How to use the comma and semicolon correctly pen and the pad. Use commas when an ly adjective is used with other adjectives. The fear of punctuation writing english proofreading and. With over 200,000 copies sold, this is one of the most highly trusted english language resources available. If the series is long and complex or any one element has a comma within it, separate each element of the series with a semicolon. Grammar and punctuation the blue book of grammar and.
Francis april 6, 2016 january 2, 2017 comments off on semicolon, colon, or comma. Like commas, semicolons indicate an audible pauseslightly longer than a commas, but short of a. An easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes 11th by straus, jane, kaufman, lester, stern, tom isbn. Semicolons and colons quiz 2 from the blue book of grammar and punctuation.
Feb 10, 2014 the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Semicolons instead of commas this article is about semicolons instead of commas enjoy your reading. Feb 10, 2014 a revised and updated new edition of the bestselling workbook and grammar guide. Be careful here not to confuse ly adverbs with adjectives as ly adverbs dont necessarily need commas after them. A revised and updated new edition of the bestselling workbook and grammar guide the blue book of grammar and punctuation is a concise, entertaining workbook and guide to english grammar, punctuation, and usage. At their worst, misused punctuation marks commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and. The blue book of grammar and punctuation an easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes tenth edition jane straus 2.
Semicolons the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Test your knowledge of comma usage by reading back through this article. May be used to practice, reinforce, or teach grammar and punctuation skills. A comma could also be used, but a colon is stronger. Learn about punctuation in a simple way with many example sentences using the contents from our english grammar book. Use a semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units contain commas. All it takes is the blue book of grammar and punctuation.
In other circumstances, the final comma is optional. Oct 01, 2006 in the current edition of the blue book of grammar and punctuation and on the website, we have stated a preference for use of the serial, or oxford, comma. Use either a comma or a semicolon before introductory words such as namely, that is, i. Use a colon instead of a comma when you want to emphasize or call special attention to the appositive. Comma placement determines the grammatical, and therefore logical. Carla often participated in school plays, but she always ended up playing minor roles. When this happens, it is normal to use a comma before the conjunction. Mar 18, 2014 buy the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Constitution but constitutional, the electoral college, department of agriculture. With todays almostilliterate younger generation, i often wonder how much punctuation, grammar, and spelling they notice as they spew out improper theyre, there, their, and countless other stupidities. This handy workbook is ideal for teachers, students in middle school through college, esl students, homeschoolers, and professionals. Like commas, semicolons indicate an audible pauseslightly longer than a commas, but short of a periods full stop. Now, when the sentences themselves contain commas, it is possible to outrank those commas by using a semicolon before the conjunction instead of a comma.
Strongcomma semicolons kathy steinemann on december 15, 2016 11. This is why i wrote the blue book of grammar and punctuation and decided to. If semicolons can link independent clauses that would otherwise have a period or a conjunction between them, that means they can demonstrate contrast, too. Dec 09, 2015 well, they can be used in multiple ways and they have different rules. The rules supplied here are mainly based on straus blue book of grammar and punctuation. If you have a sentence followed by a list, do you use a semicolon or a colon. I heard my teacher call my name, and everyone turned to stare at me. For each of the following, choose the sentence with the correct punctuation. Today, we will discuss the comma, the oxford comma, and the semicolon in order to better understand their proper uses. In the following fivepart exercise select true or false to indicate whether the sentence uses the appropriate comma or semicolon. The blue book of grammar and punctuation an easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes tenth edition jane straus 3. Following are two instances of the need for an appositive comma with one or more nouns. The conference has people who have come from moscow, idaho, springfield, california, alamo, tennessee, and other places as well.
The blue book of grammar and punctuation, eleventh edition. We are glad to hear that you find the blue book of grammar and punctuation helpful. The blue book of grammar and punctuation succeeds at a rare feat. Well, they can be used in multiple ways and they have different rules. Attractively designed and wellwritten, the book is indeed a good attempt to demystify the intricacies of grammar and punctuation. In my essay editing work, i make a lot of corrections where people mix up the use of the comma, semicolon and colon. The blue book of grammar and punctuation the blue book of grammar and punctuation. In business writing, media writing or even in writing personal letters and emails, proper grammar helps you portray your message clearly and projects intelligence on your part. Semicolons and colons quiz 1 from the blue book of grammar and punctuation. A misplaced comma can change your emphasis and sometimes your meaning. Handbooks on english grammar are too numerous, yet few are written with keeping in mind the usual problems of students.
