“No matter that you have a PhD and have read all of Henry James twice. If you still persist in writing, "Good… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
“Writers jealous of their individual style are obliged to wring the utmost effect from a tiny range of marks – which explains… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
“Joseph Robertson wrote in an essay on punctuation in 1785, “The art of punctuation is of infinite consequence in writing; as it… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
To those who care about punctuation, a sentence such as "Thank God its Friday" (without the apostrophe) rouses feelings not only of… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
“Clicking on "send" has its limitations as a system of subtle communication. Which is why, of course, people use so many dashes… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
We read privately, mentally listening to the author's voice and translating the writer's thoughts. The book remains static and fixed; the reader… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
“The American writer Donald Barthelme wrote that the semicolon is “ugly, ugly as a tick on a dog’s belly”.” — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
All writers learn this, in time: don't show your work to other people until it's safely finished. Even discussing your unborn book… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
“humorous writing, the exclamation mark is the equivalent of canned laughter (F. Scott Fitzgerald – that well-known knockabout gag-man – said it… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
Writers and painters alike are in the business of consulting their own imaginations, and stimulating the imaginations of others. Together, and separately,… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
It should come as no surprise that writers take an interest in punctuation. I have been told that the dying words of… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
“What the semicolon’s anxious supporters fret about is the tendency of contemporary writers to use a dash instead of a semicolon and… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
If you still persist in writing, "Good food at it's best", you deserve to be struck by lightning, hacked up on the… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
“I have been told that the dying words of one famous 20th-century writer were, “I should have used fewer semicolons” – and… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
What the semicolon's anxious supporters fret about is the tendency of contemporary writers to use a dash instead of a semicolon and… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
The rule is: the word 'it's' (with apostrophe) stands for 'it is' or 'it has'. If the word does not stand for… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
Punctuation marks are the traffic signals of language: they tell us to slow down, notice this, take a detour, and stop. — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
Evidently an A level in English is a sacred trust, like something out of "The Lord of the Rings". You must go forth with… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
Texting is a supremely secretive medium of communication - it's like passing a note - and this means we should be very careful what… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
“Part of one's despair, of course, is that the world cares nothing for the little shocks endured by the sensitive stickler. While we look… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
For any true stickler, you see, the sight of the plural word “Book’s” with an apostrophe in it will trigger a ghastly private emotional… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
Brackets come in various shapes, types and names: 1 round brackets (which we call brackets, and the Americans call parentheses) 2 square brackets [which… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
Texting is a fundamentally sneaky form of communication, which we should despise, but it is such a boon we don't care. We are all… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
My favorite thing in the world is a quiz show, 'University Challenge,' so you can see what kind of sad person I am. — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
Punctuation is a courtesy designed to help readers to understand a story without stumbling. — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
“one might dare to say that while the full stop is the lumpen male of the punctuation world (do one job at a time;… — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
The main advantage of working at home is that you get to find out what cats really do all day. — Lynne Truss Copy Share Image
