From the brains behind brains on, this is the moment of um.

Moment of um comes to you from APM Studios. I'm Tippy, the typewriter.

Um.

You know, it's not as thrilling to be a typewriter as it was years ago.

These days, most people use their computers or phones to write messages to each other.

But there are still plenty of people who enjoy the feeling of my spring-loaded keys under their fingertips.

I always keep my ink ribbon fresh, just in case anyone decides to take me to a coffee shop and loudly work on the next great American novel.

I may be an antique, but my letters are still crisp, and the part that holds the paper makes that really satisfying, kachunk.

And I always, always make sure that my punctuation marks are ready to rock

because they're super important.

Apparently.

I don't know.

I'm not an author.

But that's what I hear from everyone who's ever written anything on my keys.

Why are punctuation marks so great anyway?

My pal Nico wanted to know too.

Punctuation marks help us know tone and mood and whether we're asking a question or whether

we're excited about something like using an exclamation point.

I'm Kristen Bauk and I teach writing.

The main reason for punctuation

is because it helps us with the main goal of writing, which is communicating to others.

It helps the reader know when you want them to pause or stop a thought or slow down.

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