The Oxford Comma--Cute!

PUNCTUATION PUZZLE: The shepherd led them to the brook....

PUNCTUATION PUZZLE---plus a couple of other errors for you to find!

The shepherd lead them to the brook and they drank alot, because they were very, hot, and thirsty.

Here is the answer with an explanation for each aspectbelow: The shepherd led them to the brook, and they drank a lot because they were very hot and thirsty.

 LED vs LEAD: The shepherd LED them to the brook......

      1.  LEAD (pronounced ledd with as short e) is only pronounced ledd when it refers to a metal or pencil graphite.           2. Otherwise LEAD is pronounced leed (long e) and is the current tense of the verb lead (LEED).                                     3. LED is the past tense of the verb LEAD (pronounced LEED, with a long e).

CS ,cc CS--Do you remember these rules for compound sentences? 

1. CS stands for complete sentence; cc stands for coordinating conjunction. 

2. You can join one CS (complete sentence) with another CS by using a comma-cc (,For/ ,And/ ,Nor/ ,But/ ,Or/ ,Yet/ ,So). 

3. You may not combine two complete sentences into one with a cc only--you must put a comma before it: The shepherd led them to the brook, AND they drank....

 ALOT vs A LOT:  ALOT is not one word; it should be two words--A LOT---meaning a bunch or a large amount: The shepherd led them to the brook, and they drank a lot....

No comma before a subordinator at the end of a sentence unless it is a WHICH clause-

1. You do not need a comma before the BECAUSE. 

2. You do not hear a pause (like you would if it were a WHICH clause): The shepherd led them to the brook, and they drank a lot because they were very hot and thirsty.

No Comma Between an adverb and the adjective it describes---

1. Or more clearly put, no comma between a qualifier and a describer: VERY hot and thirsty (not VERY, hot, and thirsty).

2.  Very is an adverb telling how hot (an adverb describing an adjective or qualifying it). 

3. Tip for this: 

     a. If you can put an AND where you are trying to put the comma, then a comma is needed (in place of the and): they were muddy, hot, and thirsty (muddy AND hot AND thirsty). 

     b. If you cannot put an AND, do not put a comma: very AND hot---NO!). 

     c.  Also, do not use a comma when you have only two adjectives and you are placing an AND in between them--either use a comma (hot, thirsty) OR place an AND (hot and thirsty) but not both.

Compound Sentence Quiz!

Are you ready for your quiz? Can you create compound sentences with the sentence pairs given below? Use either of the following:

1. A semicolon (with a complete sentence on the left and a complete sentence on the right)

2. A comma-coordinating conjunction between two complete sentences (,for/,and/,nor/,but/,or/,yet/,so---FANBOYS)

a. Writing with compound sentences is important. It is a skill that many people do not have.

b. A compound sentence is formed when two complete sentences are joined as one sentence. You have to combine them properly.

c. For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so are all coordinating conjunctions. The acronym FANBOYS stands for all seven coordinating conjunctions.

d. A semicolon should never be used in place of a comma. A semicolon alone can join two complete sentences.

e. A comma indicates a pause. A semicolon indicates a small stop.




Here are some suggested answers for the quiz:

a. Writing with compound sentences is important; it is a skill that many people do not have.

a. Writing with compound sentences is important, yet it is a skill that many people do not have.

b. A compound sentence is formed when two complete sentences are joined as one sentence, but you have to combine them properly.

b. A compound sentence is formed when two complete sentences are joined as one sentence, yet you have to combine them properly.

b. A compound sentence is formed when two complete sentences are joined as one sentence; you have to combine them properly.

c. For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so are all coordinating conjunctions, and the acronym FANBOYS stands for all seven coordinating conjunctions.

c. For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so are all coordinating conjunctions; the acronym FANBOYS stands for all seven coordinating conjunctions.


d. A semicolon should never be used in place of a comma, but a semicolon alone can join two complete sentences.

d. A semicolon should never be used in place of a comma, yet a semicolon alone can join two complete sentences.

d. A semicolon should never be used in place of a comma; a semicolon alone can join two complete sentences.

e. A comma indicates a pause, but a semicolon indicates a small stop.

e. A comma indicates a pause, and a semicolon indicates a small stop.

e. A comma indicates a pause; a semicolon indicates a small stop.

