Punctuation and diacritics are important elements of written language. Punctuation may indicate where to pause, how long to pause, and possibly the need for inflection. In some languages, failure to change tone when required by the punctuation may change a question into a statement, or it may alter the meaning altogether. At times, of course, the function of punctuation is largely grammatical. In many languages it is impossible to read accurately without giving careful attention to diacritics​—both those that are written and those that are understood from the context. These influence the sound of the characters with which they are associated. Be sure to get acquainted with the way that punctuation and diacritics are used in your language. This is a key to reading in a meaningful way. Remember that your objective should be to convey thoughts, not merely to say words.