Punctuation Errors from Prominent Publications, Organizations, and Personalities

The post contains punctuation errors from sources you would least expect – prominent publications, organizations, and personalities. The purpose of the post, like other similar posts, is not to find fault but to learn.

Each error is followed by its correction and explanatory comments. The comments, in square brackets, contain few grammatical terms for those who might be interested in knowing them, but if you want to learn spotting – and avoiding – the errors captured in this post, you can do so without learning most of the grammatical terms.

Text around each correction has been highlighted in blue shade so that you can easily identify the correction.

British Prime Minister’s appeal to people on Covid

1. You may only leave your home for very limited purposes, such as buying food and medicine, exercising once a day and seeking medical attention. Source

You may only leave your home for very limited purposes such as buying food and medicine, exercising once a day and seeking medical attention. [Here, such as introduces a restrictive phrase and hence doesn’t take a comma.]

Resignation letter of Rishi Sunak, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, UK

2. I am sad to be leaving Government but I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we cannot continue like this. Source

I am sad to be leaving Government, but I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that we cannot continue like this. [Comma is usually recommended in compound sentences but maybe omitted. But since he has used comma in similar constructions elsewhere in the letter, this seems to be an oversight.]

Boris Johnson’s response to Rishi Sunak

3. Emergency funding worth more than £140 billion, enabled the NHS and other critical public services to meet the enormous challenges we faced. Source

Emergency funding worth more than £140 billion enabled the NHS and other critical public services to meet the enormous challenges we faced. [Although not correct, some use comma after a long subject. But Emergency funding worth more than £140 billion is not even long.]

4. And we have begun to deliver tax cuts to families – including this week, a cut to National Insurance saving the average worker £330 a year.

And we have begun to deliver tax cuts to families – including this week a cut to National Insurance saving the average worker £330 a year. [The comma has been dropped because it may lead some to think that this week is one of the tax cuts. Alternatively, you can set off this week with a pair of commas, but that would involve too many punctuation marks in succession: a dash followed by two commas.]

Resignation letter of Sajid Javid, the former Secretary of State for Health, UK

5. I have also developed radical new approaches to dementia, cancer and mental health, and prepared the Health Disparities White Paper which will set out plans to level up health outcomes for communities that have been left behind for too long. Source

I have also developed radical new approaches to dementia, cancer and mental health, and prepared the Health Disparities White Paper, which will set out plans to level up health outcomes for communities that have been left behind for too long. [Since the paper has been uniquely identified, it’ll take a non-restrictive relative clause, which requires a comma.]

6. When made to choose between those loyalties there can only be one answer.

When made to choose between those loyalties, there can only be one answer. [This is an easy one: An introductory element is followed by a comma.]

7. Finally, I would like to put on record my thanks to ministerial and departmental colleagues, my admiration for NHS and social care staff, and my love for my family who have been immensely patient in these challenging times.

Finally, I would like to put on record my thanks to ministerial and departmental colleagues, my admiration for NHS and social care staff, and my love for my family, who have been immensely patient in these challenging times. [Absence of comma would mean he has at least one more family.]

Statement of CEO of SII, world’s largest vaccine manufacturer

8. First of all, vaccine manufacturing is a specialized process, it is therefore not possible to ramp up production overnight. Source

First of all, vaccine manufacturing is a specialized process; it is therefore not possible to ramp up production overnight. [We need a period – or a semicolon – to avoid a comma splice.]

Joint statement by two large vaccine manufacturers

9. We are fully aware of the importance of vaccines for people and countries alike, we hereby communicate our joint pledge to provide global access for our Covid-19 vaccines. Source

We are fully aware of the importance of vaccines for people and countries alike; we hereby communicate our joint pledge to provide global access for our Covid-19 vaccines. [We need a period – or a semicolon – to avoid a comma splice.]

10. Vaccines are a global public health good and they have the power to save lives and accelerate the return to economic normalcy at the earliest.

Vaccines are a global public health good, and they have the power to save lives and accelerate the return to economic normalcy at the earliest. [Two sentences are joined by a coordinating conjunction (and) and usually a comma.]

Statement by JSPL, a company with more than $7 billion annual turnover

11. We hereby clarify, that the developments are in no way related to our Group Chairman Mr. Naveen Jindal. Source

We hereby clarify that the developments are in no way related to our Group Chairman Mr. Naveen Jindal. [In normal course, a comma doesn’t come between a verb and its object.]

Statement submitted in supreme court by a renowned lawyer

12. Public expression of these beliefs was I believe, in line with my higher obligations as a citizen and a loyal officer of this court. Source

Public expression of these beliefs was, I believe, in line with my higher obligations as a citizen and a loyal officer of this court. [The aside I believe should be offset by a pair of commas.]

Prominent news dailies

13. The chief executive officer of General Atomics, Vivek Lall on Thursday said that he discussed technology and the potential that India has as an investment destination with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who met with the heads of major companies in the US. Source

The chief executive officer of General Atomics, Vivek Lall, on Thursday said that he discussed technology and the potential that India has as an investment destination with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who met with the heads of major companies in the US. [A non-restrictive appositive will take a pair of commas.]

14. According to a person aware of the details, the BJP MLAs took the opportunity to pour their heart out to Koshiyari who was the chief minister of Uttarakhand from 2001-2002, and had incidentally, also been placed as the CM by the party bosses just a year before the 2002 elections. Source

According to a person aware of the details, the BJP MLAs took the opportunity to pour their heart out to Koshiyari, who was the chief minister of Uttarkhand from 2001-2002 and had incidentally also been placed as the CM by the party bosses just a year before the 2002 elections. [There is a comma before who because who…elections is a non-restrictive relative clause describing Koshiyari. The two commas within the relative clause are redundant.]

15. Standing in a queue, a woman, who came to purchase liquor at a shop in Shivpuri Geeta Colony in the national capital claimed that for her alcohol will work for the Covid-19, not the vaccine injection. Source

Standing in a queue, a woman, who came to purchase liquor at a shop in Shivpuri Geeta Colony in the national capital, claimed that for her alcohol will work for the Covid-19, not the vaccine injection. [The relative clause who…capital needs to be closed with a comma.]

16. The mishap, which happened at around 11.45 pm has been captured on a CCTV camera installed outside a shop in the market. Source

The mishap, which happened at around 11.45 pm, has been captured on a CCTV camera installed outside a shop in the market. [The relative clause which…pm needs to be closed with a comma.]

A leading liberal arts and sciences university

17. The Founders, even though they have devoted resources and energy to establish Ashoka University have never interfered with, nor do they intend to interfere, with the academic functioning of the university. Source

The Founders, even though they have devoted resources and energy to establish Ashoka University, have never interfered with, nor do they intend to interfere, with the academic functioning of the university.

News item posted by World Health Organization

18. WHO is calling for expressions of interest in hosting side events at the Health Pavilion of the COP27 UN Climate Conference, taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt from 6 to 18 November, 2022. Source

WHO is calling for expressions of interest in hosting side events at the Health Pavilion of the COP27 UN Climate Conference, taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from 6 to 18 November, 2022.

19. Alternatively, you may also send your proposals by email to: [email protected], following the COP27 Health Pavilion Side Event Application Form, with the subject line “COP27 Health Pavilion Side Event”.

Alternatively, you may also send your proposals by email to [email protected], following the COP27 Health Pavilion Side Event Application Form, with the subject line “COP27 Health Pavilion Side Event”. [A colon shouldn’t be forced where it’s not required. Specifically, in this case, it can’t come between a preposition and its object.]

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Anil Yadav

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