Punctuation Puzzle: They did not object and thus the area was named the Bermuda Triangle.

PUNCTUATION PUZZLE: How would you punctuate this sentence? (See comments for my suggestions.)

They did not object and thus the area was named the Bermuda Triangle.

The first thing that stands out to me is the CS (complete sentence) on the left of the coordinating conjunction (cc) and the complete sentence on the right of the coordinating conjunction. 

So place a comma before the coordinating conjunction to create a compound sentence: They did not object, and thus the area was named the Bermuda Triangle.

Secondly, there is a word that is called by many different names in grammar terms: thus. We call it a conjunctive adverb (an adverb that joins). 

Conjunctive adverbs within sentences are always surrounded by punctuation marks. In this case, the conjunctive adverb is dropped into the sentence (and can be plucked out and the sentence will still remain a sentence), so there should be a comma on each side of it. You can also HEAR this comma: They did not object, and, thus, the area was named the Bermuda Triangle. 

I would punctuate it like this--They did not object, and, thus, the area was named the Bermuda Triangle. 

However, when my older children were little, I read aloud to them three to five hours a day. Commas show voice inflection and fall, so they are especially near and dear to my heart when reading orally to my kids through the years. Are you comma crazy? 

COMMA CLUE #4: Comma Following a Subordinate Clause Opener Part II of III

Did you memorize subordinators, so you can write with subordinate clause openers properly? If not, you can find the post on there here.

Once you memorize subordinators, you are ready to write with subordinate clauses. Specific to this lesson, you will be ready to write subordinate clause openers (subordinate clauses that are added to the beginnings of sentences).

As far as a subordinate clause is concerned, it contains a subordinator and a subject and a verb.

Subordinator + Subject + Verb



When she drove,

As he said,

After she left,

When they arrived,

Because he smiled,



Did you notice anything about those subordinate clauses? If you noticed that each one would be a sentence if the subordinator were removed, you are correct!

A subordinate clause is a sentence (subject + verb) that has a subordinator at the beginning of it!

Sentence: She drove.
Subordinate clause:  When she drove,


Sentence: He said.
Subordinate clause: As he said,


Sentence: She left.
Subordinate clause: After she left,



Sentence: They arrived.
Subordinate clause: When they arrived,



Sentence: He smiled.
Subordinate clause: Because he smiled,


So....a subordinate clause is a sentence (independent clause-can stand
alone) that has a subordinator added to the beginning of it (which makes it a dependent clause-is dependent upon something else in order to be used {has to have a real sentence put with it in order to be used}).

Think of subordinate clauses by either of their two names:

1. Subordinate clause--subordinate to the rest of the sentence
2. Dependent clause--dependent on something else to go with it (a real sentence/independent clause) in order to be used


So....that is enough of subordinate clauses for today. In the next and final installment of this Comma Clue #4, we will attack the subordinate clause used as a sentence opener--the subordinate clause opener.

PUNCTUATION PUZZLE: Commas and Periods With Quotation Marks

Okay...here is another Punctuation Puzzle for you to solve! Try to figure out where punctuation marks should go--before you look below at the answers/explanations! Smile...


I read the magazine article titled "Baby Games" and I read an encyclopedia essay called "Baby Showers"





Okay....are you ready?

Proper punctuation of that sentence is as follows:

I read the magazine article titled "Baby Games," and I read an encyclopedia essay called "Baby Showers."



Here is why the punctuation is the way it is:


1. "Baby Games" is the title of a magazine article; an article is a minor work (a work within a work--in this case, an article within a magazine). Minor works are shown by surrounding the title in quotation marks.

                           I read the magazine article titled "Baby Games,"



2. You need a comma before the AND because this sentence is a compound sentence (Complete Sentence {CS}, and Complete Sentence {CS}). One way you can combine two sentences into one to create a compound sentence is to use a comma-coordinating conjunction (,cc--,for/,and/,nor/,but/,or/,yet/,so). Always test to see if you are really creating a compound by reading each "half" of the sentence by itself--and ask yourself if it could stand alone.


