What is important for the reader to know about punctuation?
Written punctuation is for the eye and mind of the reader and is an invaluable aid to the silent reader. But there is another type of punctuation—the phrasing and emphasis of the oral reader. This "oral punctuation" is for the ear and mind of the listener.
After having studied the written punctuation in order to understand the meaning of the written words, you, the oral reader, now use oral punctuation to convey that meaning to your listeners. Since the human eye and ear respond differently, written and oral punctuation may or may not coincide.
