Grammar Bootcamp Periods, Commas and Semi- colons ENGL 124 B03 Winter 2010

Periods Terminate full sentences After the review had been conducted, he left the naval service and devoted himself to his inventions.

Periods Terminate full sentences After the review had been conducted, he left the naval service and devoted himself to his inventions. SENTENCE FRAGMENT: After the review had been conducted and the publicity surrounding the disaster had begun to fade.

Periods Terminate full sentences After the review had been conducted, he left the naval service and devoted himself to his inventions. Indicate abbreviations DoctorDr. id esti.e. pagespp.

Semi-colons Link two independent clauses into a single sentence They gave their best in the final rounds. Their best was not enough.

Semi-colons Link two independent clauses into a single sentence They gave their best in the final rounds. Their best was not enough. They gave their best in the final round; their best was not enough.

Semi-colons Link two independent clauses into a single sentence They gave their best in the final rounds. Their best was not enough. They gave their best in the final round; their best was not enough. COMMA SPLICE: They gave their best in the final round, their best was not enough.

Semi-colons Link two independent clauses into a single sentence They gave their best in the final rounds. Their best was not enough. They gave their best in the final round; their best was not enough. COMMA SPLICE: They gave their best in the final round, their best was not enough. RUN-ON SENTENCE: They gave their best in the final round their best was not enough.

Semi-colons Link two independent clauses into a single sentence Separate items in a list which follows a colon The sweaters come in red, green, blue and yellow, and red and grey.

Semi-colons Link two independent clauses into a single sentence Separate items in a list which follows a colon The sweaters come in red, green, blue and yellow, and red and grey. The sweaters come in: red; green; blue and yellow; and red and grey.

Commas Show where clauses begin and end

Commas Show where clauses begin and end SYNTACTIC AMBIGUITY: I am afraid to fix it however it must be done.

Commas Show where clauses begin and end SYNTACTIC AMBIGUITY: I am afraid to fix it however it must be done. She paid for the meal was expensive.

Commas Show where clauses begin and end SYNTACTIC AMBIGUITY: I am afraid to fix it however it must be done. She paid for the meal was expensive. He ran past his hands in the air.

Commas Show where clauses begin and end SYNTACTIC AMBIGUITY: I am afraid to fix it however it must be done. She paid for the meal was expensive. He ran past his hands in the air. He escaped from the car before it sank and swam to the shore.

Commas Show where clauses begin and end Where observation is concerned, chance favours only the prepared mind. – Louis Pasteur

Commas Show where clauses begin and end Where observation is concerned, chance favours only the prepared mind. – Louis Pasteur There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else. – James Thurber

Commas Show where clauses begin and end Where observation is concerned, chance favours only the prepared mind. – Louis Pasteur There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else. – James Thurber An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought. – Simon Cameron

Commas Show where clauses begin and end EXCEPTION: Restrictive clauses do NOT have to be indicated by commas before and after The poem that contained the offending lines was omitted.

Commas Show where clauses begin and end EXCEPTION: Restrictive clauses do NOT have to be indicated by commas before and after The poem that contained the offending lines was omitted. Non-restrictive clauses DO have to be indicated by commas before and after The poem, which contained some offensive material, was omitted.

Commas Show where clauses begin and end RULE OF THUMB: You can tell if a clause is restrictive or nonrestrictive by substituting a proper name for the subject.

Commas Show where clauses begin and end RULE OF THUMB: You can tell if a clause is restrictive or nonrestrictive by substituting a proper name for the subject. Bob who contained something was omitted. Bob, who contained some offensive material, was omitted. Proper names cannot take restrictive clauses

Commas Show where clauses begin and end Show where interjections begin and end The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important. – Martin Luther King Jr.

Commas Show where clauses begin and end Show where interjections begin and end Set off direct speech You see things and you say, “Why?” But I dream things that never were and I say, “Why not?” – George Bernard Shaw

Commas Show where clauses begin and end Show where interjections begin and end Set off direct speech Separate items in a list or series I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. – Galileo

Commas Show where clauses begin and end Show where interjections begin and end Set off direct speech Separate items in a list or series Other miscellaneous uses Yes and no No, vertigo is something other than the fear of falling. – Milos Kundera

Commas Show where clauses begin and end Show where interjections begin and end Set off direct speech Separate items in a list or series Other miscellaneous uses Yes and no Words of address Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore. – The Wizard of Oz

Commas Show where clauses begin and end Show where interjections begin and end Set off direct speech Separate items in a list or series Other miscellaneous uses Yes and no Words of address Dates and locations January 24, 1965 North Battleford, Saskatchewan