Examples: Yes, I do need that report. Well, I never thought I’d live to see the day.... Rule 20: Use commas surrounding words such as therefore and however when they are used as interrupters. Examples: I would, therefore, like a response. I would be happy, however, to volunteer for the Red Cross. Rule 21. Use either a comma or a semicolon before introductory words such as namely, that is, i.e., for example, e.g., or for instance when they are followed by a series of items. Use the comma after the introductory word. PD: Note that i.e. stands for that is and e.g. means for example. Examples: You may be required to bring many items; i.e., sleeping bags, pans, and warm clothing. You may be required to bring many items; e.g., sleeping bags, pans, and warm clothing. Source: http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.asp Commas - Exercise Directions: Choose the option that will fix the comma error. 1. During lunch, at the campus cafeteria, Mildred noticed the dirty tables, the overworked cashiers, and the exorbitant price for watery soda. A. Should you remove the comma after lunch? B. Or should you remove the comma after cashiers? 2. Melissa couldn’t study for her comma quiz, because she was joy riding on the Enterprise with Mr. Spock, whom the US Air Force chased with its fastest jets. A. Should you remove the comma after quiz? 136
B. Or should you remove the comma after Mr. Spock? 3. The slimy smelly lettuce on my burrito made me ask the manager to return my 99 cents. A. Should you add a comma after slimy? B. Or should you add a comma after burrito? 4. Sitting in the atrium, Marcus chatted pleasantly with a pretty student from his chemistry class, but then he had to leave suddenly, because he noticed he had only thirty seconds to get to Professor Spottke’s English class on time. A. Should you remove the comma after atrium? B. Or should you remove the comma after suddenly? 5. To study for his calculus midterm, Brian drank seven cups of strong Turkish coffee which kept him wide awake for the all-nighter. A. Should you remove the comma after midterm? B. Or should you add a comma after coffee? 6. “Don’t eat that pizza,” warned Lisa. “It’s over two weeks old”, she then explained. A. Should the comma after pizza follow the quotation marks? B. Or should the comma after old precede the quotation marks? 7. Fifteen uncooked popcorn kernels, and a few grains of salt littered the front of Robert’s shirt as he slouched in the tether seat. A. Should you add a comma after fifteen? B. Or should you remove the comma after kernels? 8. Swinging at the fast ball, Bobbie heard, the satisfying crack of the home run that he had just hit. A. Should you remove the comma after ball? B. Or should you remove the comma after heard? 9. Karen wasn’t sure if she needed a comma or not so she drew in a smudge that could pass for a comma or a stray pen mark. A. Should you add a comma after not? B. Or should you add a comma after comma? 10. Maricarmen bought a new dictionary, so that she could proofread for spelling errors on her next in-class essay. A. Should you remove the comma after dictionary? 137
B. Or should you add a comma after errors? 11. Last weekend, Brenda had time to wash clothes. The dishes, however were piled all over the kitchen counter and in the sink. A. Should you add a comma after however? B. Or should you add a comma after counter? 12. “Don’t give me that look Marlin,” warned Mrs. Clemmons, who held his paycheck in her hand. A. Should you add a comma after look? B. Or should you remove the comma after Mrs. Clemmons? 13. Winning the lottery would create more headaches than the money is worth but Fred still buys a ticket every week. A. Should you add a comma after lottery? B. Or should you add a comma after worth? 14. Thumbing through the s section of the dictionary, Harold tried to find, the correct spelling of psychology, but the word cluded him despite his careful research. A. Should you remove the comma after find? B. Or should you remove the comma after psychology? 15. Oreo, a “barkless” basenji will scream like a human child if we don’t feed her pizza crust quickly enough. A. Should you add a comma after basenji? B. Or should you add a comma after child? 16. Coffee brewed on the counter top and bacon fried on the stove. Snuggling under the covers for a few more moments of sleep, Clyde relished his first Sunday free from work. A. Should you add a comma after and? B. Or should you remove the comma after sleep? 17. At the bakery where she worked, Denise happily took one other after another, enjoying the fast pace of Sunday afternoon. Orville, on the other hand had a killer headache from the constant noise and flood of hungry customers. A. Should you remove the comma after another? B. Or should you add a comma after hand? 18. Christine removed her glasses, so that the world would dissolve into a blur. If she 138
couldn't see the mound of homework before her, she could pretend that it didn’t exist. A. Should you remove the comma after glasses? B. Or should you remove the comma after her? 19. David looked in his cereal bowl and gasped in surprise. When his mother came running from the kitchen, David explained “Something just dove under the flakes!” A. Should you remove the comma after kitchen? B. Or should you add a comma after explained? 20. Deepa slaved over her essay so she expected a good grade when Ms. Richards returned the papers. The A on the last page confirmed for Deepa that hard work does pay off. A. Should you add a comma after essay? B. Or should you add a comma after page? Comma Splices A comma splice results when two independent clauses (complete sentences) are incorrectly joined or “spliced” with a comma. Remember, each clause must have a subject and a verb; each clause must express a complete thought. Examples of Comma Splices The cruise missile is a slow but highly evasive nuclear missile that can fly under enemy radar, it can be launched from air, land, or sea to strike within a few hundred feet of the pre-selected target. Scotland Yard began using fingerprints in 1901, Sir William Henschel developed the first system for their use. Richard wanted to go to the football game, Shana wanted to watch basketball. Note: Sometimes one can identify a sentence by noticing the rise or fall of one’s voice. Most sentences end with a fall of the speaker’s voice. Correcting Comma Splices: Five Methods 1. Divide two independent clauses into two different sentences (sentence 1 . sentence 2) Comma splice: Most secretaries spend more than sixty percent of their time at their desks, they spend their time typing, transcribing, making and answering telephone calls, scheduling the boss’ appointments, and putting together research projects and reports. 139
Corrected: Most secretaries spend more than sixty percent of their time at their desks. They spend their time typing, transcribing, making and answering telephone calls, scheduling the boss’ appointments, and putting together research projects and reports. 2. Use a semicolon to join two related independent clauses (sentence 1 ; sentence 2) Comma splice: The ogre caught the unicorn, the terrible ogre then took the terrified beast to the Pinnacles of Pain Mountains. Corrected: The ogre caught the unicorn; the terrible ogre then took the terrified beast to the Pinnacles of Pain Mountains. 3. Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) to join two equally important ideas presented in two clauses (sentence 1, FANBOYS sentence 2). Comma splice: Sabrina had a little dragon, its scales were as sharp as razors. Corrected: Sabrina had a little dragon, and its scales were as sharp as razors. 4. Use a semicolon and conjunctive adverb to join related independent clauses (sentence 1, C. ADVERB sentence 2). Frequently used conjunctive adverbs include the following: however then as a consequence in addition therefore nonetheless as a result besides moreover indeed for example in conclusion furthermore in fact hence in other words Comma splice: According to the poll results, one third of the students were very conservative politically, they thought themselves to be liberal. Corrected: According to the poll results, one third of the students were very conservative politically; however, they thought themselves to be liberal. 5. Use a subordinating conjunction to create a dependent clause (sentence 1 no comma + SUBORDINATOR sentence 2). Dependent clauses are fragments when they are by themselves and must be connected to an independent clause. Commonly used 140
