Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Step 4Punctuation Primer
This is the least comprehensive step of this instructable, so be forewarned. As a matter of fact I mess up my commas all the time as is evidenced by all the times that my professors have to write "32b" and "33e" on my papers. Anyway, here goes:
Commas should be used to separate an introductory clause or phrase from the rest of a sentence. For example, examine the use of commas in this sentence. Commas should be used to separate every item in a series, even the last item is preceded by "and" or "or." I don't care if you are the President, a senator, a representative, or a mayor this still applies to you. Do not use commas the way that Charles Dickens liked to use them, which is to indicate a pause. A comma indicates a pause in a sentence, but you can not just throw them in wherever you want.
End your sentences with a period, question mark, or exclamation point. When I say "a," I mean one. The exclamation mark indicates that the preceding sentence is an exclamation, do not use it anywhere else, and please do not use more than one. The use of multiple exclamation marks is a clear sign that someone is not entirely sane. Similarly, the question mark is to be used only when you are asking a question. Be careful using the dash (--) and the ellipses mark (...); these are often misused.
I'm not going to try to go any further into punctuation, it is not my strongest point and there are a lot of rules. If you are really that interested, go out and read the punctuation section of The Bedford Handbook. I am not qualified to recommend a similar handbook for those not native to the colonies.
Commas should be used to separate an introductory clause or phrase from the rest of a sentence. For example, examine the use of commas in this sentence. Commas should be used to separate every item in a series, even the last item is preceded by "and" or "or." I don't care if you are the President, a senator, a representative, or a mayor this still applies to you. Do not use commas the way that Charles Dickens liked to use them, which is to indicate a pause. A comma indicates a pause in a sentence, but you can not just throw them in wherever you want.
End your sentences with a period, question mark, or exclamation point. When I say "a," I mean one. The exclamation mark indicates that the preceding sentence is an exclamation, do not use it anywhere else, and please do not use more than one. The use of multiple exclamation marks is a clear sign that someone is not entirely sane. Similarly, the question mark is to be used only when you are asking a question. Be careful using the dash (--) and the ellipses mark (...); these are often misused.
I'm not going to try to go any further into punctuation, it is not my strongest point and there are a lot of rules. If you are really that interested, go out and read the punctuation section of The Bedford Handbook. I am not qualified to recommend a similar handbook for those not native to the colonies.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
1) A semicolon would be absurd there. Are they two independent clauses? Is it a list with internal punctuation? No. Try not to use semicolons arbitrarily -- it makes writing look less educated, not more.
2) "A" and "lot" are two words. Count them. Two. So they don't use a singular. They aren't "is two words," that's not grammatical.
3) "Perchance" is one word, not two. It's a common mistake, much like "a lot" is commonly mistaken as being one word. Reread Hamlet.
3) "Own" isn't a complete sentence, unless you are using it in the imperative form. Are you telling me to own something?