Monday, March 12, 2007

Today we worked on comma rules, finishing off what we started on Thursday. I have posted the rules below:
The Comma

The comma is the most frequently used and the most frequently misused punctuation mar,. the omission of a necessary comma can distort the meaning of a sentence. Unnecessary commas (“comma-it is”) can distract the reader and give the sentence a jerky quality. Perhaps nothing is so sure a sign of a competent writer as the correct use of commas, so it is very important that you master them. This chapter presents four rules that will give you a good indication of when you should use a comma. If the sentence you are writing is not covered by one of the four rules remember this:

WHEN IN DOUBT, LEAVE THE COMMA OUT!

There are four comma rules

Rule #1 : Use commas to separate items in a series of three or more.

e.g.,

Required subjects are math, English, bookkeeping, and business
law.

Walk up the hill, turn left, go two blocks, and you’ll be there.

Henry went to the show, Joan went home in tears, Norah and Phil
talked until dawn, and I went upstairs to bed.

The comma before the and at the end of the list is optional; use it or leave it out,
but be consistent.


Rule #2 : Use comma(s) to separate from the rest of the sentence any word or
expression that is not essential to the sentence’s meaning or that
means the same as something else in the sentence.

e.g.,

Writing business letters isn’t difficult, if you’re careful.

The phrase “if you’re careful” is not essential to the meaning of the sentence, so
it’s separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma.

Stephen Leacock, one of the world’s great humorists, was a
professor of economics at McGill.

The phrase “one of the world’s great humorists” means the same as “Stephen
Leacock.” The two expressions refer to the same person, so the second is set off
by commas. When a nonessential word or phrase occurs in the middle of a
sentence, rather than at the beginning or the end, be sure to put commas both
before and after it.


If it were up to me, Judy, I’d hire you right now.

The word “Judy,” the name of the person spoken to, is unnecessary to the
meaning of the sentence, so it’s set off by commas.


Rule #3 : Place a comma between independent clauses when they are joined by
these transition words.:
and nor for
or but yet
so


e.g.,

It was a good party, but last year’s was better.
I’m not speaking to her, so you’ll have to tell her.
I can’t make it to class, yet I feel I should go.
Ross is a good student, for he studies hard.

Be sure that the sentence contains two independent clauses rather than a single
subject and a multiple verb.

Rule # 4 : Put a comma after any word or group of words that comes
before an independent clause.
e.g.,
Charlie, you aren’t paying any attention. (The second rule applies
here, too.)
Though tattered and torn, the book was worth a fortune.
Wherever you go, remember me.
If that’s all there is, we’d better buy more.
Until he got his promotion, he was quite friendly.

Final note: Never place a single comma between a subject and its verb:

right: Adam and Liz are going into business.
wrong: Adam and Liz, are going into business

Two commas between a subject and its verb are all right, however, if they are setting off nonessential material:
Adam and Liz, both recent graduates, are going into business.
Practice exercise for Comma Rule #1

Insert commas where necessary in the following sentences.

Be sure to pick up the cups limes and ice.
Women and children are traditionally the first people into the lifeboats.
Labatt’s Molson’s and O’Keefe are major breweries and patrons of sport and culture.
I am going to hire a cleaning man to clean floors dust furniture scour the oven and wash clothes.
We’re tired of watching pretty faces belonging to people who can’t act: Jessica Simpson Paris Hilton Brittany Spears and most of the male actors out there.
Americans and Canadians share a continent and a similar cultural heritage.
We are going to see The Tempest Julius Caesar or The Merry Wives of Windsor this weekend.
How can a man or woman choose between Paul Martin and Stephen Harper?
Tim stomped into the room threw himself into a chair drained a six-pack of Budweiser and crushed the cans against his forehead.
Three things that can hinder your relaxation at a cottage are rainy weather black flies and unwanted guests.