subordinating conjunctions are the following: after ever since that where although how though whereas as if unless whenever as if in order that until whether Note: Remember, how a word is used determines its function in a sentence. Sometimes a word can be used as a subordinating conjunction; sometimes the same word can function as a preposition. Comma splice: The manned space missions most often discussed are space stations orbiting the earth and the permanent moon base, more spectacular schemes for space cities are also discussed. Corrected: The manned space missions most often discussed are space stations orbiting the earth and the permanent moon base although more spectacular schemes for space cities are also discussed. Comma Splices - Exercises Directions: Indicate whether an item contains a comma splice (CS) or if it is correct (C) 1. ____ One of the most interesting plants is the cactus, for it is able to live without water for years. 2. ____ The average woman does not find it hard to get a job, instead she finds it hard to get a promotion. 3. ____ The time you spend in traffic court is not actually very long, but it seems like a long time. 4. ____ I never did anything studying in high school; as a matter of fact, I never even took a book home with me. 5. ____ One of my problems is spelling, the other one is writing legibly. 6. ____ This is not actually a real diamond, it is only a good imitation. 7. ____ Cassette recorders are not merely toys; they are also very effective learning tools. 141
8. ____ The tires on this bike are in good condition, furthermore, the chrome is clean. 9. ____ Compared with others on the team, Janet has remarkable stamina. 10. ____ The collar on this shirt is small, therefore, this shirt will not fit a person with a large neck. 11. ____ Even after the car was tuned, it still was difficult to start in the mornings. 12. ____ The trail was steep and very rocky, nevertheless, every one of the hikers reached the top. 13. ____ Our neighbors are all trustworthy people, the kind you want your children to associate with. 14. ____ The dog walked around the garage, looking for the cat. 15. ____ Jill didn’t really want to visit me, all she wanted was to borrow money. 16. ____ The basis of Hinduism is a firm belief in the unity of a man, God, and universe. 17. ____ Most people, however, are incapable of perceiving this unity, they see instead a multitude of separate phenomena. 18. ____ The goal of life for an Hindu is to stop seeing himself as a subject observing many objects, he must realize that subject and object are the same. 19. ____ The flying fox is not really a fox at all, rather, it is a kind of bat whose head resembles that of a fox. 20. ____ Proper lightning is necessary for good eyesight, but direct sunlight can damage eyesight. 21. ____ Mosquitoes are found in various climates, they thrive in Alaska as well as in the tropics. 22. ____ Once limited to the Western states, rodeos now enjoy national popularity. 23. ____ Because they are high in Vitamin A, both apricots and broccoli are nutritionally valuable foods. 142
24. ____ Kansas City calls itself the City of Fountains, its goal is to build a new public fountain every year. 25. ____ Manila hemp rope remains very useful, although it is not as strong as nylon, it does stretch as much. 26. ____ Fiberglass makes excellent roofing, aluminum is algo a popular material. 27. ____ Canoeing, one of America’s favorite sports, can prove to be exciting and dangerous. 28. ____ Although some Texans do not like to admit it, Alaska is our largest state. 29. ____ Getting the right to vote is one thing, using it is another. 30. ____ Baking one’s bread requires time, patience, and practice, these ingredients cannot be bought or borrowed. Run-On Sentences A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses are not joined correctly. An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a sentence, as in “the dog runs.” Your writing may be confusing or unclear if independent clauses are joined incorrectly. There are two types of run-on sentences: fused sentences and comma splices. A fused sentence occurs when independent clauses run together with no marks of punctuation or coordinating conjunctions to separate them: My professor read my paper she said it was excellent. A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined only by a comma: My cat meowed angrily, I knew she wanted food. Revise Run-On Sentences in Four Ways 143
1. Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS). When you join two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction, place a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Run-on: My professor read my paper she said it was excellent. Correction: My professor read my paper, and she said it was excellent. 2. Use a semicolon (or, in some cases, a color or a dash). You can use a semicolon alone or with a transitional expression (e.g. however, at any rate, in contrast, as a result, etc.). Run-on: My cat meowed angrily, I knew she wanted food. Correction: My cat meowed angrily; I knew she wanted food. Correction #2: My cat meowed angrily; therefore, I knew she wanted food. 3. Separate the independent clauses into two sentences. This is an especially good technique when one of the independent sentences is too long. Run on: It seemed to Wanda that her daughter had more than enough crayons, they were strewn across the bedroom floor and some of them were broken, and, worse still, someone had used the stub of a red crayon to mark a sinister smiley face on the wall. Correction: It seemed to Wanda that her daughter had more than enough crayons. They were strewn across the bedroom floor and some of them were broken. Worse still, someone had used the stub of a red crayon to mark a sinister smiley face on the wall. 4. Restructure the sentence by subordinating one of the clauses. You can subordinate a clause if one of the independent clauses seems less important than the other. Here are a few examples in which one of the clauses has been subordinated (underlined clause). Note that a subordinate clause is no longer independent (it cannot stand on its own as a complete sentence). Run-on: The largest tree by volume in the world is the General Sherman Sequoia, it is a little over 52,500 cubic feet. 144
Correction: The largest tree by volume in the world is the General Sherman Sequoia, which is a little over 52,500 cubic feet. Run-on: Toni Morrison is a professor at Princeton University, she wrote the novel The Bluest Eye. Correction: Toni Morrison, a professor at Princeton University, wrote the novel The Bluest Eye. Run-on: I told my roommate I would be late, she still locked me up. Correction: Although I told my roommate I would be late, she still locked me up. Run-on: I told the children I would read to them they said they wanted to sit by me so they could look at the pictures. Correction: When I told the children I would read to them, they said they wanted to sit by me so they could look at the pictures. Comma Splices and Fused Sentences - Exercises Directions: Choose the correct way to fix the underlined problem in each sentence. 1. Lorna did not last long in Mr. Wolcott’s busy office, her long fingernails make accurate typing impossible, and her abrasive manner scared away many potential clients. A. office her B. office, because her C. office. Her 2. Bo was craving a cold slice of watermelon, but he had money only for hotdogs and buns. Bo was sure that sticking the huge fruit under his shirt and pretending that he was pregnant wouldn’t fool the cashiers. A. buns Bo B. buns. Bo C. buns, but Bo 3. Fighting the urge to crawl under her desk, Adriana looked at the clock, there was still a half hour left of class, more than enough time to do her poorly prepared, ten-minute speech. A. clock there 145
B. clock; there C. clock, so there 4. My cat Buster is always tipping over the garbage can then he searches through the trash for milk jug caps, which he bats around the floor, the cat version of playing ice hockey. A. can, then B. can, but then C. can, and then 5. Susan ducked down when she saw Mr. Hayden, her English teacher, walk into Tito’s Taco Palace, unfortunately, a burrito wasn’t big enough to hide behind, so poor Susan had to explain why she had missed her class again. A. Palace unfortunately B. Palace; Unfortunately C. Palace. Unfortunately 6. Mark searched the nearly empty refrigerator for a midnight snack his only choices were curdled milk, stale pizza, and grape jelly, any combination of which he couldn’t stomach. A. snack, his B. snack, but his C. snack, so his 7. Sherian refuses to let her kids have a puppy, she is convinced that dogs are just big germs and refuses to follow one around with a sponge and bottle of bleach. A. puppy she B. puppy, but she C. puppy, for she 8. Running through the parking lot, Aisha hoped to get to her car before the rain began when she found the doors locked and saw her keys lying on the front seat, she knew that she was in for a soaking. A. began, when B. began; When C. began. When 9. Bored with the lecture about comma splices and fused sentences, Jayson started poking Kim with the sharp tip of his pencil finally she whirled around and slugged him in the mouth. A. pencil, finally she 146
