Here is a little challenge for the punctuation obsessives (I know you are out there.)
I have long realised that the way I teach punctuation to my adult students is (quite frankly) crap. With this in mind I have resolved to change for the better and find examples of usage in today’s news stories in order to impress the punters tomorrow.
Well, I have found some cracking examples of colons and apostrophes, dashes and commas; but not a single semi-colon. Where have they all gone? Is this an ex punctuation-mark? Is it (as George Orwell thought when writing “coming up for air”) useless?
As you chaps and ladies are scanning the news for 24 hours daily in order to be the first to spot a juicy Galloway story and slap it down in our comments boxes, perhaps you might be persuaded to keep your eyes open for an example or two? The only rule is that it must be a story from today. Happily, this also gives us a chance to discuss in the comments box stories other than those flagged up elsewhere on the site (as well as punctuation in general if you really have to.)
Well off you go then……