Use of the Asterisk

Content

• What is the asterisk for?
• Examples of the use of the asterisk

The asterisk it is a punctuation mark, one of the least frequent in the construction of sentences, and habitually absent in most texts, especially those that correspond to fiction, short stories and novels.

The asterisk can sometimes appear in the framework of scientific or popular literature, since its meanings are more oriented to what it has to do with that discourse.

• It can help you: Bibliographic citations

What is the asterisk for?

• Include a call. Asterisks can be included in text to indicate that clarification will be needed, usually in the footer. In any case, it is common that instead of placing the asterisk, a number is included in the form of a superscript, so that as many foot calls can be made as the author considers. Clarifications by asterisks may be made, at most, up to four; since in the case of doing more, the reader must be counting asterisks and it will undoubtedly hinder the reading. It is common to find this kind of call when names, events or places are mentioned that are marginal to the center of the text, but of which a brief description is worth.
• Establish numberings andbullets. Asterisks are used as a way to mark a new item or topic: their repetition gives a neutrality in the valuation, as the script has and different from that of the letters or numbers: it will not be possible to later reference the item that was discussed , since they will all be the same using the asterisk.
• Skip a word. Asterisks are frequent when there is a word that does not want to be mentioned: it happens when there is a name that is not meant by the reservation in the identity of a person, as well as insults or 'bad words' that are included in order not to mention them this repeated sign: it is not necessary to include it as many times as there are letters in the word. Sometimes the asterisk is joined with other signs, such as admiration, at or money.
• Separate verses. When you want to convert a work written in the form of a verse to the form of the continuous line, each of the verses is separated by an asterisk sign.
• Mark corrections. It is frequent that the corrections made by the editors of some kind of publication are parentheses that have an asterisk, which symbolizes their intervention to correct what appeared.

Examples of the use of the asterisk

1. Asterisk as foot call
   • His nephew Joaquín, who had studied with Master Jing (*) he was also present at the funeral.
   • The city of Budapest (**) She greeted us warmly every time we visited her.
   • The great writer Albert Camus (***) his posthumous work was the novel ‘The Stranger’.
2. Asterisk as a replacement for something you don't mean
   • He couldn't control it, he said that all the board members were *$#**%!* and that he would never speak to us again.
   • - I hope you go to M * * * * * *- answered.
3. Asterisk separating verses
   • To harden the earth * the stones were ordered * soon * they had wings.
   • Our father who art in Heaven * Hallowed be thy name.
4. Asterisk as correction
   • Our family will greet (*GREET) to all who would like to visit us and congratulate us on this delightful date.
   • He explained to the authorities that it seems (*IT SEEMS to appear) that his respect was no longer being honored.
   • In the testimony he clarified ( * CLARIFIED) that he did not clearly remember all the facts.
5. Asterisk preserving a word
   • He was visited by Detective J***** G******, who attended to all your queries within the framework of mutual respect.
   • The main witness E******* P**** gave testimony under oath on day 1 of the oral trial.

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