A Conversation With My Muse - 6. Chapter 6

Title: A Conversation with My Muses

Fandom: Originals

Subject: Commas

Word count: 2,031

AN: This is REALLY long. I originally started writing it as a part of a thing about punctuation but seeing as it ended up going on for 7 pages, I shifted it to its own page. Please, take the time to go through here and read over things.

 

Thank you.

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

Sitting before his computer, he stared at just how long the rules of the comma took before selecting the section and cutting it to place into a new document.

 

It was too long to keep in the main punctuation Conversations. People would have to deal.

 

He dreaded the HTML coding that he was going to have to do as it was. Dreading it to a point that he shuddered hard and shook his head to forget about it for the moment.

 

The Comma

 

Possibly the most over used piece of punctuation, the main uses of the comma are to separate main clauses that are linked by one coordinating conjunction, set off most introductory elements or off nonessential elements, to separate items in a series or to separate coordinate adjectives.

 

Due to the length of this section the rules of the comma are as follows:

 

(o) When using the comma with a main clause and a coordinating conjunction, it goes before, not after, the coordinating conjunction.

 

(o) As long as the omission of the comma does not cause confusion, you can omit it after a short subordinate clause or prepositional phrase. Either way, using it is never wrong.

 

(o) Be careful when it comes to words ending in –ing. The ones used as modifiers almost always take one, the ones used as subjects almost never do.

 

(o) To test for nonessential and essential elements, find the element, and remove it. If the sentence still makes sense without the element, then it is a nonessential element. If it doesn’t make sense, it is an essential element.

 

(o) When an element falls in the middle of a sentence under other nonessential elements, you set them off with commas.

 

Section A: coordinating conjunction linking main causes:

 

[center]Main clauses:

This is a word group that contains a subject and a verb and does not being with a subordinating word.

Main clauses Example:

Water freezes at temperatures below 32 degrees F.

 

Coordinating Conjunctions: They are and, but, or, nor and sometimes for, so, yet.

 

Linked main clauses and coordinating conjunctions example:

1. Caffeine can keep coffee drinkers alert, and it may elevate their mood.
2. Caffeine was once thought to be safe, but now researchers warn of harmful effects.[/center]

 

Section B: Introductory Elements

 

[center]Introductory Element:

This begins a sentence and modifies the word or words in the main clause that follows after.[/center]

 

(o) There are four ways for this: a subordinate clause, verbal or verbal phrase, a prepositional phrase, or a transitional expression.

 

[center]Subordinate clause:

This is a word group that contains a subject and a verb and because with a subordinating word such as because or who and is not a question.

 

Subordinate clause Example:

Even when identical twins are raised apart, they grow up very much like each other.

 

Verbal or Verbal phrase:

A verb form used as an adjective, adverb or noun. Verbal plus any object or modifier.

 

Verbal or Verbal phrase Example:

Explaining the similarity, some researchers claim that one’s genes are one’s destiny.

Concerned, other researchers deny the claim.

 

Prepositional phrase:

This is a word group that consists of a preposition, such as for or in.

It is followed by a noun or pronoun plus any modifiers.

 

Prepositional Phrase Example:

In a debate that has lasted centuries, scientists use identical twins to argue for or against genetic destiny

 

Transitional expression:

This is a word or phrase that shows the relationship between sentences.

 

Transitional expression Example:

Of course, scientists can now look directly at the genes themselves to answer questions.[/center]

 

Section C: Nonessential Elements

 

There are of course nonessential elements, essential elements (otherwise known as restrictive elements), nonessential phrases and clauses, nonessential appositives, and other nonessential elements.

 

[center]Nonessential element:

Commas on either side of part of the sentence show that the part between them aren’t essential to the main sentence structure.

As long as the section can be removed, they are nonessential elements.

 

Nonessential element Example:

The company, which is located in Oklahoma, has an excellent reputation.

 

Essential Elements:

This element is needed. Without it, the sentence or the elements around it would lose the meaning. It is not set off with commas.

 

Essential Element Example:

The company rewards employees who work hard.

 

Nonessential phrases and clauses:

These mostly function as adjectives to modify nouns or pronouns.

They can be omitted without losing clarity of the sentence.

 

Nonessential phrases and clauses example:

Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to graduate from American medical school, in 1849. [Phrase]

 

She taught at the school, which was affiliated with the New York Infirmary. [Clause]

 

Nonessential Appositives:

An appositive is a noun that renames another noun immediately before it.

Nonessential ones are ones that aren’t needed.

 

Nonessential Appositive Example:

Toni Morrison’s fifth novel, Beloved, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988.

 

Essential Appositive:

These appositives limits or defines the word that it is connected to.

 

Essential Appositive Example:

Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eyes is about an African American girl who longs for blue eyes.

 

Other nonessential elements: this includes absolute phrases, parenthetical and transitional expressions, phrases of contrast, tag questions, Yes and No, words of direct address and mild interjections.

 

Other nonessential/essential elements examples:

Domestic recycling have succeeded, the city now wants to extend the program to businesses. [Absolute Phrases]

 

The world’s most celebrated holiday is, perhaps surprisingly, New Year’s Day. [Parenthetical expression]

 

American workers, for example, receive few holidays then European workers do. [Transitional expression]

 

The substance, not the style, is important. [Phrases of Contrast]

 

Jones should be allowed to vote, should he not? [Tag Questions]

 

Yes, the editorial did have a point. [Yes and No]

 

Cody, please bring me the newspaper. [Words of direct address]

 

Well, you will never know who did it. [Mild interjections][/center]

 

Section D: Series

 

A series is a list in a way. They are three or more items of equal important and they can be words, phrases or clauses.

