The Importance of Proper Punctuation, a Post by R. Clint Peters

I Love Cooking My Family and My Pets. 

What’s wrong with that sentence?  Well. two small items of punctuation:  commas.

I think it might look a little better this way:  I love cooking, my family, and my pets.  You can also punctuate the sentence this way:  I love cooking, my family and my pets.  But, the sentence needs the proper punctuation.

Over the years, punctuation has evolved.  I recently read a book written in the early twentieth century.  Most of the sentences were composed of 40-60 words, connected by semi-colons.  (The best rule I’ve read is no more than 20 words in a sentence.  And, because a semi-colon separates two distinct thoughts, it can usually be replaced by a period.)

In researching this blog post, I came across a website called GrammarBook.com.  It was on this website I found the rules for punctuation I’d like to focus on in this post.

The comma seems to be the most misused punctuation symbol.  When I was editing The Alberta Connection, a Ryce Dalton novel, my editor showed me one rule to always remember:  If there are three “and”s in the sentence (including inferred “and”s),  one or two commas are needed.  If there are two “and”s, one comma might be needed, but not always.

Example #1:  John walked to the window, and opened it, and then walked to the chair, and sat down.  

According to my editor, Example #1 should read:  John walked to the window, opened it, and then walked to the chair and sat down.   Note there is no comma between chair and the “and” that follows it.

A second example:  John stood and then said, “Sit over there.” 

If the author wants to indicate a pause, put a comma between stood and the “and”.  John stood, and then said, “Sit over there.”  (Check Rule 13a and 13b for punctuating dialog.)

Now that I’ve totally confused myself, let’s see what GrammarBook.com has to say about the comma and period, and the semicolon.

Commas and periods

Commas and periods are the most frequently used punctuation marks. Commas customarily indicate a brief pause; they’re not as final as periods.

Rule 1. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items.

Example: My estate goes to my husband, son, daughter-in-law, and nephew.

Note: When the last comma in a series comes before and or or (after daughter-in-law in the above example), it is known as the Oxford comma. Most newspapers and magazines drop the Oxford comma in a simple series, apparently feeling it’s unnecessary. However, omission of the Oxford comma can sometimes lead to misunderstandings.

Example: We had coffee, cheese and crackers and grapes.

Adding a comma after crackers makes it clear that cheese and crackers represents one dish. In cases like this, clarity demands the Oxford comma.

We had coffee, cheese and crackers, and grapes.

Fiction and nonfiction books generally prefer the Oxford comma. Writers must decide Oxford or no Oxford and not switch back and forth, except when omitting the Oxford comma could cause confusion as in the cheese and crackers example.

Rule 2. Use a comma to separate two adjectives when the adjectives are interchangeable.

Example: He is a strong, healthy man. We could also say healthy, strong man.

Example: We stayed at an expensive summer resort. We would not say summer expensive resort, so no comma.

Rule 3a. Many inexperienced writers run two independent clauses together by using a comma instead of a period. This results in the dreaded run-on sentence or, more technically, a comma splice.

Incorrect: He walked all the way home, he shut the door.

There are several simple remedies:

Correct: He walked all the way home. He shut the door.

Correct: After he walked all the way home, he shut the door.

Correct: He walked all the way home, and he shut the door.

Rule 3b. In sentences where two independent clauses are joined by connectors such as and, or, but, etc., put a comma at the end of the first clause.

Incorrect: He walked all the way home and he shut the door.

Correct: He walked all the way home, and he shut the door.

Some writers omit the comma if the clauses are both quite short:

Example: I paint and he writes.

Rule 3c. If the subject does not appear in front of the second verb, a comma is generally unnecessary.

Example: He thought quickly but still did not answer correctly.

Rule 4a. Use a comma after certain words that introduce a sentence, such as well, yes, why, hello, hey, etc.

Examples: Why, I can’t believe this! No, you can’t have a dollar.

Rule 4b. Use commas to set off expressions that interrupt the sentence flow (nevertheless, after all, by the way, on the other hand, however, etc.).

Example: I am, by the way, very nervous about this.

Rule 5. Use commas to set off the name, nickname, term of endearment, or title of a person directly addressed.

Examples: Will you, Aisha, do that assignment for me? Yes, old friend, I will. Good day, Captain.

Rule 6. Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.

Example: It was in the Sun’s June 5, 2003, edition.

No comma is necessary for just the month and year.

Example: It was in a June 2003 article.

Rule 7. Use a comma to separate a city from its state, and remember to put one after the state, also.

Example: I’m from the Akron, Ohio, area.

Rule 8. Traditionally, if a person’s name is followed by Sr. or Jr., a comma follows the last name: Martin Luther King, Jr. This comma is no longer considered mandatory. However, if a comma does precede Sr. or Jr., another comma must follow the entire name when it appears midsentence.

Correct: Al Mooney Sr. is here.

Correct: Al Mooney, Sr., is here.

Incorrect: Al Mooney, Sr. is here.

Rule 9. Similarly, use commas to enclose degrees or titles used with names.

Example: Al Mooney, M.D., is here.

Rule 10. When starting a sentence with a dependent clause, use a comma after it.

Example: If you are not sure about this, let me know now.

But often a comma is unnecessary when the sentence starts with an independent clause followed by a dependent clause.

