Punctuation Power

Ever think a comma or a period could change the whole meaning of a letter? The power of punctuation is real. Take a look here for other examples.

Letter 1:

Dear John,

I want a man who knows what love is all about.

You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who

are not like you admit to being useless and inferior.

You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you.

I have no feelings whatsoever when we’re apart.
I can be forever happy-will you let me be yours?

-Janie

Letter 2:

Dear John,

I want a man who knows what love is.

All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful,

people who are not like you. Admit to being

useless and inferior. You have ruined me.

For, other men, I yearn. For you, I have no

feelings whatsoever. When we’re apart,

I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?

Yours,
Janie

Accept v. Except

Accept means to acknowledge, allow, recognize, or approve; except means to exclude.

Except also means “with the exception of…”

a. I accepted his candidacy for the job.
b. I love all of the food on my plate except the peas.

Affect v. Effect

This commonly confused word set stumps a lot of people. Here are some ways to remember how to use it correctly.

All information and cartoons below taken from Grammar Girl.

Affect

Affect with an a means "to influence," as in, "The arrows affected Ardvark," or "The rain affected Amy's hairdo." Affect can also mean, roughly, "to act in a way that you don't feel," as in, "She affected an air of superiority."

Effect

Effect with an e has a lot of subtle meanings as a noun, but to me the meaning "a result" seems to be at the core of all the definitions. For example, you can say, "The effect was eye-popping," or "The sound effects were amazing," or "The rain had no effect on Amy's hairdo."

Click here for a more complete explanation.