Literacy Coach

While there is no specific National Punctuation Day recognised for Australia, the US celebrates on 24 September, so we took the liberty of joining the fun.

Accurate punctuation is crucial for writing success. Learning to use the available forms of punctuation allows us to communicate and express ideas and arguments effectively.

The use of the oxford comma is a very widely debated topic. In a sentence with a list of three or more items, the Oxford comma is the comma you place right before the coordinating conjunctions and the last item in the list. The Oxford comma is considered grammatically optional. 

The one time that most punctuation can be ignored is with crossword clues. In fact, cryptic crossword clues often use punctuation to add confusion.

While the event doesn't have a specific Australian observance, individuals in Australia can still participate in National Punctuation Day / Week by focusing on the correct use of punctuation in their everyday writing and communication.