# What's the easiest way to learn punctuation?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-learn-punctuation/704040>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 8, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-learn-punctuation/704040 "2014-11-08T03:13:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rosapants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@Rosapants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rosapants)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-learn-punctuation/704040/1 "2014-11-08T03:13:17Z")

</div>

My new job is requiring me to do some public speaking ::barf::. I feel like I could use some punctuation help for some papers I may have to hand out to my coworkers. I’ve always been really lazy about punctuation, but now I have to learn it. Any advice on how to learn it as quickly as possible?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Wisp00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/977dab/32.png) [@Wisp00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisp00)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-learn-punctuation/704040/2 "2014-11-08T03:50:00Z")

</div>

Well, the [Chicago Manual of Style](http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Manual-Style-16th-Edition/dp/0226104206) was the reference we used in college.

You can look at the topics in the chapter on punctuation [here](http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/16/ch06/ch06_toc.html), although you’ll have to buy the book or online subscription to actually read it.

If you know what you’re looking for, you’ll be able to find it all on the web, anyway, but sometimes it helps to have an actual book you can browse. I’ll bet your library has a copy in it’s reference section.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-learn-punctuation/704040/3 "2014-11-08T03:51:51Z")

</div>

Read.

ETA: And I don’t mean the comments section.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-learn-punctuation/704040/4 "2014-11-08T03:52:04Z")

</div>

Grammar Girl [Grammar Girl - Quick and Dirty Tips](http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl) is a user friendly blog on grammar.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-learn-punctuation/704040/5 "2014-11-08T13:15:50Z")

</div>

[The Victor Borge Manual of Style](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bpIbdZhrzA) is preferred over the Chicago Manual outside of academia.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-easiest-way-to-learn-punctuation/704040/6 "2014-11-08T13:30:40Z")

</div>

Or get a proof reader while you learn.