The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation (6 page)

Read The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation Online

Authors: Jane Straus,Lester Kaufman,Tom Stern

Chapter 2
Punctuation
Periods
Rule 1
. Use a period at the end of a complete sentence that is a statement.
Example
:
I know him well
.
Rule 2
. If the last item in the sentence is an abbreviation that ends in a period, do not follow it with another period.
Incorrect
:
This is Alice Smith, M.D
..
Correct
:
This is Alice Smith, M.D
.
Correct
:
Please shop, cook, etc. We will do the laundry
.
Rule 3
. Question marks and exclamation points replace and eliminate periods at the end of a sentence.
Commas

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

Rule 1
. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items.
Example
:
My estate goes to my husband, son, daughter-in-law, and nephew
.

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

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

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

We had coffee, cheese and crackers, and grapes
.

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

Rule 2
. Use a comma to separate two adjectives when the adjectives are interchangeable.
Example
:
He is a strong, healthy man
.
We could also say
healthy, strong man
.
Example
:
We stayed at an expensive summer resort
.
We would not say
summer expensive resort
, so no comma.
Rule 3a
. Many inexperienced writers run two independent clauses together by using a comma instead of a period. This results in the dreaded
run-on sentence
or, more technically, a
comma splice
.
Incorrect
:
He walked all the way home, he shut the door
.
There are several simple remedies:
Correct
:
He walked all the way home. He shut the door
.
Correct
:
After he walked all the way home, he shut the door
.
Correct
:
He walked all the way home, and he shut the door
.
Rule 3b
. In sentences where two independent clauses are joined by connectors such as
and, or, but
, etc., put a comma at the end of the first clause.
Incorrect
:
He walked all the way home and he shut the door
.
Correct
:
He walked all the way home, and he shut the door
.
Some writers omit the comma if the clauses are both quite short:
Example
:
I paint and he writes
.
Rule 3c
. If the subject does not appear in front of the second verb, a comma is generally unnecessary.
Example
:
He
thought
quickly but still
did
not
answer
correctly
.
Rule 4a
. Use a comma after certain words that introduce a sentence, such as
well, yes, why, hello, hey
, etc.
Examples
:
Why, I can't believe this!
No, you can't have a dollar
.
Rule 4b
. Use commas to set off expressions that interrupt the sentence flow (
nevertheless, after all, by the way, on the other hand, however
, etc.).
Example
:
I am, by the way, very nervous about this
.
Rule 5
. Use commas to set off the name, nickname, term of endearment, or title of a person directly addressed.
Examples
:
Will you, Aisha, do that assignment for me?
Yes, old friend, I will
.
Good day, Captain
.
Rule 6
. Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.
Example
:
It was in the
Sun'
s June 5, 2003, edition
.
No comma is necessary for just the month and year.
Example
:
It was in a June 2003 article
.
Rule 7
. Use a comma to separate a city from its state, and remember to put one after the state, also.
Example
:
I'm from the Akron, Ohio, area
.
Rule 8
. Traditionally, if a person's name is followed by
Sr
. or
Jr
., a comma follows the last name:
Martin Luther King, Jr
. This comma is no longer considered mandatory. However, if a comma does precede
Sr
. or
Jr
., another comma must follow the entire name when it appears midsentence.
Correct
:
Al Mooney Sr. is here
.
Correct
:
Al Mooney, Sr., is here
.
Incorrect
:
Al Mooney, Sr. is here
.
Rule 9
. Similarly, use commas to enclose degrees or titles used with names.
Example
:
Al Mooney, M.D., is here
.
Rule 10
. When starting a sentence with a dependent clause, use a comma after it.
Example
:
If you are not sure about this, let me know now
.
But often a comma is unnecessary when the sentence starts with an independent clause followed by a dependent clause.
Example
:
Let me know now if you are not sure about this
.
Rule 11
. Use commas to set off nonessential words, clauses, and phrases (see the “Who, That, Which” section in Chapter One, Rule 2b).
Incorrect
:
Jill who is my sister shut the door
.
Correct
:
Jill, who is my sister, shut the door
.
Incorrect
:
The man knowing it was late hurried home
.
Correct
:
The man, knowing it was late, hurried home
.
In the preceding examples, note the comma after
