) complete. - incomplete. The sentence is incomplete because it has no endmark. Add a question mark. _ complete. = incomplete. This sentence is a run-on. Consequently looks like a fine, strong word, but it’s really a 98-pound weakling that doesn’t get enough vitamins. In other words, it can’t join two com- plete thoughts, which you have in this sentence. Add a semicolon after touch, and dump the comma. + Incomplete: no verb [ Incomplete: When implies more information; no complete thought { Run-on ] Run-on } Incomplete: no endmark Dear Alissa, Your smile, with its capped teeth and strikingly attractive knotty pine denture. I can think of nothing I would rather do than contemplate the gap between your molars. Inspired by your eyebrows, I think of stars, constellations, and furry little bears. In the future, when I will have the time to write poetry about those brows. Your nose alone merits a poem, a sonnet should be dedicated to its nostrils. A wrestler would be proud to have a neck such as yours. Your shoulders slope invitingly, moreover, your hips swivel better than my office chair. Across those noble shoulders slides your hair, as thick as extra-strength glue. How can I forget your eyes I am yours forever, Alissa, unless I get distracted by a better offer. Your friend, Greg 76 77 79 78 80 63 Chapter 4: Finishing What You Start: Writing Complete Sentences 08_599321 ch04.qxp 4/3/06 11:20 PM Page 63 64 Part I: Laying Out the Concrete Slab: Grammar Basics 08_599321 ch04.qxp 4/3/06 11:20 PM Page 64 Part II Mastering Mechanics 09_599321 pt2.qxp 4/3/06 8:53 PM Page 65 In this part . . . I n my hometown, it’s possible to find stores where signs proclaim “merchant’s sell Bagels.” You have to give me a minute to shudder at the small but important mistakes (and I don’t mean mistake’s) in bagel signage. First of all, the apostrophe (the little hook at the end of the word merchant) is wrong, as are, in my informal count, 99.99 per- cent of the apostrophes I see in all sorts of official spots. Plus, despite the fact that bagels are extremely delicious, they don’t deserve a capital letter. Sigh. Such are the daily trials of a grammarian in New York City. Wherever you live, in this part, you can practice some aspects of what grammarians call mechanics — punctuation and capitalization. When you’re done, you’ll be the master of the dreaded comma (Chapter 5), apostro- phe (Chapter 7), and the quotation mark (Chapter 8). Plus, you’ll know how to place hyphens and dashes and semi- colons, not to mention colons (Chapter 6). Tucked into Chapter 9 are the basics of capitalization. If all these details fry your brain, feel free to refresh yourself with a bagel or two. 09_599321 pt2.qxp 4/3/06 8:53 PM Page 66 Chapter 5 Exercising Comma Sense In This Chapter ᮣ Punctuating lists correctly ᮣ Signaling a direct address ᮣ Placing commas in dates and addresses ᮣ Using commas to insert introductory words and interrupters ᮣ Deciding when descriptions need to be set off by commas T he well-dressed writing of a hundred years ago boasted far more commas than today’s fashionable sentences. The current trend toward what grammarians term open style punctuation calls for commas to be used sparingly. Dwindling though they may be, these little punctuation marks have their place — in lists, direct address, dates and addresses, introductory expressions, interrupters, and certain types of descriptions. In this chapter you can practice inserting and deleting commas until your writing is as proper as a maiden aunt and as stylish as a supermodel. Making a List and Checking It Twice When you’re writing a free-standing list, line breaks signal when one item in a list ends and another begins. Commas do the same thing in sentences. Perhaps Professor MacGregor wants you to do the following: ߜ Go on the Internet. ߜ Locate the origin of the handheld meat patty. ߜ Write a paper on hamburger history. Inserted into a sentence, the line breaks in the preceding list turn into commas: Professor MacGregor wants you to go on the Internet, locate the origin of the handheld meat patty, and write a paper on hamburger history. Notice that the first item isn’t preceded by a comma and that the last two items are sepa- rated by and, which has a comma in front of it. Although that last comma is optional, many style manuals, which are stricter than the bouncer at this year’s most popular club, want you to insert a comma before the and or whatever word joins the last two items of the list. 10_599321 ch05.qxp 4/3/06 11:22 PM Page 67 If any item in a list has a comma within it, semicolons are used to separate the list items. Imagine that you’re inserting this list into a sentence: ߜ Peter McKinney, the mayor ߜ Agnes Hutton ߜ Jeannie Battle, magic expert In a sentence using only commas, the reader wouldn’t know that Peter McKinney is the mayor and may instead think that Peter and the mayor are two separate people. Here’s the properly punctuated sentence: Because he has only one extra ticket to the magic expo, Daniel will invite Peter McKinney, the mayor; Agnes Hutton; or Jeannie Battle, magic expert. Get to work! Insert the list from each question into a sentence (I supply the begin- ning), and punctuate it properly. Q. List of things to buy at the pharmacy: industrial-strength toenail clippers green shoe polish earwax remover Getting ready for his big date, Rob went to the pharmacy to purchase ______________ ________________________________________________________________________________ A. Getting ready for his big date, Rob went to the pharmacy to purchase industrial- strength toenail clippers, green shoe polish, and earwax remover. You have three items and two commas; no comma is needed before the first item on the list. 1. Supermarket shopping list: pitted dates chocolate-covered mushrooms anchovies pickles Rob planned to serve a tasteful selection of _____________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Guests: Helen Ogilbee, supermodel Natasha Nakovee, swimsuit model Blair Berry, automotive salesperson Hannah Umbridge, former Miss Autoclave Rob’s guest list is heavily tilted toward women he would like to date, such as _______ ________________________________________________________________________________ 68 Part II: Mastering Mechanics 10_599321 ch05.qxp 4/3/06 11:22 PM Page 68 . offer. Your friend, Greg 76 77 79 78 80 63 Chapter 4: Finishing What You Start: Writing Complete Sentences 08_599321 ch04.qxp 4/3/06 11:20 PM Page 63 64 Part I: Laying Out the Concrete Slab: Grammar. list ends and another begins. Commas do the same thing in sentences. Perhaps Professor MacGregor wants you to do the following: ߜ Go on the Internet. ߜ Locate the origin of the handheld meat. per- cent of the apostrophes I see in all sorts of official spots. Plus, despite the fact that bagels are extremely delicious, they don’t deserve a capital letter. Sigh. Such are the daily trials