Are you ready for another dose of Comma Usage rules???
Let's dive right in! Here goes...
1) Commas can be used with parenthetical (supplementary/non-essential) elements for slight breaks. Use an em-dash for a stronger break.
Examples:
She bought the thigh-high boots, even though she'd never wear them in public.
Romance heroes are handsome and muscular, for the most part.
The trip wasn't cancelled, in spite of the nasty weather.
2) Use commas with non-restrictive phrases. If a descriptive phrase isn't essential to the sentence's meaning, it's non-restrictive.
Examples:
The boy, with the helmet perched sideways on his head, turned toward the rumbling Harley.
The doe, trailed by her trio of fawns, grazed her way across the yard.
3) Always use commas with dependent clauses that begin sentences, including participial and adverbial phrases.
Examples:
If he saw one more tear, he'd break down and forgive her. (dependent clause)
Without any money, they couldn't rent a room for the night. (dependent clause)
Exhausted from the chase, she ducked into the tangle of briars to catch her breath. (participial phrase)
After hours of waiting, he no longer had any patience. (adverbial phrase)
4) Use commas to separate a listing of two or more adjectives before a noun when they can be connected by "and" and adding commas won't affect the meaning. The order of the adjectives can be reversed and still make sense. Repeated adjectives also need commas.
Examples:
He shoved his fingers into the sticky, gooey dough.
The forecast is calling for a cold, rainy, overcast day.
Many, many people have phobias.
5) Direct addresses require commas. Remember "Let's eat Grandma." vs. "Let's eat, Grandma."???
Examples:
When did you arrive, Aunt Millie?
Miss, please close the door.
You, Mr. Drake, aren't welcome here.
6) Use a comma after an introductory "yes" or "no."
Examples:
Yes, you may sit there.
No, I wasn't expecting you.
In case you missed my other comma-related posts, check out Comma Usage Part 1, Comma Splices and Punctuation for Dialogue.
Next week, I'll tackle more ways to use commas. No, I don't expect you to remember them all!
Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!
Showing posts with label Comma splices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Comma splices. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Writing Tip Wednesday--Adverbs
Happy New Year!
I'm tackling adverbs from both sides this week. On one hand, writers are told to use adverbs sparingly. Please note the use of the adverb "sparingly" in that sentence :) On the other hand, some critiquers and contest judges get carried away with it, marking every word that could be construed as an adverb. Overkill!
BTW, a lot of adverbs end in -ly, but not all of them. Some adverbs are also other parts of speech in context. Don't assume the word is an adverb without checking how it's used.
In some/many cases, a stronger verb makes the adverb unnecessary.
Examples:
1) Jane walked softly up the stairs to avoid making them creak.
Rather than using "softly," you can replace "walked" with a stronger verb, like "tiptoed" or "crept." The writing is tighter, more succinct, and more effective.
2) Silently watching her climb the stairs, Callum waited to see where Jane planned to snoop.
Can you think of a word to replace "watching" when it's done "silently?" Off the top of my head, neither can I. The sentence could be rewritten to omit the adverb, but occasional use is OKAY. The manuscript doesn't have to be adverb-free.
Adverb or...something else?
Examples:
3) Jane pulled a lovely silk gown from the trunk.
"Lovely" ends in -ly, but is it an adverb? No. It's describing the gown (a noun), so "lovely" is an adjective.
4) The floor creaked somewhere behind her, so she ducked under the bed.
"So" is often an adverb, describing an adjective to tell how much. In this example, "so" is used as a conjunction to join two independent clauses. Without it, we'd have a comma splice. Remember those???
5) The very tips of Callum's boots rested on Jane's sleeve, trapping her against the floor.
"Very" is almost always an adverb--and one that shouldn't be used in narrative. Use only when emphasis is needed in dialogue. In this sentence, however, it's an adjective because it describes the tips of Callum's boots (a noun).
Use the rule of moderation with adverbs. Know what they are, what they aren't, and how to use them correctly and effectively.
Next up--Adjectives!
Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!
I'm tackling adverbs from both sides this week. On one hand, writers are told to use adverbs sparingly. Please note the use of the adverb "sparingly" in that sentence :) On the other hand, some critiquers and contest judges get carried away with it, marking every word that could be construed as an adverb. Overkill!
BTW, a lot of adverbs end in -ly, but not all of them. Some adverbs are also other parts of speech in context. Don't assume the word is an adverb without checking how it's used.
In some/many cases, a stronger verb makes the adverb unnecessary.
Examples:
1) Jane walked softly up the stairs to avoid making them creak.
Rather than using "softly," you can replace "walked" with a stronger verb, like "tiptoed" or "crept." The writing is tighter, more succinct, and more effective.