 

Example: Anna Spingle married at the age of seventeen, had three children by twenty-one, and divorced at twenty-two.

 

:next: There are those authors who do not use the comma before the coordinating conjunction in the series. Remember, coordinating conjunctions are such words as and. But please keep in mind, that the final comma is NEVER wrong.

 

Section E: Two or more adjectives that equally modify the same word

 

(o) Instead of using a word like and you can replace it with a comma if you so wish, but it must be an adjective that equally modifies the same word.

 

[center]Example:

Spingle’s scratched and dented car is an eyesore, but it gets her to work.

She dreams of a sleek, shiny car.[/center]

 

:next: A quick test to figure out if you should have the adjectives separated is to first identify the adjectives. After you have them identified, ask yourself if they could be reversed without changing the meaning. When you have that answer, then ask yourself if the word and can be placed between them without changing the meaning. If you answered Yes to both, then place a comma or the word and in between them. If you answered No to both questions, leave them be.

 

Section F: Dates, addresses, place names and long numbers

 

(o) When you write a date, an address, or place names, if they are punctuated with commas, they should end with a comma.

 

(o) Do not use commas between the parts of a date that is inverted, such as 15 December 1992, or which is just a month or season and a year, such as December 1958.

 

(o) Do not use a comma between a state name and a zip code.

 

(o) You use the comma to separate the figures in a long line of numbers into groups of three, which you count backwards from the end of the line. With a group of four numbers, the comma is optional.

 

[center]Dates:

July 4, 1776, was the day the Declaration was signed.

 

Addresses and Place Names:

I live at 234 Randel Street, LA, California 85632.

 

I want to go see Dublin, Ireland.

 

Long Numbers:

Her ending price for the massive shopping was $4,624,852.[/center]

 

Section G: Quotations according to standard practice

 

A signal phrase is such sections as she said, he writes and the such. As writers, we’ve used them to indicate dialogue. They should be separated from the main section by a comma or commas.

 

[center]Example:

Naruto snorted and said, “I hate that you’re an idiot. We’re even.”

“Life is like a bullet, Shinji,” Ichigo said softly, smiling at his lover.

“Hey, Neji,” Naruto called out, “can you get me something?” [/center]

 

(o) The exceptions are that when a signal phrase interrupts a quotation between main clauses, you need to follow it with a semicolon or a period. It depends on the sentence and the line. Above, the signal phrase interrupts the question, which requires the signal phrase to have it end with a comma.

 

(o) You do not use a comma when the signal phrase follows a quotation that ends with an exclamation point or a question mark. This means that if your piece of dialogue is a question, place the question mark at the end of the spoken words, close your quotation marks and write your signal phrase.

 

(o) You don’t use a comma when you have a quotation that is integrated into your sentence. This is quite literally the quote in an essay or the such. Not dialogue.

 

(o) Finally, you don’t use a comma with a quoted title unless it is a nonessential appositive.

 

Section H: Delete them when you don’t need them

 

What can be said about this? If a line does not need them, remove them. How can you tell? Well, you don’t have them between a subject and verb, verb and object, a preposition and object, most compound constructions, conjunction, around essential elements, around a series and not before an indirect quotation. They can make a sentence read and look choppy and on occasion, confusing. If they are used too much, you end up breaking rules and a lot of them.

 

Vocabulary that you will need for this section.

 

(o) Compound constructions that consist of two elements nearly never need a comma. The only time they do are when two main clauses are linked by a coordination conjunction.

 

[center]Example:

The computer failed, but employees kept working.

 

Nonessential appositive:

A word or words that rename an immediately preceding noun but do not limit or define the noun.

 

Example:

The author’s first story, “Biloxi,” won a prize.

 

Compound construction:

Two ore more words, phrases or clauses connected by coordinating conjuction, usually and, but, or, nor.

 

Example:

Man and woman, old or young, leaking oil and spewing steam

 

Conjunction:

A connection word such as a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or and so on) or a subordinating conjunction (although, because, when and so on)

 

Let us move onto to the examples for each part.

 

Subject and verb, verb and object or preposition and object:

Not: The returning soldiers, received a warm welcome.

But: The returning soldiers received a warm welcome.

 

Not: They had chosen, to fight for their country despite, the risks.

But: They had chosen to fight for their country despite the risks.

 

Most compound constructions:

 

Not: Banks, and other financial institutions have helped older people with money management, and investment.

But: Banks and other financial institutions have helped older people with money management and investment.

 

Not: One bank created special accounts for older people, and held classes, and workshops.

But: One bank created special accounts for older people and held classes and workshops.

 

After a conjunction:

 

Not: Parents of adolescents notice increased conflict at puberty, and, they complain of bickering.

But: Parents of adolescents notice increased conflict at puberty, and they complain of bickering.

 

Around Essential Elements:

 

Not: Hawthorne’s work, The Scarlet Letter, was the first major American novel.

But: Hawthorne’s work The Scarlet Letter was the first major American novel.

 

Around a series:

 

Not: The skills of, hunting, herding, and agriculture, sustained the Native Americans.

But: The skills of hunting, herding, and agriculture sustained the Native Americans.

 

Before an indirect quotation:

 

Not: The report concluded, that dieting could be more dangerous then overeating.

But: The report concluded that dieting could be more dangerous then overeating.[/center]