Basic Rules of Punctuation and Gramma

BasicRulsofPunctuationandGrammarB.W.VanNordn(rsionof29August2015)Thfollowingrulsaralmostunirsallyfollowdbypublishrs,notjustinacadmiabutalsoinpopularmdia.IwillcitthsrulsbynumbrwhnIcorrctyourssays.ThfirststofrulsistaknfromWilliamStrunkandE.B.Whit’sThElmntsofStyl,4thd.(Longman,1999),whichisaclassicguidtousagandcomposition.Followingthat,Iadddsomadditionalrulstoaddrssmistaksthatarcommonamongcontmporarystudnts.Mysamplsntncsarinitalics.Morcomprhnsirfrncworksonformattingandusagincludthfollowing:ModrnLanguagAssociation,MLAHandbookforWritrsofRsarchPaprs,7thd.(ModrnLanguagAssociation,2009).Thisguidtoformatandusagtndstobfaordbytachrsoflitratur.UnirsityofChicagoPrssStaff,ThChicagoManualofStyl,16thd.(UnirsityofChicagoPrss,2010).Thisguidisfaordbymanysocialscintistsandphilosophrs.VassarCollgstudntscanfrlyaccssitonlinfromoncampus:http:www.chicagomanualofstyl.org16contnts.htmlVassarCollg,OriginalityandAttribution,http:danofthcollg.assar.dudocumntsoriginality(accssdAugust26,2015).VassarCollgstudntsarrquirdtoharadandabidbythrulsinthispublication,whichxplainswhatplagiarismisandhowtoaoidit.I.StrunkandWhit’sOriginalRuls1.Formthpossssisingularofnounsbyadding’s.(Anxcptiontothisrulisthatthpossssiformofthpronounitisits.Thwordit’s,withthapostroph,mansitis.)Ifyouownacar,it’sagoodidatochangitsoilry5,000mils.Commas2.Inasrisofthrormortrmswithasinglconjunction,usacommaaftrachtrmxcptthlast.(Thisissomtimscalldan“Oxfordcomma.”)WRONG:RachlRayfindsinspirationincookinghrfamilyandhrdog.RIGHT:RachlRayfindsinspirationincooking,hrfamily,andhrdog.3.Enclosparnthticxprssionsbtwncommas.Mydog,whoisusuallyquitfrindly,barkdathrfrociously.Inthprcdingsntnc,thphraswithincommasissaidtob“nonrstricti,”bcausitproidsadditionalinformationaboutthnounphras(“mydog”).Howr,youdonotuscommasarounda“rstricti”phras,onthatidntifiswhichofsralthingsyouarrfrringto.Mycatwhohasbrownspotsisfrindly,butmycatwhohasgrayspotsisshy.4.Placacommabforaconjunctionintroducinganindpndntclaus.Hisajrk,andhsmllsbad.5.Donojoinindpndntclaussbyacomma.(Thismistakiscallda“runonsntnc”ora“commasplic.”)WRONG:JamsJoycwasonofthgratstEnglishlanguagwritrs,hisworksarstinDublin.RIGHT:JamsJoycwasonofthgratstEnglishlanguagwritrs.HisworksarstinDublin.6.Donotbraksntncsintwo.(Inothrwords,don’tusapriodwhryoushouldusacomma,colon,ordash.)WRONG:Hwasanintrstingtalkr.Amanwhohadtraldallorthworld,andlidinhalfadozncountris.1RIGHT:Hwasanintrstingtalkr,amanwhohadtraldallorthworld,andlidinhalfadozncountris.OthrPunctuation:Colons,Smicolons,Dashs,andHyphns7.Usacolonaftranindpndntclaustointroducalistofparticulars,anappositi,anamplification,oranillustratiquotation.Hisbackpackcontaindthusualcampingsupplis:food,flashlight,compass,firstaidkit,tc.Donotconfuscolons(:)andsmicolons(;).Asmicolonistypicallyusdtosparattwocompltsntncswhosmaningiscloslyconnctd.Thintllctualpartofhisnaturwasalradyffacd;hhadpowronlytofl,andflingwastormnt.2Intuitily,acolonindicatsaslightly“strongr”brakthanacomma,whilasmicolonindicatsaslightly“wakr”brakthanapriod.8.Usadashtostoffanabruptbrakorintrruptionandtointroducalongappositiorsummary.Inachildcntrdfamily,thstarathltgtsallthattntion.Erythingls–thparnts'marriag,siblings–isscondary.3Donoconfushyphnsanddashs.Usahyphntoindicatthattwowordsartobradtogthrasacompoundadjcti.In1991ToddMarinoichhadathryar,$2.25millioncontractasafirstrounddraftchoicwiththL.A.Raidrs.4Noticthatadashislongrthanahyphn.GrammarandComposition9.Thnumbrofthsubjctdtrminsthnumbrofthrb.WRONG:“Thnyouwakupatthhighschoolllandfindoutthatthillitracyllofourchildrnarappalling.”5RIGHT:Thnyouwakupatthhighschoolllandfindoutthatthillitracyllofourchildrnisappalling.10.Usthproprcasofthpronoun.(I,w,sh,h,thy,andwhoarsubjctsofthrb.M,us,hr,him,thm,andwhomarobjctsofthrborprposition.)Igaittohim,butIdon’tknowwhomhsolditto,sodon’tblamm.Inthprcdingsntnc,thfirstIisthsubjctofthrbga,whilhimisthobjctofthprpositionto.Histhsubjctofthrbsold,andwhomisthobjctofthprpositionto.Finally,misthobjctofrbblam.11.Aparticipialphrasatthbginningofasntncmustrfrtothgrammaticalsubjct.WRONG:Binginadilapidatdcondition,Iwasabltobuythhousrychap.6RIGHT:Iwasabltobuythhousrychap,bcausitwasinadilapidatdcondition.14.Usthactioic.WRONG:MyfirstisittoBostonwillalwaysbrmmbrdbym.7RIGHT:IshallalwaysrmmbrmyfirstisittoBoston.817.Omitndlsswords.WRONG:I’mgonnahatosayThGratGatsby,bcaushlidalifofjusthidinghistruslf,andhtridtomakpopllohimforwhohwasn’t,andhwntoutandtridto,youknow,buyxpnsicarsandclothsand,youknow,tryingtomakpopllohim.9RIGHT:ThGratGatsby,bcausGatsbyhidhistruslf,andtridtomakpopllohimbybuyingxpnsicarsandcloths.II.VanNordn’sSupplmntalRuls23.Titlsofbooks,plays,albums,andpriodicalsarputinitalics.Titlsofarticls,songs,andpomsarputinquotationmarks.MyfaoritstoryinDublinrsis“ThSistrs.”Quotations24.Putbrifquotationsindoublquotationmarks.25.Putcommasandpriodsinsidquotationmarks.26.An“indx”(thnumbrorsymbolthatidntifisafootnot)gostothrightofallothrpunctuation.ThfollowingxamplsillustratRuls24,25,and26:AnothrtimshasksSusan,Isitsunnyallthtiminthworldwhryouli?AndSusanrplis,Ys,itis,andunlikmostpopl,Idon’tfrckl.10InrthoughtI'dsomdaybplayingasuprhro,crtainlynotatmyag,saysth47yaroldSpinrwithalaugh.1127.Ussinglquotationmarkstoidntifyquotationsmbdddindoublquotationmarks.Itwasn’tuntilachancncountrwithaHollywoodproducrduringaisittoLosAnglsthatWalkrconsidrdactingasacarr.Iwashaingdinnr,andthisguycamuptominthrstaurantandsaid,'You’rrallyfunny.Ihaapartinamoiforyou,'shrcalls.Ithought,'Whatawirdo.'1228.Longrquotdtxt(approximatly4linsormor)shouldbstasblockquotations.Blockquotationsardistinguishdfromthrstofthparagraphbyhaingalftmarginindntdmorthanthmainparagraph.Donotputquotationmarksaroundablockquotation!Parnthss29.Ifacommntinparnthssispartofasntnc,thfinalpunctuationgosoutsidthparnthss.Aftrhisbrakdownandrmoalfromthschoolboardinghous,