Those who are “punctual” arrive on time or on the dot. Those who are “punctilious” are attentive to manners and details of etiquette. To “puncture” a balloon, you’d use a sharp point, and those who “punctuate” their writing use details to make a point.

Punctuation is the point of this lesson. You’ll learn to put the right dots and squiggles in the appropriate places in your writing. You’ll review the conventions of punctuation used in academic English. Then you will apply what you learn to proofread an article. If you think you’re too cool to worry about inconsequential punctuation marks, consider this reminder from LL Cool J in The Electric Company’s “Punctuation” video.