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Punctuation Mode

Master punctuation for real-world typing skills with Baboon's punctuation mode.

Enabling Punctuation Mode

Command Line

baboon -p

What Changes

In punctuation mode, words are separated by random punctuation followed by a space:

Normal mode:

hello world typing practice

Punctuation mode:

hello, world. typing; practice:

Supported Punctuation

Character Name Keyboard Position
, Comma Right of M
. Period/Full stop Right of comma
; Semicolon Right of L
: Colon Shift + semicolon
! Exclamation mark Shift + 1
? Question mark Shift + /

Typing Punctuation

How It Works

  1. Type the word normally
  2. Type the punctuation character
  3. Press Space to advance

Example: Typing "hello,"

Step Input Display
1 h hello,
2 e hello,
3 l hello,
4 l hello,
5 o hello,
6 , hello,
7 Space Next word!

Punctuation on Keyboard

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 - =
  ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ +     ← Shift row
   Q W E R T Y U I O P [ ]
    A S D F G H J K L ; '     ← ; here
     Z X C V B N M , . /      ← , . here

Statistics in Punctuation Mode

What's Tracked

Letter statistics only count a-z:

  • Punctuation doesn't affect letter accuracy
  • Punctuation doesn't affect letter seek time
  • Word scores still based on letters only

Why?

Punctuation appears randomly, so tracking it wouldn't provide useful adaptive data. The focus remains on letter proficiency.

What's Still Measured

  • Overall WPM (includes punctuation typing time)
  • Overall accuracy (punctuation errors count!)
  • Time to complete round

Why Practice Punctuation?

Real-World Typing

Most text includes punctuation:

  • Emails and messages
  • Code and programming
  • Documents and reports

Reach Training

Punctuation keys require reaching:

  • Right pinky for ; and '
  • Shift key combinations
  • Right hand stretching

Flow Disruption Practice

Punctuation breaks normal flow:

  • Learn to handle interruptions
  • Build recovery speed
  • Improve transitions

Punctuation Techniques

Comma and Period

These are the most common:

  • Right ring finger for .
  • Right middle finger for ,
  • Quick tap, don't pause

Practice words:

hello, world. typing, test. good, practice.

Semicolon and Colon

Right pinky territory:

  • ; - pinky, no shift
  • : - pinky + left shift

Practice words:

example; testing: another; more:

Exclamation and Question

Require shift:

  • ! - left pinky (shift) + left pinky (1)
  • ? - left pinky (shift) + right pinky (/)

Shift Technique

Use the opposite hand's shift key when possible. For ?, use left shift with right hand's /.

Exercises

Exercise 1: Comma Flow

Focus on smooth comma typing:

one, two, three, four, five,
red, blue, green, yellow, orange,

Exercise 2: Period Practice

End every sentence:

done. next. typing. practice. better.

Exercise 3: Mixed Punctuation

Combine different marks:

hello! how? are; you: today,

Exercise 4: Real Sentences

Practise sentence-like patterns:

the quick brown fox jumps. over the lazy dog!

Common Challenges

Forgetting Punctuation

Problem: Pressing space before typing punctuation

Solution: Read the full word including punctuation before typing

Slow Shift Key

Problem: Pause before shifted characters (!?)

Solution: Practice shift combinations separately:

!! ?? !! ?? :: ::

Wrong Punctuation

Problem: Typing , instead of .

Solution: Read ahead more carefully, slow down initially

Progression Path

Phase 1: Accuracy

  1. Enable punctuation mode
  2. Type slowly and deliberately
  3. Focus on 100% punctuation accuracy
  4. Don't worry about WPM

Phase 2: Recognition

  1. Practise reading punctuation in words
  2. Build mental preparation
  3. Reduce pause before punctuation

Phase 3: Speed

  1. Increase overall pace
  2. Integrate punctuation smoothly
  3. Maintain 95%+ accuracy

Phase 4: Flow

  1. Punctuation becomes automatic
  2. No noticeable pause
  3. Treat word+punctuation as unit

Statistics Interpretation

With Punctuation

Your WPM might be:

  • 5-10 WPM lower initially
  • Different character distribution
  • More shift key usage

This is normal! Punctuation adds complexity.

Comparing Modes

Track separately:

  • Normal mode personal bests
  • Punctuation mode personal bests

Don't compare directly - they're different skills.

Tips for Success

  1. Start slow - Accuracy first
  2. Read ahead - See the punctuation coming
  3. Practise shifts - Get comfortable with shift combos
  4. Be patient - Speed will come
  5. Mix modes - Alternate between normal and punctuation

Command Reference

# Punctuation mode
baboon -p

# Punctuation + server mode
baboon -p -server

# Punctuation + custom port
baboon -p -port 9000

Punctuation mode persists for the entire session (all rounds).

Next Steps