Punctuation ~ American English: punctuate with confidence!

Punctuate emails, blogs, and marketing copy: Punctuation marks covered? Quotes, colons, dashes, and much more!

4.75 (87 reviews)
Udemy
platform
English
language
Communications
category
instructor
1,766
students
1 hour
content
Jul 2017
last update
$59.99
regular price

What you will learn

Punctuate English with confidence.

Know when to use a colon and when to use a semicolon, as well as when to use all the other American English punctuation marks.

Know how to use commas to make your meaning clear.

Never be embarrassed by poor punctuation again!

Description

Do you struggle with knowing where to put commas and colons and exclamation points? Do you get fewer "opens" on your marketing emails than you'd like? Do you worry about people on Facebook thinking you're stupid because of punctuation mistakes?

If you've ever worried because your punctuation is not all that great, then this course is perfect for you. There are loads of examples to study, clear instructions (Sally struggled with this herself, so she teaches it without all the fancy jargon that only makes your head want to explode), and plenty of downloadable cheat sheets, as well as quizzes to help you grasp what you're learning.

Sally has over 1300 satisfied students on Udemy so come on in and let her help you with your punctuation.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING about this course:

Sally takes a subject that at best seems daunting (at worst, insanely boring) and makes it accessible--meaningful, even.~ Abby

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This course is a great resource for punctuation rules whether you struggle with punctuation or just need a review. ~ Cheryl

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. . . a great alternative to Strunk & White's "Elements of Style". ~ Becky

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Ms. Apokedak . . . manages to make the learning fun ~ Debbie

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. . . a fantastic overview for those who are new to English or those of us who've forgotten a little over the years. ~ Hannah

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And here's what some have said about Sally's conference classes, retreats, and online courses:

. . . thank you again for a fabulous weekend. I left encouraged and energized . . . It was a wise investment and fun.

~ Jean Wilund

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Sally,

We had so many wonderful comments about you and your class on our evaluations. We hope you'll be able to join us again next summer.

