Punctuation and Emphasis

See Allen, p. 249 on the significance of a colon.

Lin-Manuel Miranda on the importance of commas.

A real-life example of the importance of commas and clauses.  (See the final language.)

AP reports:

-An appeals court has agreed with an Ohio woman who said her parking citation should be tossed because the village law was missing a comma.

Andrea Cammelleri (kah-meh-LEHR'-ee) says she shouldn't have been issued a citation in 2014 based on the wording of the law enacted by the village of West Jefferson.

The law lists several types of vehicles that can't be parked longer than 24 hours, including a "motor vehicle camper," with the comma missing between "vehicle" and "camper."

Cammelleri says her pickup truck did not fit that definition.

The village says the law's meaning was clear in context, but Judge Robert Hendrickson of the 12th Ohio District Court of Appeals says in last week's ruling that West Jefferson should amend the law if it wants it read differently.

 

Leo Rosten wrote:

During the gigantic celebration in Red Square on the first May Day after Trotsky had been sent into exile, Stalin raised his hand to still the acclamations.

"Comrades, comrades! A most historic event! A cablegram of congratulations -- from Trotsky!"

The hordes cheered and chortled and cheered again, and Stalin read the historic cable aloud.

JOSEPH STALIN

KREMLIN

MOSCOW

YOU WERE RIGHT AND I WAS WRONG. YOU ARE THE TRUE HEIR OF LENIN. I SHOULD APOLOGIZE.

TROTSKY

You can imagine what a roar, what an explosion of astonishment and triumph erupted in Red Square now.

But, in the front row, below the podium, a little tailor called, "Psst! Comrade Stalin!"

Stalin leaned down.

The tailor said, "Such a message, Comrade Stalin! One for the ages! But you read it without the right feeling!"

Whereupon, Stalin raised his hand and stilled he throng once more. "Comrades! Here is a simple worker, a loyal Communist, who says I haven't read the message from Comrade Trotsky with enough feeling! Come, Comrade Worker! Up here!  You read this historic communication."

So the little tailor went up to the reviewing stand and took the cablegram from Stalin and read

JOSEPH STALIN

KREMLIN

MOSCOW

Then he cleared his throat and sang out:

YOU WERE RIGHT AND I WAS WRONG? YOU ARE THE TRUE SUCCESSOR TO LENIN? I SHOULD APOLOGIZE??!!

TROTSKY