Communiction Theories - Essay Example

Full Punctuation Marks and Speech Communication Punctuation marks like period, comma, semi-colon, question mark, exclamatory mark and many others, are vital in speech communication because they suggest pauses as well as peaks and valleys in expressing ideas. Basically, they tell where a thought is completed; dividing words into groups that would correctly bring the message of the writer precisely as he wants it to be. these marks give meaning to what is said and determine what kind of sentence is expressed.

Punctuation marks also suggest the voice or tone of the sentence, therefore causing the reader to understand the emotions involved when the ideas expressed in the written form. For example, the phrase “Where are you going”, without the question mark will be read flatly whereas, when written in the form, “Where are you going?”; there is an indication that the speaker should have a falling pitch. Moreover, the importance of punctuation marks are seen in the meanings relayed in the sentences.

For instance, “They are Grants sisters” and “They are Grant’s sisters” imply different meanings where the former presents two probable corrections. First, it may be considered that the writer missed a word and can be corrected as “They are the Grants sisters” meaning, they are the sisters from the Grants family. Secondly, it could be edited to form the second sentence with the apostrophe, distinctly stating that they are the sisters of Grant. It is vital not only to place the punctuation marks on the right places but also to use the correct punctuation mark because they can change the tone of a sentence which consequently will change the meaning of the sentence.

“You are good.”, is a statement. “You are good!”, indicates an excited feeling towards the person being appreciated. “You are good?”, poses a challenging tone to the person being referred to regarding goodness. These few examples show how punctuation marks affect communication so much that students and professionals alike are drawn to the study of it.