If you enclose a complete sentence in parentheses and it occurs inside another sentence, don't capitalize the first word of the sentence and don't add a period inside the parentheses, but if the sentence requires a question mark or exclamation point go ahead and add them.
His abhorrence for work was astounding (he never once did a thing that he was told, and if he was forced to do it, he never did), but he had a true talent for diversion.
The most obscure word I've run across is "sesquipedalian" (would it be better to say "polysyllabic"?) and I've never once seen it used.
Source
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Capitalization
Capitalization and Quotations:
1. If you're quoting a complete sentence, capitalize the first letter.
He said, "She wasn't a very remarkable individual."
2. If a complete sentence is split with a dialogue attribution in the middle, don't capitalize the second part of the sentence.
"Give me that magazine," he said, "and pass me those books while you're at it."
Capitalization and Titles:
1. Titles used with people's names should be capitalized.
My brother referred me to Doctor Stevens.
The longest running politician I know is Mayor Edwards.
2. Titles used in place of a person's name to directly address that person should be capitalized.
How about it, Sergeant?
What's the diagnosis, Doctor?
But
I'd like that, miss.
How about it, sir?
Some common titles:
Religious titles: Bishop, Father, Rabbi, Reverend, Sister, Monsigneur
Military titles: Admiral, Major, Lieutenant, Colonel, Sergeant, General
Elected officials: Mayor, President, Congressman, Secretary, Senator, Congresswoman, Ambassador
Earned titles: Doctor, Provost, Professor, Dean
Honorary titles: Sir, Lady, Lord, Madame
Other Capitalization
1. Do not capitalize seasons
2. Capitalize the first word of salutations and closings of letters
Dear Madam:
Yours truly
3. Capitalize proper nouns and words derived from them
My favorite subject is English.
But no capitals are used in this sentence:
My favorite subject is math.
4. Capitalize specific school courses
I need to take Communications 202 and Literature 301 to finish this academic year. I'd also like to take history, but it wouldn't contribute to my major.
5. After a colon, do not capitalize the following sentence—unless there's more than one, e.g. a block quote—and do not capitalize a list that follows a colon.
I packed four types of sandwiches in the picnic basket: ham, cheese, bologna, and tuna.
As far as he was concerned there were only two way to settle the argument: they could fight it out now, or they could agree to fight it out later.
Sources
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/capital.asp
Rozakis, Laurie. English Grammar for the Utterly Confused. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2003.
1. If you're quoting a complete sentence, capitalize the first letter.
He said, "She wasn't a very remarkable individual."
2. If a complete sentence is split with a dialogue attribution in the middle, don't capitalize the second part of the sentence.
"Give me that magazine," he said, "and pass me those books while you're at it."
Capitalization and Titles:
1. Titles used with people's names should be capitalized.
My brother referred me to Doctor Stevens.
The longest running politician I know is Mayor Edwards.
2. Titles used in place of a person's name to directly address that person should be capitalized.
How about it, Sergeant?
What's the diagnosis, Doctor?
But
I'd like that, miss.
How about it, sir?
Some common titles:
Religious titles: Bishop, Father, Rabbi, Reverend, Sister, Monsigneur
Military titles: Admiral, Major, Lieutenant, Colonel, Sergeant, General
Elected officials: Mayor, President, Congressman, Secretary, Senator, Congresswoman, Ambassador
Earned titles: Doctor, Provost, Professor, Dean
Honorary titles: Sir, Lady, Lord, Madame
Other Capitalization
1. Do not capitalize seasons
2. Capitalize the first word of salutations and closings of letters
Dear Madam:
Yours truly
3. Capitalize proper nouns and words derived from them
My favorite subject is English.
But no capitals are used in this sentence:
My favorite subject is math.
4. Capitalize specific school courses
I need to take Communications 202 and Literature 301 to finish this academic year. I'd also like to take history, but it wouldn't contribute to my major.
5. After a colon, do not capitalize the following sentence—unless there's more than one, e.g. a block quote—and do not capitalize a list that follows a colon.
I packed four types of sandwiches in the picnic basket: ham, cheese, bologna, and tuna.
As far as he was concerned there were only two way to settle the argument: they could fight it out now, or they could agree to fight it out later.
Sources
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/capital.asp
Rozakis, Laurie. English Grammar for the Utterly Confused. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2003.
Using Dashes
Inserting a proper dash:
1. hold ALT and press 0151 on the keypad
2. for Microsoft Word: hold CTRL and ALT and press the minus sign on the keypad
If you can't insert a proper dash, use two hyphens: --
Usage:
Note: Don't overuse the dash, use other punctuation wherever possible, and never put spaces before or after a dash.
