An Appraisal of the Usage of Punctuation Marks by 400-Level English Students in Selected Nigerian Universities

This article analyses 400-level English students’ use of punctuation marks in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU) and Federal University Gusau (FUG) during the 2023/2024 academic session. The students were given an in-class test to assess their level of knowledge on punctuation. The research questionnaire contained 15 short responses and an essay writing question. The subjects were seated in a class, and each student provided independent responses to validate the data. Fifty students’ scripts were randomly selected from each institution. The test scripts serve as the data for the study. The researchers used a quantitative method to analyse the questions. The study adopts a model proposed by Gass & Selinker (2008), which has six important steps: collecting data, identifying errors, classifying errors, quantifying errors, analysing sources of errors, and remediating errors. The research found that ABU English students’ knowledge of punctuation marks is higher, with ellipsis and dash having 100% correct scores and the semicolon being the least in the ranking scale with 38% correct scores. Federal University Gusau students’ knowledge of the full stop is higher, with 96% correct scores, and the colon is the least with 16%. The study also established that the errors resulting from the misuse of punctuation marks are mostly due to carelessness, which accounts for the misrepresentation of the English students. The article recommends that lecturers handling writing in the universities should ensure that English candidates, being potential teachers, adhere strictly to punctuation rules for more effective communication.