If you struggle with punctuation, this is the book that you should acquire a copy of.
I have many, many books that I refer to when I am working. The Penguin Guide to Punctuation by R. L. Trask is probably the most accessible one on the subject of punctuation.
The definitions, explanations and examples are simple and easy to understand. The text is well laid out and not an overwhelming block. At 162 pages it isn’t an intimidating tome and you can take it with you to wherever you like to write. It is incredibly thorough (especially the chapter on commas) and even deals with aspects that are not strictly punctuation (such as capitalisation).
I recommend this book because no one should be afraid of punctuation. Sometimes it gets tricky, but most of the time it is fairly straightforward. I know that people worry about their use of commas or what a semicolon is actually for. But once you have the knowledge how, you will be surprised at your ability to wield them effectively in your writing. The guidelines are expertly set out in this book, and they will give you the confidence you need to be able to use punctuation at its best.
Hannah McCall 
[…] you would like more information on using capitals, I recommend starting with Trask’s Guide to Punctuation. If you would like additional guidance, New Hart’s Rules is a useful style guide for UK […]
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[…] The Penguin Guide to Punctuation, R. L. Trask. Because no one should be afraid of punctuation. I think people actually bought this book after I recommended it. If that was you, I hope you are still finding it useful. […]
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[…] Trask writes that possessive apostrophes are the most troublesome of apostrophes, and apostrophes are the most troublesome of punctuation marks. (I think commas must give apostrophes a run for their money.) […]
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[…] you would like to find out more about when to use a hyphen, I can recommend the Penguin Guide to Punctuation for a thorough and simple […]
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[…] For adults, you might enjoy it as a quirky primer. But if you want to know how to use punctuation correctly, I can’t recommend anything more than Trask’s Guide to Punctuation. […]
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Got my copy a few days ago. Being a non-native speaker (i.e. German) this is exactly what I was looking for as it assumes no previous knowledge. Excellent. Thanks for the post.
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I am really glad to hear it and you are more than welcome.
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I’m always on the lookout for good writing reference books. Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll check it out. 🙂
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I seem to be collecting a large amount of them myself! I am pleased to be able to point you in the direction of a new one 🙂
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Thanks for this post! It made me want to get a copy.
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You’re welcome 🙂
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I should check it out, thanks 🙂 I’ll definitely benefit from it.
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Glad to have helped! I think you can probably get a copy second hand for a very reasonable price (I did) and it is worth every penny.
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