1. to set off parenthetical material:
He was a figure skater—though, like a fish from water, when on dry land he approximated a hippo for grace and poise—in the 1994 Olympics.
Pork—better known as pig—was his favorite entree—perhaps, because he fancied himself a cannibal, for he looked as what he favored.
2. To separate an appositive (a phrase which renames or describes a noun) that contains commas from the surrounding text:
He was a gourmand—one who readily ate more than what he weighed, given the opportunity—and shamelessly never looked the part.
The car gave an indignant squeal—a sharp, discordant sound that was almost elephantine—and then abruptly cut out.
3. To introduce a restatement, a list, an amplification, or a dramatic shift in tone or thought:
Restatement:
He couldn't have been more than five years old—or at least mentally he couldn't have been, for his mental age preceded his physical age by some centuries.
List:
I had just three items in my suitcase—a flashlight, a shaving kit, and a fresh pair of clothes.
(You could also use a colon in this case, but it would be more formal.)
Amplification:
He was a type of idiot—the very worst!
Dramatic shift:
Oh—hello!
They crept through the creaking hallways of the house, baseball bats and cans of hairspray at the ready—
And there he was!
Sources:
http://academics.smcvt.edu/writingctr/Dashes.htm
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/dashes-grammar.aspx
1. hold ALT and press 0151 on the keypad
2. for Microsoft Word: hold CTRL and ALT and press the minus sign on the keypad
If you can't insert a proper dash, use two hyphens: --
Usage:
Note: Don't overuse the dash, use other punctuation wherever possible, and never put spaces before or after a dash.
1. to set off parenthetical material:
He was a figure skater—though, like a fish from water, when on dry land he approximated a hippo for grace and poise—in the 1994 Olympics.
Pork—better known as pig—was his favorite entree—perhaps, because he fancied himself a cannibal, for he looked as what he favored.
2. To separate an appositive (a phrase which renames or describes a noun) that contains commas from the surrounding text:
He was a gourmand—one who readily ate more than what he weighed, given the opportunity—and shamelessly never looked the part.
The car gave an indignant squeal—a sharp, discordant sound that was almost elephantine—and then abruptly cut out.
3. To introduce a restatement, a list, an amplification, or a dramatic shift in tone or thought:
Restatement:
He couldn't have been more than five years old—or at least mentally he couldn't have been, for his mental age preceded his physical age by some centuries.
List:
I had just three items in my suitcase—a flashlight, a shaving kit, and a fresh pair of clothes.
(You could also use a colon in this case, but it would be more formal.)
Amplification:
He was a type of idiot—the very worst!
Dramatic shift:
Oh—hello!
They crept through the creaking hallways of the house, baseball bats and cans of hairspray at the ready—
And there he was!
Sources:
http://academics.smcvt.edu/writingctr/Dashes.htm
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/dashes-grammar.aspx
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Using Commas With "As"
Summary: When using “as” to mean “at the same time” the clause becomes essential and shouldn’t be preceded by a comma, but when using “as” to mean “because,” the clause is nonessential and requires a comma (Strunk and White 5). “As” is the nonessential form of “because.”
Writer’s tip: With “as” the reason is a nonessential clause but the time is an essential clause.
See also:Using Commas With “Because”
Rule 1: When you’re using “as” to mean “at the same time,” omit the comma.
For example:
They left the theater as the movie started to play. (Here “they” left the theater at the same time as the movie is starting to play. Adding a comma before “as” would change the meaning).
They left the theater, as the movie started to play. (Did “they” leave the theater “because” the movie started to play? The comma before the word implies a causal relationship.)
Rule 2: If you’re using “as” to mean “because,” then use a comma.
For example:
Fred left the theater, as he didn’t like the movie.
Fred left the theater as he didn’t like the movie. (Is Fred leaving the theater while not liking the movie? The meaning is unclear.)
Pricilla liked the play, as it obviously had an excellent costume designer.
Pricilla liked the play as it obviously had an excellent costume designer. (The second clause is clearly an aside—nonessential—and requires a comma.)
George left as he saw his ex arrive. (George is leaving at the same time as he sees his ex arrive.)
George left, as he saw his ex arrive. (George is leaving “because” he saw his ex arrive.)
Rule 3: When using “as” as an adverb, treat it as you would another adverb, such as “then.”
When using “as” as an adverb it can mean “to the same degree” or “in the idea, character, or condition of.” In this case, it usually requires a comma before it, but follow the rule of essential and nonessential clauses.
For example:
Fred went to the country, as was his custom during the holidays.
Fred loved Christmas, as did his whole family.
In both cases the second clause is nonessential and requires a comma before it.
