THESE three letters are in response to Dr Lim Chin Lam’s article, “Punctuation please” (MOE, Nov 25).

I wonder how many school-going children will take the trouble to read this useful article. Even parents may just glance through it as they are generally busy people.

As an old timer, I appreciate the importance of proper punctuation in whatever we write. Sadly, school-going children these days pay scant regard to this very important aspect. Of course, we cannot blame them as they are still learning.

Teachers play a very important role in this respect. I teach English and BM to my two grandchildren who are in Forms 1 and 2. They tend to join two different sentences with just a comma and use other punctuations in the wrong places.

The correct use of capital letters is another equally important aspect. Children often are confused about when to use them – S. Ragunathan

I wanted to dash this off after reading Dr Lim Chin Lam’s latest piece on punctuation marks, but couldn’t e-mail it as recently my computer received a strain of a dreadful virus. There was a big question mark as to whether it could survive the attack.

Naturally, it was a trying period for me and I resorted to condemning the dastardly scoundrel who had originated the bug. As a result of this, I suffered severe pain in my colon, so much so that I almost went into a comma.

But as you can see, I’ve slugged the bug and can now e-mail my letter! – Lim Swee Peck

I didn’t write these two witty letters below (though I wish I had!), but I’m sending them to MOE as they do show how one can punctuate the same letter and get an utterly opposite meaning. – Dr Irene Leong

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?
Gloria

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,
Gloria

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