Grammar and Punctuation

Use proper grammar and punctuation, including correct sentence structure, verb tense, and appropriate punctuation marks. Professional writing is accurate and free from errors.

You’ve been preparing for this all of your school career. You probably know a lot about correct grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. Make your English teachers proud! You will be communicating with people of all ages and well beyond your school. Proper grammar and punctuation are an expectation of professional writing. Luckily, there are tools that can help you.

Some helpful tips to remember about grammar and punctuation include:

• Rely on periods. You already know professional writing often uses short sentences. Break long sentences up into multiple sentences by using periods. Whenever you write an "and" consider whether you can use a period instead. Use commas sparingly. Ask yourself if you really need an exclamation point. Often, you don’t.
• If you don’t know, look it up. There are dictionary and grammar sites online. Many software applications on our computers and phones have dictionaries and other writing tools that you should also use.
• Proofread, proofread, proofread! Before you hit Send or Submit, be sure you have reread your entire message or document. It’s not always about spelling. You want your writing to also be clear, complete, and concise. Ask someone to read all important messages you have to write.