B. pencil, as a result she C. pencil; finally, she 10. Sighing heavily, Melody tried to summon the energy to get to her next class her heavy bookbag and the long walk, however, seemed impossible challenges. A. class, her B. class; her C. class but her 11. Alphonse does not care much about comfort as he does about style he will wear, for example, a long sleeve shirt and a weather jacket in the middle of a Florida summer if they are the perfect complement for his new pair of khakis. A. style, he B. style, but he C. style; he 12. Tajuana is a very conscientious student when she makes a B, she is so upset that she lies awake at night, staring at the ceiling and worrying about the effect this “bad” grade will have on her GPA. A. student, when B. student. When C. student, therefore when 13. Wally did not want to do anything to ruin his new pair of athletic shoes, he always stayed on the sidewalks, sidestepped puddles, and made several trips a day to the bathroom to dust the sneakers with toilet paper. A. shoes he B. shoes, but he C. shoes, so he 14. Poor Paola listened to her stomach rumbling loudly, she would have to wait twenty more minutes before she could dash to the cafeteria for a quick donut and soda. A. loudly she B. loudly; she C. loudly, so she 15. Fow two weeks, Todd refused to go to his accounting classes because Professor Gastineau would not allow students to wear hats in class, under no circumstances would Todd allow anyone to see the butcher job his stylist had done to his hair. A. class under 147
B. class, and under C. class, therefore under 16. Tracy always knows the right answer in English class but is too shy to volunteer whenever Miss Simons asks a question, Tracy’s hand feels as if it weighs 1,000 pounds. A. volunteer, whenever B. volunteer, therefore whenever C. volunteer; whenever 17. Slouched in his sit, Michael tried to pay attention to the grammar lecture the only problem was that NBA statistics and images of pretty women in tight miniskirts were more interesting than subordinate clauses and participle phrases. A. lecture, the B. lecture, however the C. lecture. The 18. Nathalia likes to get good grades but hates when her friends call her a nerd, sometimes Nathalia will claim she got a 77 on a test when, in reality, she earned a 97. A. nerd sometimes B. nerd, so sometimes C. nerd, but sometimes 19. Neil’s day revolves around sugar, he anticipates the pastry he will choose for breakfast, the candy bar he will eat for lunch, and the icecream he will have as dinner. A. sugar he B. sugar, for he C. sugar, but he 20. Carla has difficulties getting at her 8 a.m. English class on time, she always watches too many late night movies and then hits the snooze button on her alarm once too often. A. time she B. time, because she C. time, for she Semicolons and Colons Semicolons ( ; ): It is a form of punctuation that sorts out complex lists or links complete clauses. It is used for: 148
- Sorting out a complex list: place semicolons between items in lists if some items of the list include commas. My classmates are from Milwaukee, Winsconsin; St. Paul, Minnesota; Des Moines, Iowa; and Detroit, Michigan. Our good time at the fair included making a Spin-a-Paint masterpiece; going to the art show, where my mother’s ceramic vase won a ribbon; visiting the animal barns; and eating a honey sundae, an onion blossom, and, of course, mini doughnuts. - Linking closely-related independent clauses: place a semicolon between two independent clauses (they could stand alone as a sentence) to link them in the same sentence. I don’t have time to practice fiddling; my school work is too demanding. It looks like it is going to rain; I better bring my umbrella. When going to school in St. Paul, Minnesota, I lived in an off-campus apartment complex; my next-door neighbor became my best friend. - Linking complete clauses with a conjunctive adverb: place a semicolon between independent clauses link with a conjunctive adverb, also known as a transitional word of phrase. Some common conjunctive adverbs are therefore, however, consequently, and hence. Phrases include on the other hand, in fact, and in conclusion. Follow transitional words and phrases with commas. It looks like it might rain; however, the weather report suggests sunshine all day. I don’t have time to practice before the concert; in fact, I hardly have enough time to change into my concert outfit. When NOT to use a semicolon - Use commas, not semicolons, after an independent clause (it could stand alone as a full sentence) joined with another independent clause by a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS). It looks like it’s going to rain, but the weather report on the radio said to expect sunshine all day. - Use a colon, not a semicolon, when what follows the punctuation restates what comes before. There are two things I need to do today: call my mother and feed the cat. - Use commas to separate items in a list if none of the items in the list requires commas too. 149
The first-year curriculum included courses in Torts, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Writing, and Justice. Colons ( : ): A colon is a form of punctuation used in several different situations. It often sets up and draws the reader’s attention to the ideas that come after it. - Prior to a list = Our girls softball team will play the following rivals: Aberdeen, Fort Hays State, Arkansas-Monticello, and Southwestern Oklahoma State. - Before an explanation that has a complete clause (could be a sentence) before it = There was only one priority left for me to see to: finish my homework. - To separate an independent clause from a quotation = My baseball coach loves to use the same phrase before every practice and game: “Shut up and play baseball.” - In a formal or business address = Dear Ms. Jackson: - To indicate time = The train leaves at 3:47 p.m. - Between a title and subtitle = The textbook for our class is called Ideas across Time: Classic and Contemporary Readings for Composition. - A scripture reference = Indicate the book of Luke, chapter 4, verse 7, like this: Luke 4:7. - To indicate the ratio = The ratio of cats to dogs was 4:1. When NOT to use a colon - Do not use a colon after a verb of being (am, are, was, were, will be, shall be, etc.). Incorrect: Her favorite subjects are: math and English. Correct: Her favorite subjects are math and English. - Do not use a colon after a preposition. Incorrect: The movie was directed by: Ingmar Bergman. Correct: The movie was directed by Ingmar Bergman. - Do not use colon after the words or expressions such as, for example, including, or namely. Incorrect: Ice cream comes in many delicious flavors, such as: bubble gum, vanilla, and chocolate. Chocolate includes: milk, dark, and double-double-dark. 150
Correct: Ice cream comes in many delicious flavors such as bubble gum, vanilla, and chocolate. Chocolate includes milk, dark, and double-double-dark. Semicolons and Colons - Exercises Instructions: For each sentence, select the punctuation mark from the choices inside the parentheses. 1. The defendant failed to check his rear-view mirror before changing lines ( , | ; | : ) therefore ( , | ; | : ) he breached a duty owed to the plaintiff. 2. There are two kinds of fruits in the table ( x | ; | : ) oranges and apples. 3. I have a lot to do today ( x | , | ; | : ) study for my test ( , | ; | : ) do my laundry ( , | ; | : ) both lights and darks ( , | ; | : ) wash the car ( , | ; | : ) and call my mom. 4. Zach came to class breathless and overwhelmed ( , | ; | : ) he had just come from volleyball practice. 5. The Europe trip will include visits to ( x | , | ; | : ) London ( , | ; ) England ( , | ; ) Rome ( , | ; ) Italy ( , | ; ) Paris ( , | ; ) France ( , | ;) Munich ( , | ; ) Germany ( , | ; ) and Warsaw ( , | ; ) Poland. 6. The book was written by ( , | x | : ) Peter Jay Montreville. 7. He was very tired ( , | ; | x ) but he decided to go to class rather than take a nap. 8. He was very tired ( , | ; | : ) however ( , | ; | : ) he decided his class was very important to miss. 9. The tables had wonderful decorations ( , | ; | : | x ) flowers ( , | ; ) balloons ( , | ; ) confetti ( , | ; ) ribbons ( , | ; ) and marble birds. 10. We discussed the Torah’s Bchar ( , | ; | : ) Leviticus 25 ( , | : ) l-26 ( , | : ) The Joy of Opportunity. 11. The colors of the banner are ( , | x | : ) blue, red, yellow, and black. 12. The lunchroom was decorated with ( , | ; | : | x ) balloons ( , | ; ) red ( , | ; | : ) yellow ( , | ; ) and black streamers ( , | ; ) and glow-in-the-dark stars. 13. The play was excellent ( , | ; | : ) the actors were lively ( , | ; | : | x ) and the set was 151
phenomenal. 14. The first book he cited in his paper was Understanding Comics ( , | ; | : | x ) The Invisible Art. 15. Her purse held many items ( , | x | : ) including ( , | x | : ) chapstick ( , | ; ) money ( , | ; ) a cell phone ( , | ;) cough drops ( , | ; ) and some pens. 16. It was the first of May ( , | ; ) all the spring buds on the trees were starting to open. 17. It rained heavily during the afternoon ( , | ; | : ) however ( , | ; | : ) we managed to have our picnic anyway. Fragments A fragment is an incomplete sentence punctuated as though a complete sentence. There are four sentence errors that can produce fragments. 1. FRAGMENT TYPE 1: No subject Usually, in order to express a thought completely, a sentence must contain a subject and a verb. Sometimes, however, it may contain only a verb. This particular kind of sentence (an imperative sentence) is used to express commands: for example, “Stop!” The verb is stop; the subject is understood to be “you” because the speaker is commanding someone else to stop. A group or words (that is not an imperative) written without subject is a fragment, and it can be corrected by simply adding the subject. Example: Was driving the car over the speed limit. Correction: The police officer was driving the car over the speed limit. Mini exercise 1: Follow the example above and correct the following fragments. 1. Felt embarrassed → __________________________________________________ 2. Knew the answer → ___________________________________________________ 2. FRAGMENT TYPE 2: No verb 152
