Chapter Punctuation: Commas Are Our Friends In This Chapter • Get the nuts and bolts of punctuation • Finally distinguish between semicolons and colons • Learn that a hyphen is not a dash and parentheses are not brackets Using the correct punctuation is more than following the grammar rules— correct punctuation enables your audience to understand your ideas more clearly. Like traffic signals, punctuation keeps your ideas flowing in the right direction. Hey, you already know all this—you just want to know how to tell the differ- ence between a dash and a hyphen, what on earth you do with an ellipsis, and what relationship a semicolon has to J. Lo. (No, they were never married at least not yet.) So sharpen your pencil; we're ready to boogie. Punctuation Matters The following two letters contain the same exact words—but the punctua- tion differs sharply. Which letter would you rather receive? 20*1 ParU: Tools of the Trade Dear John: I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can forever be happy—will you let me be yours? Harriet Dear John: I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can forever be happy. Will you let me be? Yours, Harriet These letters tell us a lot about John and Harriet—but they tell us even more about the importance of punctuation. Change a comma here, move a period there and the entire document is different. Thafs why punctuation matters; it creates meaning as much as words do. Show Me the Money I'll bet that you know a lot more than you think about the correct way to use standard punctuation. To prove it, I'm going to ask you to take this simple quiz. In each case, write C if the punctuation is correct or W if the punctuation is incorrect. Answers and explanations follow. Two men (1) ± sentenced to die in the electric chair on the same day (2) ± were led to the room in which they would meet their maker. The priest had given the last rites (3) the warden had given the formal speech, and the participants had said a final prayer. The warden, turning to the first man, solemnly asked (4) "Son (5) ± do you have a last request (6) ?^ The man replied, "Yes sir, I do (7) . I love dance music. Could you please play the Chicken Dance for me one last time?" (8) Certainly (9) _J1 replied the Warden. He turned to the other man and asked, "Well (10) ± what about you, son? What is your final request?" "Please kill me first," replied the other man. Chapter 16: Punctuation: Commas Are Our Friends 205 Answers 1. C (use a comma to set off nonessential information) 2. C (use a comma to set off nonessential information) 3. W (comma needed to set off introductory clause) 4. W (comma needed before a direct quotation) 5. C (use a comma to set off a word of direct address) 6. C (use a question mark to indicate a question; place it inside the quotation marks) 7. C (use a period to indicate the end of a statement) 8. W (use quotation marks to set off dialogue) 9. C (use a comma to set off dialogue) 10. C (use a comma to set off interrupting expressions) So how did you do? 8 to 10 correct Were you a proofreader in a past life? 5 to 7 correct There's no reason to hide under the bed when you see a semicolon. 4 to 6 correct I can help you, baby, I really can. 1 to 3 correct You love the Chicken Dance, you say? Period, Question Mark, Exclamation Mark: The End of the Line The period, question mark, and exclamation mark are the Three Musketeers of punc- tuation: all for one and one for all. Here's why: • They are all end marks; that is, they are used at the end of a sentence. • All three marks of punctuation have the same function: to indicate a full stop. • They all show the end of a complete thought. • They can all prevent run-on sentences, as you learned in Chapter 14. 206 PaiU: Tools of the Trade Okay, so maybe they're not the Three Musketeers, but at least they're not the Three Stooges, Three Amigos, or the Three Bears. Let's look at these three end marks more closely. The Period: Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200 The period is the workhorse of punctuation. Like a great dessert, it's always welcome at the end. Here's how to use periods: • Use a period after a complete sentence. Example: A hangover is the wrath of grapes. • Use a period after a command. Example: Please close the door behind you. • Use a period after most abbreviations. Examples: Dr., Ms., Jr. • Don't use a period after the individual letters in an acronym. For example, write NATO, not NATO. • Use a period after an initial. Example: John F. Kennedy • Use a period after each Roman numeral, letter, or number in an outline. Example: I. Danger, Will Robinson 1 A. B. 1. 