Carpenter Document Consulting

The comma is a polarizing punctuation mark, generating discussion in the newsroom and classroom alike. Everyone from copy editors to students to business professionals argue over the comma’s placement, and there are as many people who overuse commas as those who under use them. It’s safe to say that Carpenter Doc never edits a document without a missing or misplaced comma.

Thankfully, there are many standard rules for comma usage, and here are some particularly popular ones to guide your writing:

Do:

• Include a comma between independent clauses.
• Use a comma before an introductory phrase.
• Use a comma to set off a nonrestrictive clause beginning with “which.”
• Follow your style guide regarding the usage of the serial comma (comma after the conjunction in a series).

Don’t:

• Include a comma between the subject and verb of a sentence.
• Use a comma around restrictive clauses beginning with “that.”
• Include a comma between an adjective and the noun it describes.
• Use a comma after “and” if it is joining two subjects or verbs.

As I was running on the elliptical machine at my gym this morning, I noticed a sign listing the “Cardio Area Rules.” The rules were fairly standard, but I was surprised by the number of obvious grammatical errors in what was probably no more than 50 words of text. I spotted missing commas, unnecessary apostrophes, inconsistent capitalization, and a comma splice.

As an editor, it’s my job to catch these things. Would the average member notice these errors on the sign? Probably not. However, the gym paid for these signs to be produced, so wouldn’t they want them to be grammatically correct? Do organizations lose credibility and professionalism when they produce marketing materials that are rife with grammatical errors? In my opinion, they do.

If you keep your eyes open, you will find grammatical errors everywhere. Some can be comical, and some can be downright annoying. Clearly, an editor’s work is never done.

Whether we are editing dissertations, novels, or business documents, there is one error that we consistently find – misuse of the semicolon. This underused punctuation mark is often easier to use than the comma or colon because it is most frequently used in one of three ways.

1) To connect independent clauses not joined by a conjunction

If your sentence includes two independent clauses, meaning each clause can stand alone as a complete sentence, and they are not joined by a conjunction, then separate these clauses using a semicolon. (Check out our previous post about independent clauses joined by a conjunction.)

Example: Some people will call in their order; others will order online.

2) To connect independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb.

When your sentence includes two independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb like “however,” “therefore,” or “thus,” use a semicolon before the adverb.

Example: Rain is predicted for Saturday; however, the picnic remains scheduled.

3) To separate items in a series when those items include commas

If your sentence includes items in a series with multiple commas, use a semicolon to distinguish these items.

Example: The menu choices include beef, chicken, or steak; potatoes, rice, or cole slaw; and broccoli, corn, or green beans.

Generally, if your sentence requires a semicolon, it is in one of these three circumstances.

An executive at a company I worked for several years ago was surprised when I changed “which” to “that” and “that” to “which” in many instances in a company proposal that I edited. He explained that someone once told him that he used “that” too often, so he started alternating the use of “that” and “which” for variety.

Unfortunately, the interchangeability of “that” and “which” is a common misperception. It is rare that I edit a document that doesn’t have at least a few “that/which” errors.

Luckily, the guidelines for using “that” and “which” are simple. Here is how you determine whether you should use “that” or “which:”

That is used with restrictive clauses. A restrictive clause limits the subject in some way. That is not preceded by a comma.

Example: The group that wins the award receives a $100 gift certificate.

The restrictive clause “that wins the award” qualifies or limits the subject (the group). By using a restrictive clause, we understand that only the group that wins will receive the prize. Removing this clause would change the meaning of the sentence.

Which is used with nonrestrictive clauses. A nonrestrictive clause provides additional information that does not limit the subject. Nonrestrictive clauses are enclosed in commas.

Example: Carpenter Document Consulting, which increased its client base last quarter, is now hiring.

This nonrestrictive clause provides additional information about the company, but it does not limit the subject (Carpenter Document Consulting) in any way. It can be removed without impacting the meaning of the sentence.

While perusing some of our favorite grammar (and entertainment) blogs, we came across this post from Entertainment Weekly. Although EW isn’t our go-to source for all things grammar, the blogger brings up a good point. Where is the hyphen in “Law Abiding” in the new film title, Law Abiding Citizen? Hyphenating compound modifiers is a basic grammar rule, isn’t it? Did no one involved in the film — from the craft services guy to the studio head — know of this basic rule?

Apparently not.

This blatant grammatical error got us thinking. What other movie titles have committed such offensive grammar errors? Here are a couple of our favorites:

Two Weeks Notice (2002) — Where is the apostrophe?

The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) — When this film was first released, movie posters and promotional materials for the film excluded hyphens in “40-Year-Old.” Thankfully, copy editors across the country united to push for the addition of hyphens, so most DVD covers now include them.

Can you think of any other Hollywood grammar errors?

In honor of National Punctuation Day (September 24), let’s take a look at four easy punctuation rules that will instantly improve your writing.

1) Commas between independent clauses.

Independent clauses can stand alone as complete sentences. If you have two independent clauses in a sentence, joined by a conjunction, include a comma before the conjunction.

2) Misplaced apostrophes.

Apostrophes are generally used for two purposes: to show possession or to replace omitted words (in the case of contractions). Do not use apostrophes to pluralize a noun.

3) Comma splices.

As mentioned in our first rule, commas are included when two independent clauses are linked by a conjunction. However, if two independent clauses exist in a sentence without a conjunction, use a semicolon to separate the clauses. Using a comma in place of a semicolon creates the dreaded comma splice.

4) Hyphens versus dashes.

A hyphen is used to make a compound word (e.g., the well-behaved child). Dashes come in two forms, an en dash and an em dash. En dashes are usually used to join two numbers. Em dashes indicate a pause or shift in thought. If your word-processing software does not include en and em dashes, use a double hyphen instead.

When used properly, modifiers can add helpful details to your document. However, misplaced modifiers can cause confusion and occasionally add unintentional hilarity to a sentence. Use caution when including modifiers, or your sentence can have an unintended meaning:

Incorrect: Falling from the tree, Joe watched the leaves.

Was Joe falling from the tree, or were the leaves? The structure of this sentence implies that Joe was falling from the tree.

Correct: Joe watched the leaves, which were falling from the tree.

Incorrect: Jane was so hungry that she almost ate the whole pizza.

Did Jane almost eat but not actually eat the pizza? This sentence implies that Jane only came close to eating.

Correct: Jane was so hungry that she ate almost the whole pizza.

Tip: Place a modifying word or phrase as close to the word it is describing as possible.

Today starts a new feature on the blog: the Grammar Tip of the Week. Every Monday, we’ll post an easy-to-remember grammar rule based on common errors we see.

You’re vs. Your

• You’re is a contraction meaning “you are.”  Your is the possessive form of “you.”
• You’re going to fail the class if you do not complete your assignment.
• In this sentence, “You’re” serves as the subject/verb of the sentence (You are), and “your” expresses that the assignment belongs to you.

Tip: If you aren’t sure which form to use, insert “you are” in place of “you’re/your,” and see if it makes sense. If “you are” is correct, use “you’re;” if it isn’t, use “your.”