A group of words written without a verb is a fragment. To solve this problem, simply add the verb. Example: The woman with the flower tattoo. Correction: The woman with the flower tattoo attracted some attention. Mini exercise 2: Follow the example above, and correct the following fragments. 1. The man in the blue velvet suit ___________________________________________ 2. The convention center downtown _________________________________________ 3. FRAGMENT TYPE 3: -ing verb with no helping verb A sentence containing a -ing verb without a helping verb (is, are, were, was, has/have been, will be, etc.) is a fragment. This can be easily corrected by adding an appropriate helping verb. Example: The patient struggling bravely against a terrible disease. Correction: The patient was struggling bravely against a terrible disease. Mini exercise 3: Following the example above, correct the following fragments. 1. The dancers circling the stage → _________________________________________ 2. The jet flying overhead → _______________________________________________ 4. FRAGMENT TYPE 4: Incomplete thought A dependent clause (a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought) that is punctuated as a sentence is a fragment. A dependent clause actually begins with a coordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun; the following words are some of the most common subordinate conjunctions and relative pronouns. You should be able to recognize most of them after because if that where whom which although even though since what when whoever unless as (as if) how so that whatever while who until 153
There are two ways to correct a dependent-clause fragment: 1. Because it is the subordinate conjunction that transforms the independent clause (simple sentence) into a dependent clause, removing the subordinate conjunction will leave you with a simple sentence. Example: That the children were very curious. Correction: The children were very curious. 2. Connect the dependent clause to an independent clause, and create a complex sentence. Example: Although I have an email account. Correction: Although I have an email account, I rarely email my friends. Mini exercise 4: Using the examples above as models, correct the following fragments. 1. Because small cars get better gas mileage. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 2. Although the passerby stopped at the scene of the accident. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Fragments - Exercises Application 1. Decide whether each group of words below is a sentence or a fragment. Write C in the blank if correct or F if incorrect. Correct the fragments. 1. ____ Before heading home, the tired student had another cup of coffee. ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 2. ____ Although obesity requires a person to modify the diet. ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 3. ____ After the hackers tried to disrupt the computer network. ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 4. The beautiful girl with the red hair and the bright eyes. ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 154
5. The teacher grading papers with a red pen. ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Application 2. Write the following paragraph carefully. Write C if it is a complete sentence and Frag if it is a fragment in the spaces after each sentence. Correct all the fragments. Summer should be a time to enjoy, yet many people consider it a miserable season. ( ) Infants and toddlers playing all the time in the summer. ( ) They are bothered by the heat. ( ) Since their bodies haven’t yet fully developed the ability to dissipate heat. ( ) Mothers find the situation frustrating because they cannot explain the causes to their babies and they cannot force their children to slow down. ( ) Apartment dwellers cannot enjoy summer either. ( ) Frequently, apartments lack cross-ventilation, so the hot air stays in the small, boxy rooms. ( ) Also, apartment dwellers do not own backyards, so they have no place to go on a fine summer day. ( ) Rather than just stepping out onto the lawn. ( ) They must plan a major trip to a park or beach for summertime fun. ( ) *You can correct the fragments within the text, or you can number them and correct them in the space below. Application 3. Read the passage that follows, and determine which sentences are in reality fragments. You can underline or highlight them. (1) Marina, the beautiful mermaid, wanted some tuna salad. (2) But had a small problem since she was allergic to celery. (3) At Sammy’s Sub Shop, Marina hoped to find tuna salad free from this dangerous vegetable. (4) Flopping across the tiled floor to the counter. (5) Marina placed her order and then checked her sandwich for celery. (6) Not noticing, however, the spoiled mayonnaise. (7) At five o’clock that evening, Marina became violently ill with food poisoning. (8) When a lifeguard at the beach discovered the problem, 155
he called 911. (9) Even though the mermaid had a fishy breath. (10) A handsome paramedic gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. (11) Wailing like a sick dog, the ambulance sped off to the hospital. (12) Where the doctor on call refused to treat a sea creature with a scaly tail. (13) A kind nurse, however, had more sympathy. (14) After she found some Pepto-Bismol. (15) Marina drank the entire bottle of pink liquid, feeling an immediate improvement. (16) The mermaid told the rude doctor never to swim in the ocean. (17) For she would order angry sharks to bite off the doctor’s legs. (18) While sharp-clawed crabs plucked out his eyes. (19) Tossing her long hair, Marina thanked the nurse for the Pepto-Bismol. (20) And took a mint from David, the handsome paramedic. Application 4. Choose the option (ONE option) that corrects an error in the underlined portions (from the underline portions, you have to identify the portion that contains the error, and then select the option that corrects that error). If no error exists, choose “No change is necessary”. 1. With a heavy dictionary, Donna thumbs the top of her ancient computer monitor. Whenever the color tint flickers from normal to silky yellow. A. … dictionary Donna ... B. … monitor whenever ... C. … flickers. From ... D. No change is necessary 2. When Kate saw the gray worm in the dissection tray. She folded her arms and refused to pick up the scalpel even though she would earn a zero in the lab. A. … tray, she ... B. … arms. And ... C. … scalpel. Even though ... D. No change is necessary 3. Karlene drove slowly through the heavy traffic. Anticipating a bag of microwave popcorn and a couple of hours in front of the television as her reward for a hard day at work. A. … traffic, anticipating ... 156
B. … popcorn, and ... C. … television. As ... D. No change is necessary 4. Because of all his responsibilities at work and school, Michael had no time to devote to the yard, so weeds, vines, and other insects thrived in this jungle. That neighbors looked on with disapproval. A. … school. Michael ... B. … yard so ... C. … jungle that ... D. No change is necessary 5. Citing writer’s block as the reason that she didn’t have the essay, Yao received no sympathy from Mrs. Santos. Who will only accept “breather’s block” as a legitimate excuse for late work. A. … reason, that ... B. … essay. Yao ... C. … Mrs. Santos, who ... D. No change is necessary 6. Mackenzie had to leave the room, for her father was noisily crunching raw radishes, which produced so annoying a sound that studying was impossible. A. … room. Because her ... B. … radishes. Which ... C. … sound; that ... D. No change is necessary 7. Because he had eaten a stack of twelve pancakes, Emmanuel heard his stomach begin to rumble as it processed the food. Gurgling loudly to protest the huge meal. A. … pancakes. Emmanuel ... B. … rumbre. As ... C. … food, gurgling D. No change is necessary 8. Although fans blew in every room, Faye found the house unbearably hot. And wished that the air conditioning repairman, who was already three hours late, would pull into her driveway. A. … room. Faye ... B. … hot and ... C. … repairman. Who ... 157