2. • Always place a period inside a quotation mark that ends a sentence. Example: The sign read, "A pest is a friend in need." The Question Mark: Inquiring Minds Want to Know You know the rules for life: Never wear white shoes after Labor Day, brush after every meal, and avoid making rude noises in public. Here, then, are the rules for using question marks. If an abbreviation comes at the end of a sentence, do not add another period. Chapter 16: Punctuation: Commas Are Our Friends 207 • Use a question mark after a question. Example: Isn't the Mason-Dixon line what separates y'all from youse guys? • Place the question mark inside of closing quotation marks if it is part of the quo- tation. Example: In a dream, I heard someone asking, "Isn't atheism a nonprophet organization?" • Place the question mark outside of the closing quotation marks if it is not part of the quotation. Example: Was it your mother who said, "The Lord prefers common-looking people; that's the reason he made so many of them"? (In such a circumstance, it's okay to drop the period from the quotation.) Exclamation Marks: Gosh and Golly! In speech, exclamations are used freely, especially in moments of high passion, as when the dishwasher overflows at 11 P.M. on a Saturday night. In writing, however, it is far more convincing to create emphasis by the force of your words rather than the force of your punctuation. But there will be occasions to use exclamation marks, so here are some guidelines to follow. • Use an exclamation mark after an \*j^J- \ Danger, Will Robinson exclamatory sentence. Example: "Apparent" is a large, old bossy person who tortures youth! Do not combine an exclamation mark with a period, comma, or question mark. The Pause That Refreshes Following are some questions and answers submitted to an advice columnist. The advice is confusing because the periods, question marks, and exclamation marks are missing. Add them as needed. 1. I've been going steady with this man for six years We see each other every night He says he loves me, and I know I love him, but he never mentions marriage Do you think he's going out with me just for what he can get Signed, Baffled in Boston. 2. Dear Baffled: I don't know What's he getting 208 Part 4: Tools of the Trade 3. Are birth control pills deductible Signed, Confused in Cleveland 4. Dear Confused: Only if they don't work 5. Is it possible for a man to be in love with two women at the same time Signed Perplexed in Pittsburgh 6. Dear Pittsburgh: Yes, and also dangerous 7. Our son was married in June Five months later his wife had a 10-pound baby girl They said the baby was premature Tell me, can a baby this big be that early Wondering in Walla-Walla 8. Dear Wondering: The baby was on time, but the wedding was late Answers 1. I've been going steady with this man for six years,. We see each other every night. He says he loves me, and I know I love him, but he never mentions marriage. Do you think he's going out with me just for what he can get?. Signed, Baffled in Boston. 2. Dear Baffled: I don't know What's he getting^ 3. Are birth control pills deductible^ Signed, Confused in Cleveland 4. Dear Confused: Only if they don't work 5. Is it possible for a man to be in love with two women at the same timei Signed^ Perplexed in Pittsburgh 6. Dear Pittsburgh: Yes, and also dangerous^ 7. Our son was married in June,, Five months later his wife had a 10-pound baby girL They said the baby was premature,. Tell me, can a baby this big be that early? Wondering in Walla-Walla 8. Dear Wondering: The baby was on time, but the wedding was late. Chapter 16: Punctuation: Commas Are Our Friends 209 The Comma: A Major Player Punctuation helps readers identify clusters of words between and within sentences. Between sentences, the most common mark of punctuation is the period; within sen- tences, the most common mark is the comma. Commas tell us how to read and understand sentences because they tell us where to pause. A correctly placed comma helps move readers from the beginning of a sen- tence to the end. A misplaced comma can create more confusion than a conversation with a teenager. Here are the guidelines that govern comma use. First Impressions Count Use a comma after introductory and concluding expressions: • Use a comma after an introductory prepositional phrase. In each sentence, the introductory phrase is underlined. Example: Along the route from the house to the woods. Hansel and Gretel left a trail of old lottery tickets. • Use a comma after an introductory participial phrase. Example: Excited by their approach, the witch called her agent and decided to take a meeting. • Use a comma after an introductory subordinate clause. Example: When Hansel and Gretel arrived, they were astonished to find the TV contract already prepared. • Use a comma after the greeting of an informal letter. Examples: Dear Sammi, Dear Mudface, _ * ^ • Use a comma after phrases that show rf^3^ S Quoth the Maven — contrast. ^5i Basically, commas are like spicy chilies or little children: A Example: The neighbors return home at all hours, often drunk as skunks. Use a comma at the close of any letter. Examples: Yours truly, Sincerely, Yours until Niagara falls, little goes a long way. The last thing you want are excess com- mas hovering over your writing like the Goodyear blimp over the Orange Bowl. 210 Partit: Tools of the Trade Sentence Interruptus Use a comma after interrupting words and expressions. • Use a comma to set off interrupting words and expressions. The interrupting words are underlined in the following example. Example: Windows, as you know, is the best $89 solitaire game you can buy. • Use a comma to set off words of direct