This month's log starts off with the long-delayed grammar hint. We’ll examine some common errors involving commas. Yes, commas. These errors, as far as I can judge, aren’t quite as widespread as the notorious "it’s" problem – but they’re getting there. Edward D. Johnson, in the Washington Square Press Handbook of Good English, says of the comma:
The comma is by far the most frequent mark of punctuation within the sentence, and it is the most frequently misused. In principle, it is very simple: It is always a means of separating one word, phrase, or clause from another.
Let’s look at a few common examples of misguided comma usage:
Place a call to realtor, Mary House, who is the official realty agent.
Appearing next week is author, Bob Goodwords, who’ll be signing copies of his new book.
As Edward D. Johnson notes, "Do not separate subject and verb, verb and object, or preposition and object with a comma".
The correct usage would be:
Place a call to realtor Mary House, who is the official realty agent.
Appearing next week is author Bob Goodwords, who’ll be signing copies of his new book.
To discipline a child that is not your own, now brings an angry parent to your door threatening a lawsuit.
One should not separate a subject or subject phrase from its predicate with a comma. This one should be:
To discipline a child that is not your own now brings an angry parent to your door threatening a lawsuit.
Tom, Dick, and Harry, were all wondering when the poetry reading would commence.
Don't put a comma after the last element in a series. Make that:
Tom, Dick, and Harry were all wondering when the poetry reading would commence.
The soup was too salty, to fix it, Emma added a few potatoes.
Spencer Tracy was a great actor, during Hollywood’s Golden Age, he won many awards and accolades.
What’s wrong here? An old and formidable enemy, the comma splice. Fortunately, this is easily fixed. Just look for the independent clauses in the run-on sentence … and separate them with periods, semicolons, or conjunctions:
The soup was too salty. To fix it, Emma added a few potatoes. (Preferred.)
The soup was too salty; to fix it, Emma added a few potatoes. (Acceptable.)
The soup was too salty and to fix it, Emma added a few potatoes. (Acceptable.)
Spencer Tracy was a great actor. During Hollywood’s Golden Age, he won many awards and accolades. (Preferred.)
Spencer Tracy was a great actor; during Hollywood’s Golden Age, he won many awards and accolades. (Acceptable.)
See? There’s no great secret to proper punctuation with the humble comma. Just master a few simple grammar rules, proofread your work, and ask for help if you need it. And it’s the same as it ever was . . . node well and node often!
Meanwhile, back at the shop …
Remov’d
- Dream Log: June 4, 2005, Dream Log: June 3, 2005, May 1, 2005, Life after death, Killing Myself,
I want you in my house Right Now! – at the noder’s request.
- Baileys Irish Cream – at the noder’s request.
- Lush Life – at the noder’s request.
- kappas – at the noder’s request.
- freenet – at the noder’s request.
- The measure of a man – at the noder’s request.
- Unself-sufficiency – suggested to noder that this would fare better as a daylog.
- yurt – a two-line response posting with many typos. Noder pointed to the Quick Start.
- Something close and true and December 3, 2004 – at the noder’s request.
Assist’d
Audit’d
Johnson, Edward D., The Washington Square Press Handbook of Good English. New York, New York: Pocket Books, 1982.