D. No change is necessary 9. A student fascinated with all things ancient Egyptian. Kemette squinted at the computer screen, hoping to find the information she needed to finish her research paper on Old Kingdom art. A. … Egyptian, Kemette ... B. … screen. Hoping ... C. … needed, to ... D. No change is necessary 10. Whenever one of her six cats jumps on the kitchen counter, Lorna just sighs. And reminds herself that everything tastes better if there is a little cat hair in it. A. … counter Lorna ... B. … sighs and ... C. … better, if ... D. No change is necessary 11. Piling into the car, Jorge and his friends drove to Little Anthony’s Pizzeria and gorged on house specialties, such as, garlic knots, meatballs, and sausage pizza. A. … Pizzeria and ... B. … specialties such … C. … as garlic ... D. No change is necessary 12. My appliances are always hungry. For example, the dryer will eat underwear, and the microwave will suck on half a frozen dinner while it is cooking. A. … hungry, for ... B. … underwear and ... C. … dinner, while ... D. No change is necessary 13. While Dr. Kinser bounced down the stairs and strode through the hallway. A brightly colored tie streamed over his shoulder, flapping in his wake. A. … stairs, and ... B. … hallway, a ... C. … shoulder flapping ... D. No change is necessary 14. Despite her parent’s disapproval, Tran continues to date Charlie. A nice young man 158
whose only fault is not being born Vietnamese. A. … disapproval Tran ... B. … Charlie, a ... C. … man. Whose ... D. No change is necessary 15. Anyone who visits Neil will find uneaten fruit all over his apartment. Such as rotting bananas on the kitchen counter, desiccated grapes in a bowl on the coffee table, and a drippy apple on the bureau by the bed. A. … apartment. For instance, rotting ... B. … counter. Desiccated ... C. … table. And ... D. No change is necessary 16. Searching travel websites to compare rooms and flight rates, Shaquita fantasized about a spring break vacation to Hawaii. As her unfinished algebra homework lay ignored on the desk. A. … websites, to ... B. … rates Shaquita ... C. … Hawaii as ... D. No change is necessary 17. Paulie is a daredevil who enjoys skydiving, motorcycle racing, and boxing. But won’t eat raw cookie dough because he is afraid of bacteria from uncooked eggs. A. … daredevil. Who ... B. … But he won’t ... C. … dough, because ... D. No change is necessary 18. The potted geranium wilted from lack of water on Terry’s kitchen window while the faucet dripped wastefully, staining the porcelain sink with rust. A. … wilted, from ... B. … window. While ... C. … wastefully staining ... D. No change is necessary 19. His arms full of science fiction paperbacks, Cary remembered that next semester’s tuition was due in two weeks. Making a trip to the library instead of the bookstore a better final decision. 159
A. … paperbacks Cary ... B. … remembered, that ... C. … weeks, making ... D. No change is necessary More Punctuation - Review - - Using Italics (Underlining) Italics are a slanting typeface used in printed material and can be produced by most word processing programs. In handwritten or typed papers, this typeface is indicated by underlining. Some instructors prefer underlining even if their students can produce italics. However, be consistent. Do not use both in the same paper, including footnotes and bibliography. This handout will use italics only, but they should be considered interchangeable with underlined text. Note: The rules for MLA and APA differ from the standard rules (check citation in the newest edition of each citation method). Title of Works - Titles of the following kinds of works should be italicized. Titles of Books The Great Gatsby, A Distant Mirror Magazines Time, Scientific American Newspapers the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (don’t italicize the word “the”) Pamphlets Common Sense, Facts about Marijuana Long Poems The Waste Land, Paradise Lost Famous Speeches Lincoln’s Grettysburg Address Plays King Lear, A Raisin in the Sun Films Casablanca, Independence Day Television Programs Friends, 60 minutes 160
Radio Programs All Things Considered Musical Compositions Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess Choreographic Works Twyla Tharp’s Brief Fling Works of Visual Arts Rodin’s The Thinker Comic Strips Dilbert Software WorldPerfect Web Sites Barron’s Online, ESPNET SportsZone The titles of other works, such as short stories, essays, songs, and short poems are enclosed in quotation marks. Do not italicize the Bible, titles of books in the Bible (Genesis, not Genesis), or titles of legal documents (the Constitution, not the Constitution). Do not italicize the title of your own paper. Names of Vehicles - Challenger, Titanic, Orient Express, Spirit of St. Louis, Elizabeth II, Silver Streak, Sputnik. - U.S.S Eisenhower (do not italicize U.S.S) - H.M.S Pinafore (do not italicize H.M.S when you are talking about the ship. If you are talking about the light opera, then it is part of the title H.M.S. Pinafore). Do not italicize names of vehicles that are brand names: Ford Explorer, Corvette, Boeing 747. Words as Words - Italics are used when talking about words, letters and numbers about themselves. - The origin of the word boy is unknown. - There were four and’s and one therefore in the last sentence. (Notice that the apostrophe “s” used to create the plural of the word-as-a-word and is not italicized). - Sarah called her father by his given name, Johnny, but she was unable to pronounce the J. - A big 3 was painted on the floor. Note: Quotation marks can be used instead of italics to set off the words mentioned above. Foreign Words or Phrases - If a word or phrase has become so widely used and understood that it has become part of the English language 一such as the French “bon voyage” or 161
the abbreviation for the Latin et cetera, “etc.”一 we would not italicize it. Often this becomes a matter of private judgment and context. For instance, whether you italicize the Italian sotto voce depends largely on your audience and your subject matter. Words as Reproduced Sounds - Grrr! Went the bear (However, you could say “the bear growled” because growled reports the nature of the sound but does not try to reproduce it. Thus, the bees buzz, but go bzzzz, and dogs bark woof!) - His head hits the stairs, kathunk! Frequently, mimetically produced sounds are also accompanied by exclamation marks. Science - Italics are used in certain disciplines for various specific purposes. Here are two of the commoner ones. In biology, genus and species names of living creatures are italicized. - The earliest known member of the genus Homo is H. habilis. - The cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) is a familiar American bird. Note that the genus name always has a capital letter, while the species name never does. Law - Names of legal cases are italicized: The famous case of Brown vs. Board of Education was a landmark in American legal story. Emphasis or Contrast - Italics can be used for emphasis; however, try not to overdo this or it will lose its effect. They may also be used to draw attention to some particular part of a text or to show contrast. - The Battle of New Orleans was fought in January 1815, two weeks after the peace treaty had been signed. - According to the linguistic Steven Pinker, “Many prescriptive rules of grammar are just plain dumb and should be deleted from the usage handbooks.” - Standard English usage requires insensitive rather than unsensitive. - Lemmings have, not two, but three kinds of sex chromosome. Quoted Thoughts - Quoted thoughts may be italicized to distinguish them from actual quotes that are surrounded by quotation marks: “I don’t know why you’re so angry,” he said. He rubbed the side of his nose and thought, what a spaz. Prologues and Interludes - Sometimes prologues of novels are written in italics, usually because they are outside the frame of the rest of the story. The italics let the reader know that the prologue is a sort of preamble to the main work. Interludes or other small sections that occur 162
