punctuate
punctuate — verb
- punctuatepresent simple I / you / we / they
- punctuateshe / she / it
- punctuatedpast simple
- punctuating-ing form
1. to insert symbols like periods, commas, and question marks into written text so
to insert symbols like periods, commas, and question marks into written text so readers can see where sentences and questions begin and end.
Rachid carefully punctuated his essay before handing it to the teacher.
punctuate + noun phrase (essay/document)
Maja's teacher asked her to punctuate every sentence with a period or a question mark.
Xiu forgot to punctuate the long paragraphs in her report, which confused the reviewer.
When Talia writes work emails, she always punctuates them with commas and periods.
In English class, Hana is learning to punctuate correctly so her writing becomes clearer.
文法句型
punctuate + noun phrase (text/letter/essay)
punctuate (no object) — 'learning to punctuate'
用法筆記
Common in advice about writing skills and editing. The intransitive use ('She is learning to punctuate') is less frequent than the transitive use ('She punctuated the text').
常見錯誤
2. to repeatedly occur during an event or activity, breaking its continuity at inte
to repeatedly occur during an event or activity, breaking its continuity at intervals.
The speaker's long pauses punctuated his speech, making it hard to follow.
subject (pause/sound) + punctuate + object (speech/event)
Dario's childhood was punctuated by frequent moves from one city to another.
passive: 'be punctuated by'
Gunfire punctuated the silence of the night in the war-torn neighborhood.
The hiking trail was punctuated by small streams that the group had to cross carefully.
Rohan's presentation was punctuated by applause from the excited audience.
- interrupt
general term for breaking continuity; 'punctuate' implies repeated, regular breaks
- intersperse
more neutral, implies scattering among; 'punctuate' focuses on the breaking effect
- interject
about inserting remarks into speech; 'punctuate' can describe sounds or events
文法句型
be punctuated by/with + noun phrase
punctuate + noun phrase (event/period/activity)
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice ('be punctuated by/with'). The subject of the active form is often a sound, event, or change that occurs repeatedly. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense has nothing to do with writing symbols.
常見錯誤
3. to make a particular word, idea, or point stand out clearly by giving it special
to make a particular word, idea, or point stand out clearly by giving it special force or attention, often through a gesture, pause, or visual element.
The singer punctuated each line of the song with a dramatic hand gesture.
punctuate + noun phrase + with + noun phrase (gesture/action)
Manuela punctuated her argument with three key facts from the research report.
Renata punctuated her objection with a firm tap on the conference table.
Stephanie punctuated her final point with a long, dramatic pause.
Andrei punctuated each section of his talk with a short video clip.
- emphasize
the most common and general term; 'punctuate' adds a sense of rhythmic or spatial placement
- accentuate
focuses on making a feature more noticeable; similar register
- highlight
draw specific attention to something; more common than 'punctuate'
- downplay
to make something seem less important
- gloss over
to treat something as unimportant
文法句型
punctuate + noun phrase + with + noun phrase
用法筆記
More literary or formal than 'emphasize' or 'highlight'. Often used to describe how a physical action (a pause, gesture, visual element) makes a verbal or written point more striking. Not used with that-clauses.