---
comments: true
date: 2010-01-27 11:44:38
layout: post
slug: the-importance-of-proper-punctuation
title: The importance of proper punctuation
wordpress_id: 462
categories:
- Writing
tag:
- Punctuation
- Writing
---

This is a short (and cheeky) post on the necessity of using proper punctuation
– particularly the hyphen – and how it can completely alter the
meaning of your sentence, often with ill effect. This morning, for one reason or
another, I was reminded of a conversation I had with
[@nofunnyname](http://twitter.com/nofunnyname) last week on the subject of him
buying a car. He said:

> I need to get an old ass banger.

So, is that ‘old-ass banger’, or ‘old ass-banger’? You decide ;)