between chapters may also be in italics if they are also outside the main thread of the work. The same goes to epilogues at the end of the piece. Hyperlinks - When composing in HTML, do not substitute underlining for italics, because underlining in HTML indicates that the underlined text is an active hypertext link. (All HTML editing programs automatically underline any text linked to another hypertext or Web site). Email - Many email systems do not allow for italics or underlining. In email, you can indicate italics by preceding and ending the term with underscore marks or asterisks. Punctuation should follow the coding: I am planning on writing my senior thesis on _Anna Karerina_. MLA Format - The MLA Handbook provides the following advice for the use of italics and underlining in word-processed texts intended for print-only publication: Many word-processing programs and computer printers permit the reproduction of italic type. In material that will be graded, edited or typeset; the type style of every letter and punctuation mark must be easily recognizable. Italic type is sometimes not distinctive enough for this purpose, and you can avoid ambiguity by using underlining when you intend italics. If you wish to use italics rather than underlining, check with your instructor or editor APA Format (Underlining) - Do not italicize or underline common foreign abbreviations (vice versa, et al., a priori) - Do not italicize or underline for mere emphasis - Italicize or underline the titles of books and articles, species names, introduction of new terms and labels (the first time only), words and phrases used as linguistic examples, letters used as statistical symbols, and volume numbers in reference lists. APA formatting also requires that you italicize level two, three, and four headings. Underlining (X) and Italics (X) Drawing a line under a word or phrase indicates the language has been singled out for a specific reason. Do not underline for emphasis; instead, choose strong words. When you underline, draw one continuous line with no spaces between words. Do not underline punctuation marks, except in abbreviations. Placing a word in italics is equivalent to underlining it. RULE #1: Underline or place in italics the titles of books, magazines, journals, newspapers and pamphlets. Exceptions: the Bible, the Koran, legal documents, and their parts are generally not underlined. Example: Did you read John Grisham’s The Rainmaker? 163
Did you read John Grisham’s The Rainmaker? RULE #2: Underline or placing italics the titles of movies, videos, plays, television and radio programs, operas, long poems, long musical works, works of art, and published speeches. Example: Saving Private Ryan was a popular 1998 movie. Lincol’s Gettysburg Address is one of the most moving speeches of all time. The Mona Lisa hangs in the Louvre in Paris. RULE #3: Underline or place in italics the names of ships trains aircraft and spacecraft Example: The aircraft carrier U.S.S Enterprise is one of the largest ships afloat. RULE #4: Underline or place in italics specific names foreign words and phrases and the names of legal cases. The —v in legal cases (Latin for versus or against), though, appears in regular font style in a legal citation. Example. Canis lupus (gray wolf) Semper fidelis Robertson v. Dallas RULE #5: underline or place in italics words being defined or words letters or numbers being named as wards or used as examples. Example: The letter ch can be pronounced like sh, as in the word chic. The Apostrophe The apostrophe is used to show ownership and to form contractions by replacing omitted letters or numbers. 164
Thinking about real-life situations helps us to understand the purpose of the apostrophe in our writing. Complete the following activity or answer the question “What’s the point of the apostrophe?” ____________________________________ What’s the Point of the Apostrophe? Apostrophes are often used in signs for businesses and in highway billboards. For example, the following photographs illustrate the different uses of the apostrophe. Study the signs showed and explain why an apostrophe was used in each one. What’s the point of apostrophes? ______________________________________ One Student’s Writing Response The following paragraph offers one writer’s reaction to the pictures that used apostrophes. The sign for the trading post uses an apostrophe to show that Tanner owns the trading post. The sign about Oklahoma City uses an apostrophe to shorten a word. Some letters are left out of the word “national”. An apostrophe is used for two general purposes: - To show ownership - To form contractions 165
The apostrophe is always misused because words with apostrophes sound similar to other words, as in the following sentence: The use of the words it’s in this sentence is incorrect because the contraction it’s means it is or it has, as in the phrases it’s a shame or it’s been a long time. Instead, the correct word to use is the possessive pronoun its to state that the toy mouse belongs to the cat. Understanding the purposes of an apostrophe will help you reduce its misuse. Use the Apostrophe to Show Ownership The possessive form of a noun and some pronouns is created by using an apostrophe followed, at times, by an -s. The possessive tells the reader that someone or something owns or possesses the next stated thing . The following chart lists and illustrates the rules for using an apostrophe to show possession. Using the Apostrophe for Ownership To Show Possession for... Correct Use of Apostrophe Example A singular noun Add ‘s My husband’s jon Henry’s car A singular noun ending with -s Add ‘s *Add ‘ The boss’s memo James’s home *James’ home (It is also acceptable to add just an 166
apostrophe for singular nouns ending with -s) A regular plural noun ending with -s Add ‘ The writers’ colony An irregular plural noun Add ‘s Women’s clothing Compound words Add ‘s Vice president’s speech Sister-in-law’s business Joint ownership of an item Add ‘s to the last noun Abbott and Costello’s comedy Individual ownership Add ‘s to both nouns Romney’s and Obama’s approaches to public speaking (each person has his own approach) Indefinite pronouns ending with one or body Add ‘s Someone’s computer Practice 1. Rephrase each item to show possession using an apostrophe. 1. The papers of the students: 11. The cat of the Jones 2. The pen of the student 12. The gavel of the vice chairperson 3. The Facebook page of Charles 13. The old pub owned by Jim and Joe 167
4. The association of business women 14. The leashes of the dogs 5. The home of my sister-in-law 15. The toys of the dog 6. The computers of Tim and Tia 16. The backpacks of the children 7. The kitchen of Tim and Tia 17. The school supplies of a child 8. The coffee of somebody 18. The jeans of Robert 9. The agenda of the trustees 19. The clothing of men 10. The collar of Jaz 20. The belief of everyone 168
Practice 2. Edit the sentences for the correct use of the apostrophe to indicate possession. 1. Haiti citizens experienced a powerful earthquake in 2010. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 2. The earthquakes power killed more than 2,000 thousand people and turned buildings into rubble. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 3. Rachel learned about the Haitian people needs through Food for the Poors presentation about the group relief effort in Haiti. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 4. Rachel Wheeler pledge to help led the construction of 27 homes in a community near Leogane. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 5. Leogane is about an hours drive from Port-au-Prince. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 6. The locals name for the new home is Rachel's Village. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 7. Many of the village occupants had never owned a home with indoor plumbing or a sturdy, waterproof roof. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 169
8. This 11-year-old girl fundraising efforts will also build the community new school. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 9. A person age should not keep him or her from taking action. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 10. Write a sentence that correctly uses an apostrophe to show possession. Suggested topic: Volunteering to meet a community in need. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Practice 3. Edit the following paragraph for the correct use of the apostrophe to indicate possession. My husbands family and I loved each other the moment we met. My mother’s-in-law Southern hospitality made me feel at home, and right away, my three future brothers-in-law began teasing me just like I was a little sister. Everyones sense of humor makes the family so much fun to be with. Some of my familys favorite memories are of Christmas in my in-laws house. Just like me, my childrens excitement always grows as we get ready to go to Pops and Mimis house on Christmas morning. One year, their cats mischievous nature created the days’ excitement. Kitty, who like to climb the Christmas tree, suddenly sprung out of the 170
tree and toppled it over. Many of the gifts wrapping papers were soaked from the water in the tree stand. Everyone laughed, undisturbed by the mess. Write a sentence that correctly uses an apostrophe to use possession. Suggested topic: An item that has special meaning. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ __________________________________ Use the Apostrophe to Form Contractions An apostrophe is used to indicate the omission of letters to form a contraction. Most often, a contraction is formed to join two words to make one shorter word such as don’t for do not. However, sometimes an apostrophe is used to form a one-word contraction such as ma’am for madam and gov’t for government. An apostrophe ( ‘ ) takes the place of the letters that are dropped to form the contraction. The use of contractions gives a piece of writing an informal tone and records on paper the way we speak in general conversation. Writing for college courses usually requires a formal, academic tone. Thus, many professors discourage the use of contractions. Check with your professors about the required tone of your writing assignments. To ensure proper use of the apostrophe, the following chart illustrates how the contrasted verbs are formed. Apostrophe Use in Common Contractions - The apostrophe replaces the omitted letters. ‘m I am = I’m → Apostrophe replaces “a” in “am” ‘s It is = It’s → Apostrophe replaces “i” in “is” ‘re ‘ve 171