Blessings, Lindy Jacobs, OCW Summer Conference Director

~~~~~~~~

Hello Sally,

I hope you realize how much wisdom and knowledge you imparted during your time at the wik13 conference in Birmingham. . . .

~ Heather L. Montgomery Assistant Regional Advisor Southern Breeze SCBWI

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Thank you for your incredible class. It was a valuable, valuable learning experience. . . .

~ Kimberly

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Thank you so much. I got a lot out of the class and it gave me a lot to think about. I'm grateful for all the feedback.

~ Christie

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Thank you so much for your feedback . . . throughout the course. I appreciated how much you know about this field and your willingness to share your expertise.

~ Sandy

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In Sally's video lectures, she made me think about writing like I hadn't before, especially the weeks about voice and theme.

~ Margo

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What this course promises:

To teach you how to use punctuation so you can write blog posts, emails, marketing copy--whatever you write--in a more interesting and compelling way.

What this course does not promise:

That it will be fast and easy: the course is fast and easy, but these punctuation skills will only become second nature to you as you use them. And that takes time and practice.

The great news is that you have a lifetime membership to this course, so you'll have easy access, forever, to the lessons and the examples of proper punctuation.

Some questions this course answers:

  • What is a serial comma?
  • Do you capitalize the first word after a colon?
  • Do commas and semicolons go inside quotes or outside?
  • What are em dashes and how are they different from parentheses?

Content

Get Punctuating with an American Flavor

Which Punctuation Marks Do You Need Help With?

End Marks

End Marks

Commas ~ the bane of every writer's existence

Commas ~ the serial comma
Comma ~ before small conjunctions that tie together two independent clauses
Commas ~ before "because"
Comma ~ parenthetical asides
Comma ~ coordinating adjectives, cumulative adjectives, contrast, and clarity
Commas

Semicolon

Semicolon
Semicolon

Colon

Colon
Colon

Em Dash and Parentheses

Em Dash and Parentheses

Ellipses

Ellipses

Apostrophes

Apostrophes

Quotation Marks

Quotation Marks

Bonus! Discounts, downloads, and deals, oh my!

Bonus! Want to Submit to Sally Apokedak? Here's How. Plus Discounts on Editing.

Screenshots

Punctuation ~ American English: punctuate with confidence! - Screenshot_01Punctuation ~ American English: punctuate with confidence! - Screenshot_02Punctuation ~ American English: punctuate with confidence! - Screenshot_03Punctuation ~ American English: punctuate with confidence! - Screenshot_04

Reviews

Chanda
January 28, 2016
Covers all the basics, including clear explanations and examples of usage. I came away from this course taught by Sally Apokedak with a greater understanding of how to craft sentences using the correct form of punctuation.
Kristen
January 11, 2016
This is a fabulous course! My brain does not absorb grammar rules easily, I have to learn them the hard way and this class makes that process so much easier. Sally Apokedak takes the time to explain each rule in a clear and concise way with examples for every step of the journey. The quizzes in the class allow you to test and see if you actually understand each lecture and she even provides downloadable hand outs for you to keep on your desk for reference as you write. I highly recommend.
Teresa
January 9, 2016
If you aspire to be a writer, are a student or even a blogger, you will find this course invaluable. I published a memoir and Sally's course on writing helped me immensely, I was able to do a pre-edit before submitting my final manuscript. I was happy to find that Sally has this new course on punctuation and just wish it was available sooner. Sally teaches in a warm friendly way that makes it easy and fun to learn and she is very approachable and knowledgeable. Thank you Sally!
Tessa
December 4, 2015
Since I’ve taken several writing and English classes throughout the years, I thought I knew almost everything there is to know about punctuation. Apparently I was wrong! Through Sally’s course, I discovered that there are several mistakes I’ve been making in this area. The quizzes helped me to put into practice what I’ve learned and identify where my problem areas lie within punctuation. I will definitely go through the lectures again and continue to study what I’ve learned. Thank you for this fun yet challenging course, Sally!
Jennifer
November 30, 2015
I've struggled with commas. I've referred to them as my Kryptonite, and when I started the journey toward learning the art of fiction writing, there weren't courses like this available. Sally breaks down a lot of grammar rules into bite-sized pieces that are easy to remember. Back when I was working to figure out many punctuation rules, I took quiz after quiz on a grammar website and had to sort through dry and detailed grammar rules in thick and dusty manuals. This class is so much simpler and makes the rules seem easier. Not just commas, but em dashes (something a lot of people aren't sure about), apostrophes, and more. I've read rough drafts from other authors and judged fiction writing contests and have seen that many of us struggle to get some of these little details correct. But knowing the rules saves time for everyone. I imagine that reading manuscripts with numerous grammatical errors gets tiresome for editors and agents and our readers. And let us not forget the importance of comma placement. "Let's eat Grandma" vs "Let's eat, Grandma" have vastly different meanings. This class takes about an hour but will save you and your critique partners time when you don't have to keep fussing over things like commas and how to format an em dash or an ellipses.
Lisa
November 29, 2015