Sources:
http://www.englishforums.com/English/UsageOfCommaAs/bxmvq/post.htm
Strunk, William, and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. Fourth Edition. Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon, 2000. Print.
Writer’s tip: With “as” the reason is a nonessential clause but the time is an essential clause.
See also:Using Commas With “Because”
Rule 1: When you’re using “as” to mean “at the same time,” omit the comma.
For example:
They left the theater as the movie started to play. (Here “they” left the theater at the same time as the movie is starting to play. Adding a comma before “as” would change the meaning).
They left the theater, as the movie started to play. (Did “they” leave the theater “because” the movie started to play? The comma before the word implies a causal relationship.)
Rule 2: If you’re using “as” to mean “because,” then use a comma.
For example:
Fred left the theater, as he didn’t like the movie.
Fred left the theater as he didn’t like the movie. (Is Fred leaving the theater while not liking the movie? The meaning is unclear.)
Pricilla liked the play, as it obviously had an excellent costume designer.
Pricilla liked the play as it obviously had an excellent costume designer. (The second clause is clearly an aside—nonessential—and requires a comma.)
George left as he saw his ex arrive. (George is leaving at the same time as he sees his ex arrive.)
George left, as he saw his ex arrive. (George is leaving “because” he saw his ex arrive.)
Rule 3: When using “as” as an adverb, treat it as you would another adverb, such as “then.”
When using “as” as an adverb it can mean “to the same degree” or “in the idea, character, or condition of.” In this case, it usually requires a comma before it, but follow the rule of essential and nonessential clauses.
For example:
Fred went to the country, as was his custom during the holidays.
Fred loved Christmas, as did his whole family.
In both cases the second clause is nonessential and requires a comma before it.
Sources:
http://www.englishforums.com/English/UsageOfCommaAs/bxmvq/post.htm
Strunk, William, and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. Fourth Edition. Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon, 2000. Print.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Commas before "Because"
Summary: you rarely need a comma before "because," even when the word connects two independent clauses. The reason for this is that using a comma reduces the causal relationship between the clauses.
Writer's tip: don't use a comma before “because,” unless the first clause contains a negative, or the second clause is nonessential.
See also: Using Commas With “As”
Explanation:
While "because" often connects two independent clauses, and we are taught to place a comma before conjunctions connecting independent clauses, there is a rule that supersedes this one and tells us not to use a comma with "because" (in 99% of cases).
The rule is as follows:
If the clause is nonessential, use a comma before it, and conversely, if the clause is essential, don't use a comma.
E.g. She was Terrance's girlfriend, the same girl George had seen eating with Mark on Sunday. ("She" was identified as Terrance's girlfriend, the fact that George saw her eating with Mark on Sunday is nonessential.)
With an essential clause, the information is necessary to understand the sentence, so no comma should separate it from the clause which preceded it.
E.g. She was the one who had eaten with Mark on Sunday. (Without the clause, "who had eaten with him on Sunday," we wouldn't know who "she" is, so the information is critical to the meaning of the sentence.)
By its very nature, "because" makes the clause that follows it essential (due to the causal relationship that the word implies), and the comma should be omitted.
Here is an example:
He went to bed because he was tired.
Technically, "He went to bed" and "he was tired" are both independent clauses because they each have a subject and a verb, but when you join them with "because," it would be incorrect to use a comma.
Some more examples:
There was nothing to eat because the cupboard was bare.
He always ate alone because he didn't like talking with his mouth full, and he hated cold food.
When a comma before "because" is necessary:
1. He didn't run because he was afraid. (Then why did he run?)
He didn't run, because he was afraid.
2. He wasn't happy because they lost. (Then why was he happy?)
He wasn't happy, because they lost.
3. She didn't like him because he was tall. (Then why did she like him?)
She didn't like him, because he was tall.
Notice that in each case, the version of the sentence without the comma seems to say the opposite of what the one with the comma does. Moreover, the versions without commas don't even seem like complete sentences; there seems to be a missing clause in each. But also note the pattern: the first clause in each case used a negative--"didn't" or "wasn't."
Therefore, here's a good writer's tip: don't use a comma before "because" when joining two independent clauses, unless the first clause contains a negative.
Source
Writer's tip: don't use a comma before “because,” unless the first clause contains a negative, or the second clause is nonessential.
See also: Using Commas With “As”
Explanation:
While "because" often connects two independent clauses, and we are taught to place a comma before conjunctions connecting independent clauses, there is a rule that supersedes this one and tells us not to use a comma with "because" (in 99% of cases).
The rule is as follows:
If the clause is nonessential, use a comma before it, and conversely, if the clause is essential, don't use a comma.
E.g. She was Terrance's girlfriend, the same girl George had seen eating with Mark on Sunday. ("She" was identified as Terrance's girlfriend, the fact that George saw her eating with Mark on Sunday is nonessential.)