                          I read the article titled "Baby Games," and I read an encyclopedia essay called "Baby Showers."





3.  In the US, a comma ALWAYS goes inside a closing quotation mark (whether it is part of the quoted material or not). (This is not the case in British writings.)

                         "Baby Games,"



4. "Baby Showers" is the title of an encyclopedia essay; an essay is a minor work (a work within a work--in this case, an essay within an encyclopedia). Minor works are shown by surrounding the title in quotation marks.

                    "Baby Showers."




5.  In the US, a period ALWAYS goes inside a closing quotation mark (whether it is part of the quoted material or not). (This is not the case in British writings.)

                      "Baby Showers."


*Picture from http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/jigsaw-puzzle-punctuation-marks-28310853.jpg

COMMA CLUES #3: Greeting and Closing of Letter

Today's Comma Clues post was actually supposed to be up yesterday--in case you were writing a love letter in honor of Valentine's Day!! If you are still in the middle of penning a love note for that special someone, be sure to follow these two comma rules--with a freebie capitalization rule thrown in as a, well, Valentine's Day gift!

This information could be more valuable to you than you might think: I just read that a new survey shows that following "teeth," grammar is the next benchmark that would-be daters use in evaluating potential mates on dating sites. So study this thoroughly before you write that letter! Smile...

Comma Clues #3: A comma should follow the greeting (salutation) and closing of a letter.

Dear Ray Baby, 




All my love,


I have to leave you with a few tips:

1. This rule applies to the "friendly" letter--which I assume your love letter will be.

2. Never use a colon following a greeting in a friendly letter. The colon should only follow a greeting in a business letter.

3. Always capitalize all major words in a greeting of a letter. In this way, think of it as a title and capitalize accordingly. 

a. Dear Friend and Colleague (no cap for and)
b. Dear First True Love

4. Only capitalize the first word in the closing of a letter (except for proper nouns in it, of course).

a. Sincerely yours,
b. All my love,


So...go write that love letter with confidence. And be sure to flash those pearly whites when you actually meet!

Punctuation Puzzle: Compound With Semicolon (GWC)

Are you ready for another Punctuation Puzzle?

George Washington Carver had a driving force for knowledge that would reside within him for the rest of his life because of this he became successful in everything he did.


1. There are two complete sentences (CS) here:
            a. George Washington Carver had a driving force for knowledge that would reside within him for the rest of his life.
            b. Because of this he became successful in everything he did.

2. Because there are two complete sentences (CS) there, I would place a semicolon between the two (though you could put a period and capitalize the second half and have two separate sentences, if desired).

         George Washington Carver had a driving force for knowledge that would reside within him for the rest of his life; because of this he became successful in everything he did.


3. When you have a compound sentence, you have to treat each sentence separately in terms of its punctuation. Thus, you need to examine the first half of the sentence (the first "real" sentence of the compound sentence) to see if it needs any other punctuation. Then you must do the same with the second half.
              a. George Washington Carver had a driving force for knowledge that would reside within him for the rest of his life. (NO punctuation needed within first half)
              b. Because of this,  he became successful in everything he did.(I WOULD place a comma following the short prepositional phrase [PP] opener "Because of this" simply because I hear a pause following it. {The rules for commas following short PP openers are subjective and usually based on voice inflection or clarity achieved by the use of a comma. We teach liberal comma use following sentence openers in our programs.})


4. Thus, my final verdict on punctuating this compound and slightly complex sentence is as follows:

 George Washington Carver had a driving force for knowledge that would reside within him for the rest of his life; because of this, he became successful in everything he did.


Punctuation really is a puzzle, isn't it? Smile...


Little addendum to yesterday's PUNCTUATION PUZZLE:

George Washington Carver had a driving force for knowledge that would reside within him for the rest of his life; because of this, he became successful in everything he did.

1. One of the only uses for semicolons is to create a compound sentence (without having to use a coordinating conjunction For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So--FANBOYS--since these words may give additional meaning).

2. Benchmark for creating compound---are the two halves of the sentence extremely linked? In the case above, they are so intertwined that they actually form a cause and effect of sorts. Closely linked sentences are good candidates for creating compound sentences.