In this era of text messages, punctuation matters more than ever. If you want the reader to focus on the ideas you're conveying instead of misplaced commas and colons, then this is the course for you. This course takes you from the basics, which are great for non-native English speakers (and a good review for us native speakers), to some of the language's most complicated punctuation rules. Sally makes each step clear and easy to understand, with examples you can use. She approaches this material with a light tone, providing humorous examples on occasion. Plus, there are "cheat sheet" downloads for you to post at your computer until these punctuation rules become second nature. Whether you're writing business emails, blog posts, or novels, this course will make sure the reader understands your words as you intend them. I've been writing for decades--and even edit others' writing-- but this course showed me a couple of things I've been doing wrong all these years! It is well worth the time and the money to make sure your work isn't passed over because of sloppy punctuation.
Cindy
November 22, 2015
I enjoyed this course. It's a handy refresher for those who've been out of school for a bit, and Sally makes it fun. If you need a bit of a reminder on when to use what, this is perfect. And, if you're having issues on other browsers, try Internet Explorer. I had problems in Mozilla, with it skipping the quizzes, but breezed through in IE with no problems!
Stephenie
November 19, 2015
I thought I was good at punctuation, but I guess you can always learn more! I went through it twice now and could probably use another run through at a later date.
By
November 18, 2015
Bad punctuation is one of those things that may or may not hurt you, depending on the level at which you're operating. Accuracy in writing is not unlike the quality of one's speech. We get judged on it. There may be more weight given to how we communicate than we realize. Punctuation may or may not be a deal breaker, but then again, I'm not going to risk getting into the writing business because I was too lazy to pay attention to the professional conventions. Punctuation is in everything we write. "For want of a nail the shoe was lost./ For want of a shoe the horse was lost" If you know the poem, you'll get the parallel to where bad punctuation could cause big problems. This is a very worthwhile course to me and I got answers to points I wasn't sure about. Glad I got it sorted. Thanks!
Hannah
November 17, 2015
Though this course covers the basics of punctuation (the stuff we native English speakers should already know) it's a fantastic overview for those who are new to English or those of us who've forgotten a little over the years. It's a great length and can be easily completed in one afternoon. Sally is also an engaging and easy-going instructor, and, once you've done it, you'll always have the course to refer back to if you have questions. All in all, a great buy for someone wanting to brush up on their punctuation. "Buy this course!" said Hannah. :)
Deborah
November 17, 2015
Ms. Apokedak is engaging and confident when explaining US English punctuation dos and don'ts in this course; what's more, she actually manages to make the learning fun (and I'm someone who hated studying punctuation and grammar in school). Like other reviewers, I found the quizzes more challenging than I thought they would be and couldn't help thinking that they'd be perfect for someone to give to students in an ESL class (especially, perhaps, to an overconfident or bored student that you want to really engage in your class). Many thanks, Sally! (BTW, any punctuation errors in this review are solely my own fault. As she suggests, I will need to practice what I've learned to fully grasp it.)
Abby
November 17, 2015
Who knew that after taking an online course about punctuation my biggest gripe would be wanting more? What a great problem to have! Sally takes a subject that at best seems daunting (at worst, insanely boring) and makes it accessible--meaningful, even. Punctuation matters. It adds clarity and order; it enhances flavor and personality. Just look at what punctuation has done for this review! Punctuation deserves a first and second glance, and Sally provides avenues for both. Students brand new to the language may want to spend more time getting used to American English idiosyncrasies and quirks before tackling this course. But if you think it's high time you navigated the perilous waters of punctuation or would like to sharpen your skills, step right up.
Elizabeth
November 16, 2015
I'm surprised by how many adults are missing these basics of punctuation, not to mention how many students are missing them. These really are the basics of English punctuation, and I consider myself to be pretty good at this stuff, but I had to retake two of the quizzes. I guess its because the author is a literary agent and reads people's punctuation errors all day, but she knew the mistakes I would make even on the basics. This class was worth my time.
Cheryl
November 16, 2015
This course is a great resource for punctuation rules whether you struggle with punctuation or just need a review. I thought I knew punctuation pretty well, but I missed four on the pre-quiz. The class is helpful, informative and the teacher is engaging. Sally Apokedak manages to make interesting what could be a boring topic. I'll be returning to this class as a resource for punctuation questions. I recommend it!
Becky
November 15, 2015
I usually do well with punctuation. However, this course reminded me of some tips that I had forgotten over the years. I noticed that it will also serve well those individuals for whom English is not their first language. It is a great alternative to Strunk & White's "Elements of Style". It is readily available on the web (whereas the book may be stuck in some dusty corner of your bookshelf).

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662086
udemy ID
11/6/2015
course created date
10/31/2021
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