It’s National Punctuation Day! Let’s Celebrate.

It’s National Punctuation Day! Can you feel the excitement in the air?

Then again, as writers, every day is national punctuation day…at least if you’re writing well.

But September 24th is the official day to celebrate our faithful friends, punctuation marks. Punctuation can make or break a message (sometimes spectacularly), so let’s celebrate the occasion with a little fun and a little learning.

First, punctuation fails. We’ve all seen them. We’ve all had a laugh. And then we’ve all realized, at some point or another, we’ve been responsible for them, too. But to underscore just how important punctuation is, here’s an entertaining and sometimes cringe-worthy compendium of punctuation gone wrong. Here’s hoping none of us ever end up on a similar list.

Some of these are somewhat NSFW (primarily for language), so if you’re on the clock, read at your own risk.

• 20 Images That Prove Grammar and Punctuation Are Important (NSFW)
  
• A light-hearted look at how punctuation can change meaning
• 25 Biggest Comma Fails (NSFW)
• 37 Times When One Tiny Grammar Or Spelling Fail Ruined EVERYTHING (NSFW)

Second, punctuation quizzes. These can test your mastery for bragging rights or help you discover if you’re a bit rusty.

• Commas Quiz
• Quiz on Punctuation
• Another Punctuation Quiz
• Comma, Colon, Semicolon, or Period?
• Punctuation Self-Test
• Punctuation, Capitalization, and Writing Numbers Mastery Test
• Grammar and Punctuation Test
• Punctuation Diagnostic Quiz

And just for fun, HuffPo’s brand spanking new Which Punctuation Mark Are You? quiz.

Finally, punctuation lessons. For a refresher on punctuation in various styles:

• Punctuation in AP Style
• Punctuation in The Chicago Manual
• Punctuation in APA Style
• Punctuation in MLA Style

How are you celebrating National Punctuation Day?