You are = you’re → Apostrophe replaces “a” in “are” I have = I’ve → Apostrophe replaces “ha” in “have” n’t Is not = isn’t → Apostrophe replaces “o” in “not” ‘ll I will = I’ll → Apostrophe replaces “wi” in “will” Practice 1. Use apostrophes to form contractions in the following words 1. I am → 6. Should not → 2. He is → 7. He has → 3. Could not → 8. It has → 4. Let us → 9. It will → 5. They are → 10. They have → ___________________________________ Edit the Common Misuses of the Apostrophe Quite often, the apostrophe is misused in several specific ways. The following chart lists and illustrates these common misuses of the apostrophe. Always base your use of an apostrophe on a specific rule. Proofread your writing for these common mistakes. 1. Do not use an apostrophe to form a plural noun. Correct Plural Incorrect Plural homes books home’s book’s 172
2. Do not use an apostrophe to form a possessive noun. Correct Incorrect ours hers theirs our’s her’s their’s 3. Do not omit the apostrophe to form the possessive indefinite pronoun. Correct Incorrect one’s everybody’s ones everybodys 4. Do not confuse contractions with similar sounding words. Contractions Possessive Nouns It’s (it is) Who’s (who is) they’re (they are) its whose their Practice 2. Edit the following sentences to ensure correct use of the apostrophe. 1. Africa most active volcano is erupting. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 2. The volcano is located in a remote area of the Democratic Republic of Congos National Park. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 173
3. The volcanos name is Nyamulagira, and this might be its biggest eruption in 100 years. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 4. Sunday nights eruption was a wondrous spectacle. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 5. The ash, lava, and smoke plumes soar ¼ mile high with a fire boiling yellows, reds, and oranges. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 6. The experts opinions agree that human lives aren’t at risk this time. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 7. The surrounding regions inhabitants include wildlife as well as humans. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 8. The lava flow hasnt yet reached 40 chimpanzees habitat, but most likely, itll be destroyed. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 9. Unlike Mt. St. Helens blast of rock and ash, this eruption wont be catastrophic. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 10. Its a shield volcano and its eruptions produce nonthreatening lava flows. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Practice 3. Edit the following paragraph to ensure correct use of the apostrophe. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez was once the toast of Los Angeles. From the outfield, fans held up the letters, “Mannywood” as they cheered him on. All of that changed when it was discovered that Ramirez performance may have been enhanced by a womens fertility drug that boost’s testosterone levels. Ramirez was 174
suspended for 50 games. He join’s a growing list of professional athlete’s accused of using performance enhancement drugs. Los Angeles Dodgers team, Joe Torre, is supporting Ramirez for now, saying, “I’m not going to abandon the guy. Theres’ a human being there that I’m concerned about.” Write a sentence that correctly uses an apostrophe. Suggested topic: A present you would like to give someone. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Practice 4. Edit the following paragraph to ensure correct use of the apostrophes. The Hatfield’s feud with the McCoys became one of the most infamous feuds in history. They’are feud may be explained by a rare disease that may cause rage and violence. Dozens of the McCoys, who’s symptoms have been documented, suffer from Hippel-Lindau disease. It’s symptoms include headache, excessive sweating, racing heart, anxiety, and excess adrenaline. Write a sentence that correctly uses the apostrophe. Suggested topic: The causes or effects of road rage. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Practice 5 - Editing for Everyday Life. Assume you have been having problems with the cellphone you just bought, and you are writing a letter of complaint to the manufacturer. Proofread and edit the body of the letter to ensure appropriate use of apostrophes. Recently, I purchased a Diamond Phone your currently advertising. Im writing to express my disappointment with you’re product. I no longer use my phone for several reasons. First, the callers voice sounds muffled, or I cant what someones 175
voice message because of an echo in the phone. Im also disappointed in the quality of pictures taken with this phones camera. Bright colors looked washed out, and the prints didnt looked crisp. In addition, the devices video feature isnt working. Overall, its being a disappointing purchase! Practice 6 - Editing for College Life. Assume you have been required to write a one-paragraph summary about stress for your psychology class. Proofread and edit the paragraph to ensure appropriate use of apostrophes. Human action takes place within a persons’ life space. Forces or demands within the life space cause ones movement from activity to activity. An individuals motivation leads to many demands. However, a human beings resources often cant meet those demands, so the person feels the strain to perform. Stress is the normal reaction. Its harmful to well-being and results in negative feelings and behaviors. Examples of stressors rage from tolerating neighbors loud music to losing a loved one. A natural disasters’ impact, like a major earthquake, is so vast that it’s known as a cataclysmic event. Demands or stressors cause an individual to make adjustments. An individual whose stressed needs to develop coping behaviors. Quotation Marks Quotation marks are used to set off exact words either written or spoken by other people or set off titles of short works. Quotation marks help us to record the ideas of other people. Thinking about a real life situation 176
helps us to understand the purpose of quotation marks in our communication. Complete the following activity and answer the question “What’s the point of quotation marks?” ___________________________________ What’s the Point of Quotation Marks? Assume you are a fan of celebrity fitness trainer Bob Harper. You are researching his approach to physical fitness and weight loss. In your research, you have come across the following ideas. Use these ideas to test your current understanding of the use of quotation marks. Note the various correct ways to use quotation marks. Then complete the survey about quotation marks that follows. - Bob Harper is a coach in NBC’s hit TV show The Biggest Loser. - Bob Harper is the creator of the “Inside Out” method of weight loss. - Bob tweets, “Make the commitment to live a healthier lifestyle… TODAY!” - Bob tells his clients to change their minds, bodies, and spirits to lose weight. - “Bob Harper,” one if his fans declares, “is an inspiration to millions of people.” Survey about the Use of Quotation Marks: Mark each statement T for true and F for false. 1. ____ Certain types of titles may be set off in quotation marks. 2. ____ The exact words of a speaker are set off with a pair of quotation marks. 3. ____ The end period of a sentence comes after a quotation mark. 4. ____ A speech tag is a subject and a verb that identifies a speaker. 5. ____ Speech tags only appear in front of a quotation. 6. ____ Commas appear inside quotation marks. 7. ____ All ideas of others must be placed in quotation marks. 8. ____ All titles are surrounded by quotation marks. 9. ____ A quotation is the use of someone’s exact words. 10. ____ The title of a television show is not punctuated with quotation marks. What’s the point of quotation marks? ___________________________________ 177
One Student Writer’s Response The following paragraph offers one writer’s reaction to the survey about quotation marks. Taking the survey about the use of quotation marks showed me what I know. For example, I marked #1 as true, but I’m not sure what types of titles use quotation marks. So the survey also shows me what I still need to learn about quotation marks. As another example, I said #7 was true, that all the ideas of other people had to be put in quotes, but it’s not true. I want to know when exactly to use quotes and when not to. The survey also taught me some things too. For example, I didn’t know what a speech tag was until I took the survey. __________________________________ Use quotation marks (“”) to set off direct quotes 一the exact words spoken by someone or quoted from another source一and for titles of short works. Always use the quotation marks in pairs. The first quotation mark (“), also known as the opening quotation mark, indicates the beginning of the quoted material. The second quotation mark ( “), also called the closing quotation mark, indicates the end of the quoted material. Four general rules guide the use of quotation marks with other pieces of punctuation. Follow General Guidelines for Using Quotation Marks 1. Place commas ( , ) and periods ( . ) inside the quotation marks (“”). 2. Place semicolons ( ; ) and colons ( : ) outside the quotation marks (“”). 178
