Blog about Essay
You might know the song from Fiddler on the Roof that goes “If I were a rich man.” And if you do, you might have wondered why the words didn’t go “If I was a rich man.” After all, isn’t it true that “was” is singular and “were” is plural? “I were” simply sounds wrong!…
Where did the (e)d go? Sometimes when you read a sentence in English and the grammar seems a bit off, but you aren’t sure why. For example, what if I write “I am suppose to know these things; I have a PhD”? Does that sentence seem correct to you? Some grammar and spell checkers won’t…
Imagine receiving the following email from a friend at your college. I’m wondering if you can help me. Admin has set up a series of info meetings next week for local high school students who are thinking of coming here, and I got an invite to act as a group leader. There shouldn’t be…
When I tell people that I devote an entire three-hour class to teaching the comma, they are often incredulous. The comma seems like such a simple little device. But of all the punctuation marks we use in English it can certainly be the most costly. And by “costly” I mean, quite literally, “costing money.” …
In my last blog, I wrote about the two main functions of commas. First, they show readers where to pause and take a breath while they are reading. Second, they also indicate the grammar of a sentence. Nowhere do these two functions come into conflict more than with the infamous comma splice. It’s quite…
In my last blog, I wrote about the comma splice and the three possible corrections writers can apply. But it’s worth taking the time to examine those solutions in more detail. Let’s begin with the strategy of adding a coordinate conjunction. First off, you need to know just what a “coordinate conjunction” is. You’ll be…
One technique for fixing a comma splice is to take the simple step of exchanging the comma for a period or a semicolon or a colon. Each of these three punctuation marks is accepted by grammarians as strong enough to mediate between two sentences. But what messages are writers sending when they use one of…
“Sub” is a Latin prefix meaning “beneath.” A subordinate is an individual who is lower in rank than someone else. A subway is a transport system that’s underground. A submarine travels below the surface of the water. A subcompact is a car that is even smaller than a compact car. You get the idea. …
The primary purpose of punctuation is to ensure the clarity and readability of writing. Punctuation clarifies sentence structure, separating some words and grouping others. It adds meaning to written words and guides the understanding of readers as they move through sentences. Often people advise that commas are used as a “pause” or a “breath” in…