Thus, you only need semicolons to separate the units of the series from each other and not from the rest of the sentence. Alright, semicolons is that one punctuation mark, it looks like a period with a comma right underneath it and often times its used confusedly. So lets talk about the rules that rule when we use the semicolon. If there is any possible confusion, use the final comma. It doesnt take a lifetime to master english grammar and punctuation. By following a few simple rules, you can learn how to use the comma and semicolon correctly. For guidance in proper citation format, you should consult the bluebook, our. That something can either be the right conjunction or the period that turns a comma into a semicolon. This userfriendly resource includes simple explanations of. Review the blue book of grammar and punctuation young. See the entire contents of the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Writers are often tempted to insert a comma between a subject and verb this way because speakers sometimes pause at that point in a sentence.
Rule 1 to avoid confusion, use commas to separate words and word groups with a series of three or more. Semicolons and colons quiz 2 the blue book of grammar. Some writers seem to think that semicolons are fancy commas that create longer pauses that commas. Comma or semicolon between independent clauses that have internal.
With few exceptions, a comma should not separate a subject from its verb. Note that with only commas, that sentence is hopeless. When the phrases are short, a comma is preferable to the semicolon. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is a combination reference book and workbook.
No one writing handbook or grammar guide should suffice for careful writers, and though jane strauss the blue book of grammar and punctuation is less comprehensive than some other resources, its largeformat workbook approach provides a readerfriendly introduction to the intricacies of proper prose. Learn grammar commas semicolons colons with free interactive flashcards. Select the answer choice that corrects the punctuation errors. In the current edition of the blue book of grammar and punctuation and on the. Using commas, semicolons, and colons within sentences. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is a concise, entertaining workbook and guide to english grammar, punctuation, and usage. Another way to look at it is to consider the simplest form of the sentence, which could be pam reid, a registered nurse, attended the meeting. The blue book of grammar and punctuation 11th edition. Comma academic writing in english, lund university. You need a comma plus something to avoid a comma splice.
The semicolon represents a break midway between a comma and a full stop, and is principally used to separate independent sentencelike clauses that are strongly related never use a lathe or any other machine in the workshop if you are feeling ill or tired. Its a refresher for experts, a reference for lay people, and a lesson plan for teachers. The blue book of punctuation and grammar gives this example. Use a colon rather than a comma to follow the salutation in a business letter, even when addressing someone by his or her first name. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is filled with easytounderstand rules, realworld examples, dozens of reproducible exercises, and pre and posttests.
Semicolons and colons quiz 1 the blue book of grammar and. Please note that the rules are not listed in any particular order, so the first rule is not necessarily more important or central than the fifth one, etc. The standard comma on the most basic level, a comma is a punctuation mark, indicating a pause between parts of a sentence. Its no accident that a semicolon is a period atop a comma. It may be substituted for a period between two grammatically complete sentences that are closely connected in sense. The same is true of periods, question marks, commas, and exclamation points. A revised and updated new edition of the bestselling workbook and grammar guide. Use a semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of. This userfriendly resource includes simple explanations of grammar, punctuation, and usage. English grammar 101 additional punctuation, lesson 3. Make a list of the commas used and see if you can explain why they are there, according to the rules presented. The three items, a book, a pen, and paper were on the table. Rumor has it that the rules about placing periods and commas inside quotation.
Semicolons punctuation rules the blue book of grammar. An easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes by jane straus. Choose from 335 different sets of grammar commas semicolons colons flashcards on quizlet. The semicolon represents a break midway between a comma and a full stop, and is principally used to separate independent sentencelike clauses that are strongly related never use a lathe or any other machine in the workshop if you are feeling ill.
The blue book of grammar and punctuation jane straus. Also use the semicolon when you already have commas within a. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is an easytouse reference guide and workbook and lives up to its description. In the current edition of the blue book of grammar and punctuation and on the website, we have stated a preference for use of the serial, or oxford, comma. Yes, it is a general rule that there should not be a space before a semicolon or colon. Colons are used before appositives that follow an independent clause. Serialcomma rule red, white, and blue this article is about serialcomma rule red, white, and blue enjoy your reading. Now in its tenth edition, the blue book is a masterpiece of clarity and usefulness. The blue book of grammar and punctuation 11th edition pages. Jan 01, 1997 the blue book of grammar and punctuation is filled with easytounderstand rules, realworld examples, dozens of reproducible exercises, and pre and posttests. Use a comma inside quotation marks at the conclusion of a quote if you are adding attribution at the end. Using commas, semicolons, and colons within sentences grammar and. Semicolons and colons quiz 1 the blue book of grammar. Among such rare grammar books is the one written by jane straus, named as the blue book of grammar and punctuation.
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