Have a prolific day, Language Lady friends!

Comma Clues #2: Use Commas to Separate Two or More Describers

I recently had the misfortune of seeing a sign outside a chicken franchise that read hot, juicy, chicken. You can imagine my outrage!!! It, of course, took us here at Language Lady to Comma Clues #2: Use Commas to Separate Two or More Describers (But Not Between the Describer and the Word Being Described!).


I was thrilled to find the image above to instruct you in the commas-with-describers rule because those two benchmarks are the ones that I teach in my grammar books:

1. If you can reverse the order of the words that you are placing a comma between, and the phrase still makes sense, use a comma:

a. She had on that bright, beautiful dress. (She had on that beautiful, bright dress---YES...comma is needed.)

b. She had on that, bright dress. (She had on bright that dress--NO...comma is not needed.)


2. If you can put an AND in between the two words you are placing a comma between, and the phrase still makes sense, use a comma:

a. She had on that bright, beautiful dress. (She had on that bright and beautiful dress---YES...comma is needed.)

b. She on that, bright dress. (She had on that and bright dress---NO...comma is not needed.)


For those who like technical explanations, we teach that commas go between DESCRIPTIVE adjectivest (bright, beautiful) but not between CLARIFYING adjectives (that, five, this--which are usually called something else anyway, like pronouns, etc.).

More on comma before the and in a series of three or more (bright, beautiful, and colorful dress) in Comma Clues #3! Have a lovely, grammatically-correct day!

Comma Clues #1: Creating a Compound Sentence With a Comma-Coordinating Conjunction (,cc)

   I promised you a series of comma clues, and since I am in the middle of an article about fifty sentence types, it is a good time to start that series here! Commas are a mystery to many people--and rightly so! They are extremely subjective at times across the board. And then, different handbooks and authorities stress different rules for them, making them even more elusive.

I hope to demystify them at least a little bit in this series--and give you the confidence you need to write using commas correctly.*


Note: If you are in test taking situations or contest writing situations, it is more important than ever for you to master comma, semicolon, colon, and quotation use. As a matter of fact, we have an entire unit in our upcoming SAT Essay book just focusing on these skills because when they are done correctly, it is impressive. When they are done incorrectly, it is obvious to graders. Work hard to learn these skills, students! Smile....that was my mom/teacher voice!




 Comma Clue #1: Creating a Compound Sentence With a Comma-Coordinating Conjunction (,cc)+
 

          

CS ,cc CS+



1. The spider's victims seldom escape, for they are caught in a sticky web.  

2. The victims are stuck, and they become "dinner."

3. They can not free themselves, nor can they be freed.

4. They sit in the web and wait, but they do not wait for long.

5. The spider lets the victim sit in the sticky mess for a while, or it carries the victim away to eat it right away.

6. The spider is ruthless, yet it is also known for its special "web designs."

7. The spider has special skills, so it puts these skills to good use.     


             

Why/How: 

-Coordinating conjunctions (cc's) include the following with the acronym FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
-A comma must be used with the cc when combining two complete sentences into one.
-With a comma only (no cc), you would be creating a comma splice, also known as a run-on sentence--two sentences joined together incorrectly.
-Each side of the compound sentence must be able to stand alone in order to be combined with a comma-cc. 
-Complete sentence on the left: The spider's prey seldom escapes & a complete sentence on the right: it is caught in a sticky web.
-If a CS is not on one side or the other of the cc, no comma is used: The spider's prey seldom escapes and oftentimes gets eaten (no CS after and, so no comma. 



+This series, as well as upcoming series' will use the following abbreviations to teach:

   a. CS--complete sentence
   b. cc--coordinating conjunction (think FANBOYS--For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So)
   c.   CA--conjunctive adverb
   d. Sub--subordinator
   e. Prep--preposition
   f. PP--prepositional phrase
   g. sub clause--subordinate clause (or dependent clause--group of words with a subject and a verb/verb phrase that cannot stand alone)
   h. phr--phrase (group of words that does not contain both a subject and a verb that cannot stand along