Does punctuation matter?

Not of itself, no. Writing clearly matters.

If you’re face to face or talking on the phone, people have all sorts of clues to what you mean – body language, facial expression, tone of voice, the speed at which you speak and people can ask you questions if they don’t understand. When you write, you lose all that. What can you do? Choose your words carefully. Punctuate.

BUT – for thirty years punctuation, with grammar, was off the curriculum. If you don’t understand it, it’s not surprising and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Just fix it. Getting the Point will help.
We wrote it with three things in mind:

1. you need to punctuate clearly to do most jobs effectively
2. our explanations must pass the Delia Smith test: knowing nothing, and feeling scared, will I be able to do it after reading this book?
3. writing well is satisfying and fun.

What our readers say

I really like the style; pithy, light but informative; great examples.
[Managing Director, Market Research Company]

I think this is great – explains why punctuation works the way it does, rather than laying down seemingly arbitrary rules.
[Editor of Commercial Fiction]

I really like the narrative stories Dragon deeds etc.
[Teacher on MA course]

I would have parted with gold to have the rules of inverted commas and direct speech when I wrote Midnight Marriage.
[Aspiring novelist, now published]