Written language has added complications not seen in spoken communication. Careful attention must be paid to all the elements to ensure the message is conveyed accurately. Most people understand that grammar plays a crucial role in written language, but the importance of writing mechanics is not widely considered.
Writing mechanics are the rules and conventions for written language. They include spelling and punctuation, critical factors in written language, which can clarify the meaning or confuse the reader. Logical presentation and correct word choice, also a part of writing mechanics, affect meaning.
Some people may not understand the term writing mechanics, but they are familiar with the skills as they are taught in school.
The Reasons Writing Mechanics Are Important
There are many features of spoken language that assist in adding to the meaning. The tone of voice, inflections, and stress patterns give additional information not present in written language.
The physical environment, hand gestures, and facial expressions may help clarify a spoken message. These are also unavailable in written communications.
Written communication must be more precise and accurate to convey the intended meaning. Writing mechanics standardize how written language is presented to clarify the intent and content.
What Are Writing Mechanics?
Writing mechanics are the elements and conventions governing written language. Writing mechanics include punctuation, spelling, logical presentation, and correct word choice.
Writing mechanics are taught in school, usually under the subject of grammar. Teachers focus on assisting students with written language, as most have well-established spoken language skills by the time they reach primary school.
Why Is Punctuation Important?
Punctuation is important as it replaces the emotions conveyed by facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures. It also organizes information into discrete units that are more understandable. In spoken language, pauses help with information organization.
Why Does Capitalization Affect Meaning?
Capitalization allows our eye to automatically screen for important information such as subject and location. Capitalization makes a difference in meaning by indicating proper nouns.
Some words, known as capitonyms, are two words that are the same, but their meaning differs because one has a capital letter. Here are some examples:
- China (country) and china (porcelain)
- March (month) and march (walking)
- August (month or a name) and august (adjective)
Capitalization shows the beginning of a new sentence, which enables the words to make sense. A capital letter with a full stop tells the reader to take a breath.
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Exclamation Marks, Question Marks, And Full Stops Meaning
Exclamation marks are one of the few tools in writing mechanics that help the writer express emotion. They are written at the termination of a sentence to express strong emotions such as surprise, anger, or excitement.
Questions are usually indicated by intonation in spoken communication. Sometimes question words such as what, who, or where are omitted, and the intonation alone shows that the speaker is asking a question.
Written language cannot show intonation, so all questions are marked with a question mark instead of a full stop.
Full stops, exclamation and question marks indicate the end of the sentence and are critical in allowing the reader to understand the text.
Commas Make A Difference In Meaning
Commas are critical in allowing the reader to understand the sentence correctly. Confusions easily occur when there are no commas.
“Let’s eat Jane” is a very different meaning to “Let’s eat, Jane.”
All Punctuation Clarifies Meaning
All punctuation clarifies the meaning, giving more information about the words. Colons, hyphens, semi-colons, and speech marks supply the reader with details not included in the words.
Paragraphs are sometimes referred to as conventions, and other teachers include them in punctuation. Paragraphs indicate a shift in the topic or the direction of the message. They signal to the reader that a change is coming, even if it is a slight one.
A chapter shows a completely new topic of discussion. It is used in novels to show a change in perspective or location. Many writers skillfully use chapters to build tension and lead readers to continue reading.
Spelling Is Important For Written Communication
Spelling is the basic tool for combining letters to make words that have meaning. Having the ability to spell allows a person to communicate through writing.
Poor spelling skills severely hamper a writer’s ability to communicate effectively in a written format. One only has to consider the trials suffered by people with dyslexia to understand why spelling is such a critical element in writing.
The writer must use the vowels and consonants correctly to convey meaning. Consider these words, which all have a different meaning based on a change in only one letter:
- Dog
- Dug
- Dig
- Dot
- Don
Skilled readers use word closure to make sense of misspelled words, but it places a lot more pressure on the reader, and the meaning may be misunderstood. In some cases, readers may be unable to understand the message or understand it incorrectly.
Choosing The Correct Word Affects Meaning
Choosing the correct word is sometimes interlinked with spelling. For example, it is vital to know which of the following word to choose:
- To, too, two
- You’re, you
- Where, were, we’re
- Their, there, they’re
- Effect, affect
During spoken communication, the conversational participants can immediately ask for and give clarification. Writers have one chance to communicate their message. They must choose the most appropriate word.
The following sentences show the change in meaning by changing one word:
- The man walked across the street.
- The man strolled across the street.
- The man rushed across the street.
- The man dawdled across the street.
- The man stumbled across the street.
Changing the verb gives us more information that changes the meaning subtly but importantly. If this were an eyewitness account of a road accident, the verb chosen would provide critical information that may affect the outcome of the investigation.
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Logical Presentation Affects The Meaning
One of the mechanics of writing is presenting information in a logical order. This element affects the reader’s grasp of the message the writer wishes to convey. It can be as important as spelling.
Readers expect the writer to convey information sequentially and logically; confusion reigns when this does not happen.
An example of an illogical instruction for medicine:
Inhale two puffs, shake vigorously. The patient may use the medication and then wonder what should shake vigorously.
Do not use if cloudy. This instruction may have people looking to the skies to determine if it is safe to use the medicine.
Conclusion
Writing mechanics are as important as grammar in written language. They make sense of the words and give additional information. It is important to choose the correct punctuation, spelling, logic, and words, as there is only one chance to convey the meaning in written communication.
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