Literary notes about punctuate (AI summary)
In literature, the term punctuate is versatile, serving both a literal function in marking the placement of commas and periods and a figurative role in emphasizing or dividing moments. It is often used to instruct on proper punctuation in written language—indicating where a pause or a break should occur, as seen in detailing the setting off of a parenthetical element [1] or clarifying the structure of a sentence [2]. At the same time, writers employ punctuate metaphorically to suggest that certain events or features interrupt or define a larger narrative, much like significant experiences that punctuate one's days [3] or geological formations that punctuate a barren landscape [4]. This dual usage underscores its importance in both the mechanics and the expressive rhythm of language.
- —When the parenthetical element occurs in the middle of a sentence, "set off by commas" means punctuate before and after .
— from The Century Handbook of Writing by Easley S. (Easley Stephen) Jones - Punctuate such of these sentences as need punctuation :— 1. England in the eleventh century was conquered by the Normans.
— from Higher Lessons in English: A work on English grammar and composition by Brainerd Kellogg - I give you the incidents which punctuate my days, and as for the background, nothing could be simpler than to fill it in.
— from Le Petit Nord or, Annals of a Labrador Harbour by Anne Grenfell - Such stranded vestiges of geologic eras punctuate the stark Chihuahuan Desert landscape with eerie architecture.
— from Big Bend National Park, Texas by United States. National Park Service. Division of Publications
