English Grammar Tips and Tricks Volume 2

English Grammar Tips and Tricks Volume 2

You have probably come across with many warnings and advice when it comes to providing decent writing. These recommendations probably included checking your spelling and the structure of the sentences, using the critical words and concepts, ensuring the accuracy and consistency throughout the articles etc. These are all greatly discussed guiding methods that will certainly reform your work and improve it into a better one. What if I told you there is another issue that, if you do not pay enough attention to it, will make your article tangled and hard-to-read?

            Punctuation, which is basically the name given for the marks and symbols used in writing, helps you separate sentences, words and clauses to help your sentences become clearer and more understandable. Accordingly, no matter how you put your thoughts into words and sentences in a perfect(!) way, incorrect punctuation will definitely tear down your effort by rendering your article meaningless. There are 14 punctuation marks in the English grammar as: period (.), question mark (?), exclamation point (!), comma (,), semicolon (;), colon (:), hyphen (-), dash (--), brackets ([ ]), braces ({ }), apostrophe (‘), parentheses (( )), quotation marks (“ ”), ellipsis (…).

            From listed above, one of the most critical punctuation marks that you need to penetrate in terms of shaping your article in a good manner is; comma. Comma has many usage areas and directly affects the clarity of your work, depending on your choice of using it. It is generally used in separating opinions or elements of a certain sentence, yet its range of usage includes dates and numbers as well. Comma actually gives meanings to sentences to the extent of its handling. Here are the meanings of the comma in three substantial headings:

-          Listing: As understood from the name itself; a listing comma is the one you need to use to in terms of separating some items within a list. It blocks the complexity in the sentence and makes it a lot easier to read it. A comma is used in between the items on a list – list of names, actions etc. – yet you do not use it for the last two items as there must not be a comma before the word ‘and’. However, a comma is seen to be used before ‘and’ in American English. For example:

o   I bought four apples, six oranges, a few mangos and watermelon.

o   During the holiday, I was swimming, playing beach volley and sunbathing almost every day.  

 

-          Joining: Appearing again directly from the name; a joining comma is used to connect different sentences together. This kind of commas are frequently used with several linking words, such as; although, but etc. For example:

o   I am actually happy, and I want to celebrate with my friends outside.

o   She is stressed, but she tries not to reflect this out.

 

-          Bracketing: If you are looking for adding up some extra info into a sentence, a bracketing comma is what you are looking for. For example:

o   This series, the first broadcast in 2002, is still a hit between young people.

o   My mom, turning 67 this weekend is still looking a lot younger.