt it wrong] is all about personal style to some degree. I suppose there is a flexibility in how language/syntax/grammar/punctuation is expressed....

This post is actually genuine, albeit couched in a slightly eccentric manner. I was editing a non-punctuated text and I found myself becoming overwhelmed and confused by how sort it out. I reached a point where I was doubting the punctual officiality of every sentence.

I think I'm back on track after my mini-crisis.

Nomad Soul wrote:
> Yes, maybe grammar [you
> spelt it wrong] is all about personal style to some degree.

*Slaps self*
No wait, it was a slightly ironic demonstration of my point, based on the Nelly track Country Gramma...
Yes, that's what it was.
*Hides*


> This post is actually genuine, albeit couched in a slightly eccentric
> manner. I was editing a non-punctuated text and I found myself
> becoming overwhelmed and confused by how sort it out. I reached a
> point where I was doubting the punctual officiality of every
> sentence.

Yep, been there. Still, everyone else seems to have pretty terrible grammaR too, which makes me feel slightly better about my own shortcomings.
Plus it contributes to the changing language thing.

GrammaR
Sorry, I nitpick at other people's grammar like I nitpick at my own.... I'm considering therapy ;)

I too am scared of punctuation. I quite often feel I overuse '-' dashes in the improper way, and I don't use semi-colons because I'm scared of them. And I haven't used an exclamation mark for 3 years, 4 months and 21 days.

*round of applause*

You're in a bit early aren't you?

I try to use correct punctuation whenever possible. Obviously, sometimes I make typos but that's the price of fame.

I read a book on punctuation once, Its all common sense really. The trouble here is that I type so quickly, and don't bother to go back and vheck my posts before I hit the post button. Now my spelling, thats something to worry about.