American Marketing Association Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) Content Marketing Practice Exam

What is something headline punctuation cannot accomplish?

1. Add style and voice.

2. Improve your story.

3. Say more with less.

4. Make content clearer.

The correct answer is: Improve your story.

Headline punctuation serves various purposes in writing, such as conveying tone, enhancing readability, and creating emphasis. However, improving a story goes beyond the capabilities of punctuation alone. While punctuation can help clarify and accentuate certain aspects of a headline, it does not inherently change or enhance the actual narrative or content of the story itself. The quality and impact of the story depend on the underlying ideas, structure, and effectiveness of the writing, which punctuation cannot alter. In contrast, aspects like adding style and voice, simplifying messages, and making content clearer can be directly influenced by how punctuation is used. Therefore, while punctuation plays an important role in presenting a headline attractively, it does not contribute to improving the narrative or the substance of the story.