hisparntssnthimtoaLondonpsychoanalystinthblif,apparntly,thathistroublswrattributabltohomosxuality(aconditionhisfathrconsidrdonlymarginallylsshinousthanBolshism).13Aparnthticalcommntwithinasntnccannclosanxclamationpointorqustionmarkwhnthsnsrquirsit:WallsmokdxcptforMoryAmstrdam(wasn'ththsmartstonofall?),andwsmokdalot.14Wndyiswhininginfrustrationlikanyoutofcontroladolscntwould(sadly,sh'sinhr20s!),butPaulinistryingtotachhradultrsponsibility.1530.Ifasntncbginsandndswithinparnthss,thpunctuationgosinsidthparnthss.Pokrbooksarfullofrulsandprinciplsforplayinggoodpokr.(Thisbookisnoxcption.)Somruls,howr,armorimportantthanothrs.16WordsCommonlyMisusd31.“Cannot”isonword.32.Us“whom”onlywhnitisthobjctofarborprposition.Andthrfornrsndtoknowforwhomthblltolls;ittollsforth.1733.Thwordsinthlftcolumnarcontractions(ofapronounandithrisorar),whilthwordsinthmiddlcolumnarpossssiformsofthpronoun:thy’rthirThy’rgoingtosllbothofthircars.you’ryourYou’rgoingtohatowashyourdogmoroftn.it’sitsIt’stimforAmricatorxaminitsnationalprioritis.who’swhosWho’sgiingthnxtprsntation?Itdpnds.Whosprsntationwaslast? 1 William Strunk, Th Elmnts of Styl, 1st d. (1918), https:n.wikisourc.orgwikiThElmntsofStylRuls6.Donotbraksntncsintwo. (accssd August 28, 2015). 2 Ambros Birc, “An Occurrnc at Owl Crk Bridg” (1890), http:www.gutnbrg.orgcachpub375pg375.txt (accssd August 28, 2015). 3 Barbara Kantrowitz, Adam Rogrs, and Allison Samuls, Don’t Just Do It for Daddy, Nwswk (Dcmbr 9, 1996): 56. 4 Kantrowitz t al., ibid. 5 Prsidnt Gorg W. Bush, “Rmarks to th U.S. Confrnc of Mayors,” Washington, D.C., January 23, 2004. 6 William Strunk, Jr., Th Elmnts of Styl, 1st d. (1918), https:n.wikisourc.orgwikiThElmntsofStylRuls7.Aparticipialphrasatthbginningofasntncmustrfrtothgrammaticalsubjct. (accssd August 28, 2015). 7 William Strunk, Jr., Th Elmnts of Styl, 1st d. (1918), https:n.wikisourc.orgwikiThElmntsofStylPrincipls11.Usthactioic. (accssd August 28, 2015). 8 Ibid. 9 Hln Salas, Miss Nada Tn 2004, in rspons to th qustion “What book has most influncd you?” Citd in http:www.cosmopolitan.comntrtainmntclbsnwsa26402mbarrassing­‐bauty­‐pagant­‐quots (accssd August 29, 2015). 10 Jff Jaris, riw of Suddnly Susan, TV Guid (Nombr 23­‐29, 1996): 16. 11 Michal Logan, Star Trk VIII: Making Contact, TV Guid (Nombr 23­‐29, 1996): 41. 12 Hilary d Vris, Portrait of a Profilr, TV Guid (Dcmbr 7­‐13, 1996): 40. 13 John Cary, Introduction, in Graham Grn, Brighton Rock (Nw York: Alfrd A. Knopf, 1993), p. x. 14 Mary Tylr Moor, Aftr All (Nw York: Dll Publishing, 1995), pp. 133­‐134. 15 Laura Schlssingr, Dr. Laura’s Prim­‐Tim Chckup, TV Guid (August 30, 1997): 32. 16 Dan Harrington and Bill Robrti, Harrington on Cash Gams, ol. 1 (Hndrson, NV: Two Plus Two Publishing, 2008), p. 19. 17 John Donn, Dotions upon Emrgnt Occasions (1624), Mditation 17, http:www.gutnbrg.orgfils2377223772­‐h23772­‐h.htm (accssd August 28, 2015).