“Let’s eat, Grandma.” or “Let’s eat Grandma.”
Punctuation saves lives
Common Punctuation demons:
- What’s up with the semicolon; when should I use it?
People often misuse the semicolon because it looks like a different form of comma; however, it is actually more like a period than a comma. It can separate two complete sentence structures that the author feels need to be more connected than a period indicates.
Ex. We were out of cash; we’d been buying everything in sight.
Ex. I don’t care what my English teacher says; punctuation is not fun.
Another use of the comma is between pieces of a list where commas are already being used. In that case, semicolons make it clear where each item begins and ends.
Ex. The board included Fred Smith, President; Sally Jones, Vice President; Bill Thomas, Treasurer; and Mary Brown, Secretary.
Ex. Punctuation can include the period, which is a hard stop; the exclamation point, which is the period’s dramatic cousin; the question mark, which is the quizzical cousin; the comma, which makes everyone take pause; and the semicolon, which has an identity crisis.
- What about the comma? Sometimes I have too few, sometimes too many.
The comma gives the reader a break between different parts of the sentence. The difficulties arise when trying to figure out which parts need those breaks. Sometimes writers follow the advice of putting a comma everywhere they pause. However, if we put, a comma, every time, we pause, to think, we end up, sounding like, William Shatner, as Captain Kirk (wrong). On the other hand if we don’t put in enough commas we end up with run on sentences and we have sentences readers can’t follow and even though we know what we’re saying the readers don’t (wrong). There are several common uses for the comma. One is with a conjunction to separate two complete sentence structures.
Ex. We were out of cash, so we stopped at the ATM.
Ex. I tried enjoying punctuation, but I just couldn’t.
The comma is also used to set words aside from the main sentence structure. Whether it is an introductory phrase or clause, or some other addition to the sentence, the comma signals the reader where the main thought is as opposed to ancillary thoughts. If the addition is in the middle of the sentence, a comma goes on either side.
Ex. Although we were out of cash, we still wanted something to eat.
Ex. Dark and dingy, the ATM was a scary place at night.
Ex Fred, the cheapest one of the bunch, was reluctant to splurge at a real restaurant.
Ex. Although it looks like a comma, a semicolon is really more like a period.
Ex. Dotted, the semicolon separates itself from the gentler comma.
Ex. The semicolon, confusing to many writers, is used less frequently nowadays.
Then there are commas in a list. This is when you might use what’s called the “Oxford” comma (or “serial” or “Harvard” comma). The “Oxford comma” is actually considered to be optional by some, although others disagree. It comes after the second to the last item in a list, before the conjunction. Ex. We are having broccoli, peas, and carrots with dinner. This sentence clearly describes three vegetables. People who argue against eliminating this last comma say it is needed for clarity. In the above example, leaving the Oxford comma out after peas could leave confusion about whether there are three dishes of vegetables or two. Ex. We are having broccoli, peas and carrots with dinner. Are we having the recipe that mixes peas with little cubed carrots? Those who argue against using the Oxford comma say the sentence should just be written more clearly. Ex. We will have a dish of peas and carrots and a dish of broccoli with dinner. Any list of three or more items needs at least one comma, but (in most cases) you get to choose whether to throw in one before the conjunction.
Ex. He went to dinner with his wife, a violinist, and a ballerina.
Ex. He went to dinner with his wife, a violinist and a ballerina
Ex. He went to dinner with his talented wife who is both a violinist and a ballerina.
- Why do I need apostrophes?
One use of apostrophes is in words that are contractions. The apostrophe shows there is/are letters missing. While the reader could probably figure out what you meant, like “wont” or “thats,” there are times when leaving it out actually makes it a different word. Ex. Another lesson on punctuation? I cant; I just cant! This means punctuation makes you tilt. The apostrophe is necessary for proper spelling of contractions.
Ex. We were going to stop at the mall, but we’re broke.
Another use is with an “s” to show possession, that something belongs to someone or something. Ex. It is Fred’s truck. The truck belongs to Fred. The apostrophe is NOT used to make a word plural. If something belongs to a plural subject, the apostrophe goes after that subject .
Ex. It is the cat’s water bowl. [one cat]
Ex. It is the cats’ water bowl. [more than one cat]
Ex. The teacher’s love of punctuation was the cause of all of her students’ pain.
Before we leave apostrophes, we must address the “it’s” and “its” confusion. Quite simply, “it’s” is short for “it is” or “it has.” Ex. It’s his birthday. It’s been many years since he was born. The other “its” is possessive. “It’s” never means possession. Ever. The confusion arises because of the possessive use of the apostrophe with other nouns. The difference is that “its” is a possessive pronoun; it already shows possession without an apostrophe, just like the word “his” shows possession without an apostrophe.
Ex. The dog seems sad. It’s been forever since its master left the house half an hour ago.
Ex. Punctuation is annoying. It’s like its only purpose is to confuse me.
–Jordu Kelly-Sutliff
English and Philosophy Department