2) Silently watching her climb the stairs, Callum waited to see where Jane planned to snoop.
Can you think of a word to replace "watching" when it's done "silently?" Off the top of my head, neither can I. The sentence could be rewritten to omit the adverb, but occasional use is OKAY. The manuscript doesn't have to be adverb-free.
Adverb or...something else?
Examples:
3) Jane pulled a lovely silk gown from the trunk.
"Lovely" ends in -ly, but is it an adverb? No. It's describing the gown (a noun), so "lovely" is an adjective.
4) The floor creaked somewhere behind her, so she ducked under the bed.
"So" is often an adverb, describing an adjective to tell how much. In this example, "so" is used as a conjunction to join two independent clauses. Without it, we'd have a comma splice. Remember those???
5) The very tips of Callum's boots rested on Jane's sleeve, trapping her against the floor.
"Very" is almost always an adverb--and one that shouldn't be used in narrative. Use only when emphasis is needed in dialogue. In this sentence, however, it's an adjective because it describes the tips of Callum's boots (a noun).
Use the rule of moderation with adverbs. Know what they are, what they aren't, and how to use them correctly and effectively.
Next up--Adjectives!
Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Writing Tip Wednesday--Comma Splices
You've spent the last week working on dialogue, right? Here's a different example that came up in a question from one of my chapter sisters.
What happens if the dialogue is split, with the tag between two parts of continuing dialogue?
"I heard," Bob whispered, "you had a new book released last week."
**Notice the placement of the commas inside the closing quotes of the first segment and after the tag; the first word in the second segment doesn't get capitalized since it's a continuation of the sentence from the first segment. This only applies to a single sentence of dialogue split by a dialogue tag.**
You're ready to tackle comma splices now, aren't you? I know you are :)
A comma splice contains two or more independent clauses connected by commas. This means each section of the "sentence" can stand alone.
Examples of comma splices and their possible corrections:
1) I jumped in the lake, the water was cold. (comma splice)
I jumped in the lake. The water was cold. (correct)
I jumped in the lake and the water was cold. (correct)
I jumped in the lake, but the water was cold. (correct)
2) My dress was purple, my shoes were blue, they didn't match. (comma splice)
My dress was purple, but my shoes were blue. They didn't match. (correct)
My dress was purple and my shoes were blue. They didn't match. (correct)
My dress was purple and my shoes were blue, so they didn't match. (correct)
Notice that each independent clause (the parts separated by commas) in the comma splice examples has a subject and a verb. Use conjunctions like and, but, so, etc. to make compound sentences or replace the commas with periods to make separate sentences. Be sure to capitalize where necessary.
I highly recommend buying a style book for handy reference. Chicago Manual of Style is widely used and offers comprehensive guidance in almost all areas of grammar and punctuation, along with lots of other great information for writers. I have a copy on my desk and refer to it a lot! Others are available, so research your target publishers to find out what their house styles are.
Feel free to make comments or ask questions! Happy Writing :)
Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!
What happens if the dialogue is split, with the tag between two parts of continuing dialogue?
"I heard," Bob whispered, "you had a new book released last week."
**Notice the placement of the commas inside the closing quotes of the first segment and after the tag; the first word in the second segment doesn't get capitalized since it's a continuation of the sentence from the first segment. This only applies to a single sentence of dialogue split by a dialogue tag.**
You're ready to tackle comma splices now, aren't you? I know you are :)
A comma splice contains two or more independent clauses connected by commas. This means each section of the "sentence" can stand alone.
Examples of comma splices and their possible corrections:
1) I jumped in the lake, the water was cold. (comma splice)
I jumped in the lake. The water was cold. (correct)
I jumped in the lake and the water was cold. (correct)
I jumped in the lake, but the water was cold. (correct)
2) My dress was purple, my shoes were blue, they didn't match. (comma splice)
My dress was purple, but my shoes were blue. They didn't match. (correct)
My dress was purple and my shoes were blue. They didn't match. (correct)
My dress was purple and my shoes were blue, so they didn't match. (correct)
Notice that each independent clause (the parts separated by commas) in the comma splice examples has a subject and a verb. Use conjunctions like and, but, so, etc. to make compound sentences or replace the commas with periods to make separate sentences. Be sure to capitalize where necessary.
I highly recommend buying a style book for handy reference. Chicago Manual of Style is widely used and offers comprehensive guidance in almost all areas of grammar and punctuation, along with lots of other great information for writers. I have a copy on my desk and refer to it a lot! Others are available, so research your target publishers to find out what their house styles are.
Feel free to make comments or ask questions! Happy Writing :)
Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!
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