3. Place the question mark ( ? ) inside the quotation marks when it is part of the quotation. Place the question mark outside the quotation marks when the larger sentence is a question, but the quotation included it is not. 4. Use single quotation marks ( ‘ ‘ ) for quoted information一or titles of short works一that appear within the direct quotation. Practice 1. Edit each sentence to ensure correct punctuation of quoted information and titles. Insert quotation marks and other punctuation as needed. 179
1. According to author Deborah Tannen, in her 2006 article in The Los Angeles Times Daughters and mothers agree on what the hurtful conversations are. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 2. I love your hair when its combed back a mother said to her grown daughter. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 3. The daughter snaps back Are you saying my hair looks unattractive this way? ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 4. The teacher asks Do you agree with Tannen’s statement Attention to hair reveals一and creates一intimacy ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 5. Tannen’s 2006 article My Mother, My Hair is about how mothers and daughters talk to each other. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 6. In 2009, the Washington Post published Deborah Tannen’s article My Rivals, My Solace… My Sisters ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 7. Tannen calls herself a linguist who studies how conversation shapes relationships. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 8. Tannen opens the article by stating We’re like sisters, women say of their friends. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 9. Closeness Tannen states is the holy grail of sister relationships. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 10. Write a quotation that records an idea stated by someone else. Suggested topic: An opinion that differs from you. ____________________________________________________________________________ 180
______________________________________________________________ __________________________________ Format and Punctuate Direct Quotations One part of the direct quotation is the speech tag or the credit given to the source, the person who spoke or wrote the idea. A speech tag is formed by a subject (the speaker) and the verb that indicates the subject is speaking. The location of the speech tags affects the punctuation of a direct quotation. A speech tag can appear at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a quote. The following examples highlight the correct use of commas, periods, capitalization, and quotation marks based on the placement of the speech tag. Punctuating Direct Quotations 1. Speech tag at the beginning: 2. Speech tag in the middle of quote 2.1. Quotation is stated in one sentence: 181
2.2. Quotation is stated in two sentences: 3. Speech tag at the end of quote: Practice 2. Edit each sentence to ensure correct punctuation of direct quotations and titles. Insert quotation marks and other punctuation as needed. Discuss your answers with a classmate. 1. Deanese sat at the kitchen table and said Mom, I need to talk to you ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 2. Well, I am all ears, ready to lister her mother Michelle replied. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 3. This girl at school Daenese began is bullying my friend Keesha ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 182
4. What is this girl’s name? Michelle probed. Describe how she is bullying Keesha ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 5. Daenese answered The bully is Kim, and she calls Keesha stupid and ugly ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 6. Kim also threatens to beat her Daenese continued unless Keesha gives her money ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 7. Michelle shook her head Does she really threatens Keesha physically and call her stupid and ugly? ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 8. I am so glad you came to me Michelle exclaimed because I can help” ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 9. What are you going to do? Daenese asked her mother. ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 10. Write a direct quotation to record something someone else said. Suggested topic: A piece of good advice. ____________________________________________________________________________ __________________________ Format and Punctuate Dialogue Including dialogue in a piece of writing adds interest, details and authenticity. Dialogue conveys action, time, place, and the traits and values of the speakers. Most often, dialogue is associated with creative writing, story telling, and journalism, but a well-crafted or carefully chosen piece of dialogue can also effectively support a point in an academic paper. The following statements offer a few basic tips for formatting and punctuating dialogue. - Follow the formatting and punctuation rules for direct quotations. - Use quotation marks to indicate the speaker’s exact words. - Use speech tags to make sure the reader knows who is speaking. - Vary the placement of speech tags. - Begin a new paragraph to change speakers; record each person’s turn at 183
speaking, no matter how brief, in a separate paragraph. - When the speaker speech is longer than one paragraph: -Begin the speech with a quotation mark. - Do not use quotation marks at the end of the first paragraph or subsequent paragraphs. Instead, begin each new paragraph in the speech with a quotation mark. - End the speech with a closing quotation mark at the end of the last paragraph. Applying Appropriate Formatting Note the ways in which a student taking a unit exam for a college communication class applies appropriate formatting and punctuation rules for writing dialogue. Communication Unit Exam Study Question: Define and illustrate the communication process. In his book Interpersonal Communication, Joseph DeVito states, “The communication process is made up of five phases: opening, feed-forward, business, feedback, and closing.” The opening may be a greeting or a question. Feed-forward sets the tone and indicates the topic of conversation. Business is the core focus or goal of the conversation. Feedback is a summary of what has been said. Finally, closing is the goodbye. The following dialogue illustrates these five stages of communication. ……... “Hi Summer, how are you?” Joe asked. ……... “Hey Joe, I’m okay. What about you? What’s up?” Summer replied. ……... “Well, I was wondering if I could see your notes from yesterday’s class.” Joe said. “I want to ace this next test.” “Yeah, it was a lot of information. Where were you, anyway?” Summer asked. “I was in a wreck!” Joe exclaimed. “I was driving down Williamson Boulevard and was going through an intersection. I had the green light. And this truck suddenly runs the red light and slams into me on the passenger’s side. The impact spun me completely around. “We had to wait about 30 minutes before the police arrived. Then I had to wait another hour before the tow truck showed up. By that time, class was over. My car is totaled, a complete lost. The other driver didn’t even have insurance.” “At least you weren’t hurt. Here are my notes.” Summer grinned. 184
“Thanks, Summer. I owe you one,” Joe replied. Comments: 1. New paragraphs signal change of speaker. 2. Varied use of speech tag. 3. No closing quotation marks because this speech is two paragraphs long. 4. Quotation mark signals continued speech. 5. Quotation mark signals the end of two-paragraph speech. _______________________________________ Use Direct and Indirect Quotations The spoken or printed words of other people are written in two ways: as direct quotations or as an indirect quotation. So far you have been learning about direct quotations, which uses a pair of quotation marks to indicate someone else’s exact words. In contrast, an indirect quotation rephrases or rewords what someone else said or wrote. An indirect quotation is a paraphrase of someone else’s words. Never use quotation marks with indirect quotations. To paraphrase a direct quotation into an indirect quotation, follow these steps: How to Paraphrase a Direct Quotation into an Indirect Quotation 1. Remove the quotation marks and internal capital letters 2. Add the word that to introduce the paraphrased idea. 3. Revise verbs into past tense, except for actions continuing in the past. 4. Revise verbs that command into their infinitive form; revise speech tag for logical sense. 5. Revise pronouns and signal words as needed. 185