Writing Style Guide, Tips, and Tricks

Part 1-- Basic Punctuation & the 7 Comma Rules

Dashes:

Connect groups of words to other groups of words in order to emphasize a point or show that the information is unessential. Usually the dash sentence words in the middle of a sentence from the rest of the sentence, or it leads to material at the end of the sentence. A dash can act like one parenthesis of used at the end of a sentence.

On a keyboard, a dash is TWO clicks of the hyphen key and may look like this or this ( -- )

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Apostrophes:

Are used to show possession or to indicate where a letter has been omitted to form a contraction.

Do:

Use an apostrophe for contractions. (They are = they're, it is = it's )

Use an apostrophe to show possession. (Susan's car, parents' house, Chris's attitude)

Don't:

Use an apostrophe to indicate more than one (plural).

(shoes, socks, nightmares)

Use an apostrophe for a verb that ends in -s

(takes, witnesses, absorbs)

Quotation Marks:

Are used to show the beginning and end of a quotation or a title of a short work.

Parenthesis:

Elements inside parenthesis are related to the sentence but are not essential.

Brackets:

A bracket is used to make clear some explanation, which is not normally part of the sentence. Also, use brackets to include anything normally omitted (such as a word) for good writing style.

1. to add clarification: The witness said: "He [the policeman] hit me."

2. to add information: The two teams in the finals of the first FIFA Football World Cup were both from South America [Uruguay and Argentina].

3. to add missing words: It is [a] good question.

4. to add editorial or authorial comment: They will not be present [ my emphasis].

5. to modify a direct quotation: He "love[s] driving. (The original words were "I love driving.")

Ellipsis:

Use ellipsis marks when omitting a word, phrase, line, paragraph, or more from a quoted passage. Also, informally, an ellipsis is is ed to indicate a wandering or continuing thought.

Part 1: 7 Comma Rules

Comma Rule #1: Use a comma to separate two independent clauses connected by "FANBOYS".

(For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So)

Comma Rule #2: Use a comma to separate elements in a list or series.

Comma Rule #3: Use a comma to separate introductory phrases and clauses from the independent clauses, particularly if the phrase is long.

Comma Rule #4: In a series of adjectives, use a comma if the ajectives could also be separated by and.

Comma Rule #5: Use commas to set off clauses, but don't use commas for defining clauses. (Hint: If you can take the clauses out of the sentence and it still makes sense, makes commas.)

Comma Rule #6: Words or phrases that interupt the sentence should be set off by commas.

Comma Rule #7: Use commas to set off an appostive. (Hint: an appostive is a noun or pronoun that explains or introduces the noun that precedes it.)

Comma Splice

When students use a comma like a period and try to separate two complete sentences (indep. clauses). Instead, use a period or a comma with a conjunction!

Conjunctions--

Words that join thoughts or ideas. They frequently need commas.

FANBOYS-- (see commas rule #1)--

For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

Subordinating Conjuction-- (see comma rule #3)

»after

»although

»as

»as if

»as much as

»as soon as

»as though

»before

»because

»even if

»even though

»how

»if

»in as much

»in order that

»lest

»now that

»provided that

»since

»so that

»than

»that

»though

»unless

»until

»when

»where

»while

»wherever

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: The next chapter to my tips will be posted soon! :)