Example: Let me know now if you are not sure about this.

Rule 11. Use commas to set off nonessential words, clauses, and phrases (see the “Who, That, Which” section in Chapter One, Rule 2b).

Incorrect: Jill who is my sister shut the door.

Correct: Jill, who is my sister, shut the door.

Incorrect: The man knowing it was late hurried home.

Correct: The man, knowing it was late, hurried home.

In the preceding examples, note the comma after sister and late. Nonessential words, clauses, and phrases that occur midsentence must be enclosed by commas. The closing comma is called an appositive comma. Many writers forget to add this important comma. Following are two instances of the need for an appositive comma with one or more nouns.

Incorrect: My best friend, Joe arrived.

Correct: My best friend, Joe, arrived.

Incorrect: The three items, a book, a pen, and paper were on the table.

Correct: The three items, a book, a pen, and paper, were on the table.

Rule 12. If something or someone is sufficiently identified, the description that follows is considered nonessential and should be surrounded by commas.

Examples: Freddy, who has a limp, was in an auto accident. If we already know which Freddy is meant, the description is not essential. The boy who has a limp was in an auto accident. We do not know which boy is meant without further description; therefore, no commas are used.

This leads to a persistent problem. Look at the following sentence:

Example: My brother Bill is here.

Now, see how adding two commas changes that sentence’s meaning:

Example: My brother, Bill, is here.

Careful writers and readers understand that the first sentence means I have more than one brother. The commas in the second sentence mean that Bill is my only brother.

Why? In the first sentence, Bill is essential information: it identifies which of my two (or more) brothers I’m speaking of. This is why no commas enclose Bill.

In the second sentence, Bill is nonessential information—whom else but Bill could I mean?—hence the commas.

Comma misuse is nothing to take lightly. It can lead to a train wreck like this:

Example: Mark Twain’s book, Tom Sawyer, is a delight.

Because of the commas, that sentence states that Twain wrote only one book. In fact, he wrote more than two dozen of them.

Rule 13a. Use commas to introduce or interrupt direct quotations.

Examples: He said, “I don’t care.” “Why,” I asked, “don’t you care?”

This rule is optional with one-word quotations.

Example: He said “Stop.”

Rule 13b. If the quotation comes before he said, she wrote, they reported, Dana insisted, or a similar attribution, end the quoted material with a comma, even if it is only one word.

Examples: “I don’t care,” he said. “Stop,” he said.

Rule 14. Use a comma to separate a statement from a question.

Example: I can go, can’t I?

Rule 15. Use a comma to separate contrasting parts of a sentence.

Example: That is my money, not yours.

Rule 16a. Use a comma before and after certain introductory words or terms, such as namely, that is, i.e., e.g., and for instance, when they are followed by a series of items.

Example: You may be required to bring many items, e.g., sleeping bags, pans, and warm clothing.

Rule 16a. Commas should precede the term etc. and enclose it if it is placed midsentence.

Example: Sleeping bags, pans, warm clothing, etc., are in the tent.

Semicolons

It’s no accident that a semicolon is a period atop a comma. Like commas, semicolons indicate an audible pause—slightly longer than a comma’s, but short of a period’s full stop.

Semicolons have other functions, too. But first, a caveat: avoid the common mistake of using a semicolon to replace a colon (see the “Colons” section).

Incorrect: I have one goal; to find her.

Correct: I have one goal: to find her.

Rule 1. A semicolon can replace a period if the writer wishes to narrow the gap between two closely linked sentences.

Examples: Call me tomorrow; you can give me an answer then. We have paid our dues; we expect all the privileges listed in the contract.

Rule 2. Use a semicolon before such words and terms as namely, however, therefore, that is, i.e., for example, e.g., for instance, etc., when they introduce a complete sentence. It is also preferable to use a comma after these words and terms.

Example: Bring any two items; however, sleeping bags and tents are in short supply.

Rule 3. Use a semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units contain commas.

Incorrect: The conference has people who have come from Moscow, Idaho, Springfield, California, Alamo, Tennessee, and other places as well.

Note that with only commas, that sentence is hopeless.

Correct: The conference has people who have come from Moscow, Idaho; Springfield, California; Alamo, Tennessee; and other places as well.

Rule 4. A semicolon may be used between independent clauses joined by a connector, such as and, but, or, nor, etc., when one or more commas appear in the first clause.

Example: When I finish here, and I will soon, I’ll be glad to help you; and that is a promise I will keep.

Material created by Jane Straus and GrammarBook.com. Copyright by Jane Straus/GrammarBook.com. All materials contained in this membership subscription area may be reproduced and distributed. However, you may not alter the material or remove this notice of copyright.

Personally, I have tried to stay away from the semicolon.  Once in a while, a colon works, but my editor suggested using periods instead of semicolons.  It immediately provided one solution:  I no longer had 60 word sentences.

Note:  the 20 word rule solves one problem: the inability of a reader to focus on a thought containing more than twenty words.   When a friend read the first version of The Alberta Connection, he commented:  “I really liked the book, but I didn’t understand a lot of it.”

It’s sometimes difficult to keep the word count at 20 or fewer, but when I go back to edit, it’s a lot clearer to me……..and I wrote it.

#GrammarBookcom #JaneStrauss #RClintPeters #TheAuthorsClub