With an essential clause, the information is necessary to understand the sentence, so no comma should separate it from the clause which preceded it.
E.g. She was the one who had eaten with Mark on Sunday. (Without the clause, "who had eaten with him on Sunday," we wouldn't know who "she" is, so the information is critical to the meaning of the sentence.)
By its very nature, "because" makes the clause that follows it essential (due to the causal relationship that the word implies), and the comma should be omitted.
Here is an example:
He went to bed because he was tired.
Technically, "He went to bed" and "he was tired" are both independent clauses because they each have a subject and a verb, but when you join them with "because," it would be incorrect to use a comma.
Some more examples:
There was nothing to eat because the cupboard was bare.
He always ate alone because he didn't like talking with his mouth full, and he hated cold food.
When a comma before "because" is necessary:
1. He didn't run because he was afraid. (Then why did he run?)
He didn't run, because he was afraid.
2. He wasn't happy because they lost. (Then why was he happy?)
He wasn't happy, because they lost.
3. She didn't like him because he was tall. (Then why did she like him?)
She didn't like him, because he was tall.
Notice that in each case, the version of the sentence without the comma seems to say the opposite of what the one with the comma does. Moreover, the versions without commas don't even seem like complete sentences; there seems to be a missing clause in each. But also note the pattern: the first clause in each case used a negative--"didn't" or "wasn't."
Therefore, here's a good writer's tip: don't use a comma before "because" when joining two independent clauses, unless the first clause contains a negative.
Source
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Commas before "Then"
A comma is sometimes required before the word "then."
The rule is fairly simple: "then" can mean "at the appointed time" or "in that case," and if you're talking about the latter, then you usually need a comma before the word. If you're talking about the former, you almost never need the comma. The exception to this is if you're using "then" as a conjunctive adverb to connect parts of a sentence. In that case, you need a comma before it.
For example:
We went to the beach then. ("Then" is the time that we went to the beach, no comma is needed.)
It's decided, then. ("Then" is used to mean "in that case," so a comma is needed.)
He opened the door, then stepped inside. ("Then" is being used as a conjunctive adverb, so you need a comma before it. Note, however, that if you use a real conjunction with the adverb you don't need the comma. E.g. He opened the door and then stepped inside.)
Source
The rule is fairly simple: "then" can mean "at the appointed time" or "in that case," and if you're talking about the latter, then you usually need a comma before the word. If you're talking about the former, you almost never need the comma. The exception to this is if you're using "then" as a conjunctive adverb to connect parts of a sentence. In that case, you need a comma before it.
For example:
We went to the beach then. ("Then" is the time that we went to the beach, no comma is needed.)
It's decided, then. ("Then" is used to mean "in that case," so a comma is needed.)
He opened the door, then stepped inside. ("Then" is being used as a conjunctive adverb, so you need a comma before it. Note, however, that if you use a real conjunction with the adverb you don't need the comma. E.g. He opened the door and then stepped inside.)
Source
Who and Whom
Use "who" when referring to, or asking about, the subject of a sentence, and "whom" when referring to, or asking about, the object.
The subject is the person or thing performing an action, for example:
He went to the library.
He is the one going to the library, thus "he" is the subject.
The object is the person or thing receiving the action, for example:
He went to the library.
The library is where "he" is going; it is receiving the action from the subject, and is thus the object of the sentence.
Here's a good mnemonic from grammar girl:
Now some examples of when to use "who" and "whom":
Whom did you go to the beach with? (Asks about the object, not the subject, "you")
Who went to the beach? (Asks who was performing the action--going to the beach--thus asks about the subject)
The one whom he loved was beautiful in every way. (Refers to the object that "he," the subject, loved)
The one who loved him was beautiful in every way. (Refers to the subject that loved "him," the object)
Quiz
Source
The subject is the person or thing performing an action, for example:
He went to the library.
He is the one going to the library, thus "he" is the subject.
The object is the person or thing receiving the action, for example:
He went to the library.
The library is where "he" is going; it is receiving the action from the subject, and is thus the object of the sentence.
Here's a good mnemonic from grammar girl:
If I say, "I love you," you are the object of my affection, and you is also the object of the sentence (because I am loving you, making me the subject and you the object).
Now some examples of when to use "who" and "whom":
Whom did you go to the beach with? (Asks about the object, not the subject, "you")
Who went to the beach? (Asks who was performing the action--going to the beach--thus asks about the subject)
The one whom he loved was beautiful in every way. (Refers to the object that "he," the subject, loved)
The one who loved him was beautiful in every way. (Refers to the subject that loved "him," the object)
Quiz
Source
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