address (words that tell to whom a remark is addressed). The words in direct address are underlined in the following example. Example: Mr. Happy, did you know that "kitty litter" is throwing cats out a car window? • Use a comma with names and titles. Example: Mr. Gary Goldstein, Editor • Use a comma to set off words in apposition (words that give additional information about the preced- ing or following word or expression). The words in apposition are underlined in the following examples. Example: A light sleeper, my landlord is the first to awake when he hears the chains rattle. Example: My landlord, a light sleeper, is the first to awake when he hears the chains rattle. • Use a comma to set off a nonessential clause (a clause that can be omitted without changing the sentence's basic meaning). The nonessential clause in underlined in the following example. Example: Philosophy, a science that lets us be unhappy more intelligently, is being offered this semester at the local university. • Use a comma to separate items in a series. Example: We bought marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate to make those delicious campfire treats. You Could Look It Up _, Words in apposition give additional information about the preceding or following word or expression. Danger, Will Robinson Never use commas to set off an essential clause, a clause that cannot be omitted. For example: Philosophy is the science that lets us be unhappy more intelligently. Take My Word for It The comma before and in a series of items is optional. Chapter 16: Punctuation: Commas Are Our Friends 211 Danger, Will Robinson Do not use a comma before the ZIP Code in an address. Also, on an envelope, the Post Office prefers no comma after the city, either. Just two spaces between both the city/state and state/ZIP. In Media Res Use a comma to set off parts of a sentence: • Use a comma to separate parts of a compound sentence. Use the comma before the coordinating conjunction. Remember: The coordinating conjunc- tions are and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet. The coordinating conjunction is under- lined in the following example. Example: The faucet stopped working, and the sink leaks. • Use a comma to set off a direct quotation. Example: He said, "Lawyers are the larval form of politicians." Example: "Lawyers," he said, "are the larval form of politicians." • Use a comma to separate the parts of an address. Example: She lives at 763 Main Street, Farmingdale, New York 11735. Dazed and Confused Use commas to prevent misreading: • Use a comma to clarify any potentially confusing sentences. Huh: To get through a tunnel must be dug. Revised: To get through, a tunnel must be dug. Of course, you're usually much better off just revising the sentences so there is no possibility of a chowderhead misreading your words. Bean Counters Use commas with numbers: • Use a comma between the day of the month and the year. Examples: December 7, 1941, July 20, 1969 Danger, Will Robinson Do not use commas when writing telephone numbers, page numbers, or years. ZI2 Part 4: Tools of the Trade • Use commas to show thousands, millions, and so on. Examples: 1,000; 10,000; 100,000; 1,000,000 Constant Commas Add commas as necessary in the following sentences. 1. Even though it is not among the top rated shows shown on a single night The Wizard ofOz is generally considered the most successful single program in TV history. 2. My friend Stephan a very picky eater refuses to eat any vegetables at all. 3. A child who is under the age of eight should not be left alone without a sitter. 4. A mature child of 10 or 11 however can usually be trusted home alone. 5. Among the top man-made attractions in the United States are the Golden Gate Bridge Mount Rushmore the Statue of Liberty and Hoover Dam. 6. Let's find a fast cheap restaurant. 7. The Academy Awards were first telecast on March 19 1953. 8. No you can't pile up 10000 bricks and try to climb to the roof. Answers 1. Even though it is not among the top rated shows shown on a single night, The Wizard ofOz is generally considered the most successful single program in TV history. 2. My friend Stephan, a very picky eater, refuses to eat any vegetables at all. 3. No commas at all. 4. A mature child of 10 or 11, however, can usually be trusted home alone. 5. Among the top man-made attractions in the United States are the Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, and Hoover Dam. 6. Let's find a fast, cheap restaurant. 7. The Academy Awards were first telecast on March 19, 1953. 8. No, you can't pile up 10,000 bricks and try to climb to the roof. . led to the room in which they would meet their maker. The priest had given the last rites (3) the warden had given the formal speech, and the participants had said a final prayer. The. is, they are used at the end of a sentence. • All three marks of punctuation have the same function: to indicate a full stop. • They all show the end of a complete thought. • They. Tools of the Trade Okay, so maybe they're not the Three Musketeers, but at least they're not the Three Stooges, Three Amigos, or the Three Bears. Let's look at these three