ABSTRACT
Punctuation instruction is much more effective if punctuation is viewed as a tool that writers use to create clearly written works that convey their intended meanings. If used correctly, punctuation can help writers get their ideas across as effectively as possible; if used incorrectly, it can result in readers being confused or, worse, misinterpreting the text. Like the Eats, Shoots and Leaves example, the variations in the sentence meanings are often humorous and can clearly show students the way punctuation can impact the meaning of a sentence. Writers also use commas to separate introductory elements of sentences. In the sentence “Inside the barn, John visited with the horses,” “Inside the barn” is the introductory element; it opens the sentence by providing additional information about where the events of the sentence took place.