sister
and
late
. Nonessential words, clauses, and phrases that occur midsentence must be enclosed by commas. The closing comma is called an
appositive comma
. Many writers forget to add this important comma. Following are two instances of the need for an appositive comma with one or more nouns.
Incorrect
:
My best friend, Joe arrived
.
Correct
:
My best friend, Joe, arrived
.
Incorrect
:
The three items, a book, a pen, and paper were on the table
.
Correct
:
The three items, a book, a pen, and paper, were on the table
.
Rule 12
. If something or someone is sufficiently identified, the description that follows is considered nonessential and should be surrounded by commas.
Examples
:
Freddy, who has a limp, was in an auto accident
.
If we already know which Freddy is meant, the description is not essential.
The boy who has a limp was in an auto accident
.
We do not know which boy is meant without further description; therefore, no commas are used.
This leads to a persistent problem. Look at the following sentence:
Example
:
My brother Bill is here
.
Now, see how adding two commas changes that sentence's meaning:
Example
:
My brother, Bill, is here
.
Careful writers and readers understand that the first sentence means I have more than one brother. The commas in the second sentence mean that Bill is my only brother.
Why? In the first sentence,
Bill
is essential information: it identifies which of my two (or more) brothers I'm speaking of. This is why no commas enclose
Bill
.
In the second sentence,
Bill
is nonessential information—whom else but Bill could I mean?—hence the commas.
Comma misuse is nothing to take lightly. It can lead to a train wreck like this:
Example
:
Mark Twain's book
, Tom Sawyer,
is a delight
.
Because of the commas, that sentence states that Twain wrote only one book. In fact, he wrote more than two dozen of them.
Rule 13a
. Use commas to introduce or interrupt direct quotations.
Examples
:
He said,
“
I don't care
.”
“
Why,
”
I asked,
“
don't you care?
”
This rule is optional with one-word quotations.
Example
:
He said
“
Stop
.”
Rule 13b
. If the quotation comes before
he said, she wrote, they reported, Dana insisted
, or a similar attribution, end the quoted material with a comma, even if it is only one word.
Examples
:
“
I don't care,
”
he said
.
“
Stop,
”
he said
.
Rule 14
. Use a comma to separate a statement from a question.
Example
:
I can go, can't I?
Rule 15
. Use a comma to separate contrasting parts of a sentence.
Example
:
That is my money, not yours
.
Rule 16a
. Use a comma before and after certain introductory words or terms, such as
namely, that is, i.e., e.g
., and
for instance
, when they are followed by a series of items.
Example
:
You may be required to bring many items, e.g., sleeping bags, pans, and warm clothing
.
Rule 16b
. Commas should precede the term
etc
. and enclose it if it is placed midsentence.
Example
:
Sleeping bags, pans, warm clothing, etc., are in the tent
.
Note
The abbreviation
i.e
. means “that is”;
e.g
. means “for example.”
Semicolons

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

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

Incorrect
:
I have one goal; to find her
.
Correct
:
I have one goal: to find her
.
Rule 1
. A semicolon can replace a period if the writer wishes to narrow the gap between two closely linked sentences.
Examples
:
Call me tomorrow; you can give me an answer then
.
We have paid our dues; we expect all the privileges listed in the contract
.
Rule 2
. Use a semicolon before such words and terms as
namely, however, therefore, that is, i.e., for example, e.g., for instance
, etc., when they introduce a complete sentence. It is also preferable to use a comma after these words and terms.
Example
:
Bring any two items; however, sleeping bags and tents are in short supply
.
Rule 3
. Use a semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units contain commas.
Incorrect
:
The conference has people who have come from Moscow, Idaho, Springfield, California, Alamo, Tennessee, and other places as well
.
Note that with only commas, that sentence is hopeless.
Correct
:
The conference has people who have come from Moscow, Idaho; Springfield, California; Alamo, Tennessee; and other places as well
.
Rule 4
. A semicolon may be used between independent clauses joined by a connector, such as
and, but, or, nor
, etc., when one or more commas appear in the first clause.
Example
:
When I finish here, and I will soon, I'll be glad to help you; and that is a promise I will keep
.

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