3 Cases of Erroneous Punctuation

3 Cases of Erroneous Punctuation 3 Cases of Erroneous Punctuation 3 Cases of Erroneous Punctuation By Mark Nichol In each of the following examples, confusion about the role of the comma in conjunction with a conjunction results in incorrect inclusion, omission, or placement of punctuation. Discussion following each example explains the error, and a revision illustrates correct employment of punctuation. 1. The business recently acted on the recommendation, and early on in its transformation process, has already generated valuable time and money-saving efficiencies. Here, the writer is unclear about how to integrate a parenthetical phrase into a sentence. Without the insertion of â€Å"early on in its transformation process,† no internal punctuation is necessary in this sentence, so the first comma should follow, not precede and, which is not part of the parenthesis: â€Å"The business recently acted on the recommendation and, early on in its transformation process, has already generated valuable time and money-saving efficiencies.† 2. That debate could place everything on the table and, for that reason, significant tax reform in 2017 may prove challenging to achieve.   In this example, the introductory phrase of an independent clause is treated as a parenthetical phrase. Note, however, that what precedes and is a complete statement, and what follows the conjunction is another complete statement, so a comma should team up with and (in that order) to separate the two independent clauses, which would otherwise be separated into two sentences: â€Å"That debate could place everything on the table, and for that reason, significant tax reform in 2017 may prove challenging to achieve.† This doesn’t mean that â€Å"for that reason† cannot function as a parenthetical phrase, but in that case, a comma preceding and would still be required to separate the independent clauses, and two more commas would have to bracket the phrase. The suggested revision, however, reduces the number of commas. (Also, it is not incorrect to omit the comma following â€Å"for that reason† as an introductory phrase, but I recommend punctuating such phrases consistently to eliminate arbitrary inconsistency.) 3. The financial services industry has had a strong focus on data governance for more than a decade and, as a result, most firms have mature data classification and governance programs in place.   This sentence has the same fault as the one in the previous example, so again, simply shunt the first comma so that it precedes the conjunction: â€Å"The financial services industry has had a strong focus on data governance for more than a decade, and as a result, most firms have mature data classification and governance programs in place.† Another solution, besides dividing one sentence into two, is to replace the comma and and with a semicolon rather than a period: â€Å"The financial services industry has had a strong focus on data governance for more than a decade; as a result, most firms have mature data classification and governance programs in place.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Classes and Types of Phrases35 Genres and Other Varieties of FictionKn- Words in English

A Case For Slow Writing

A Case For Slow Writing A Case For Slow Writing A Case For Slow Writing By Guest Author Those of us with Italian backgrounds will know that you don’t make an authentic pasta sauce in an hour. It should be cooked slowly, the ingredients added one by one, at the right time. First the meats must be browned, next the onions, the herbs, spices and tomatoes incorporated. Then the mixture must simmer for two, three, four hours until it is a thick, mouthwatering sugo, the succulent meat falling off the bones. It’s good to cook slowly. But this is a writing blog, right? Yes. And it’s okay to write slowly too, blending words, sentences and paragraphs together, adding them to just the right part, in the proper sequence. Time spent writing can often look like this: You write a few lines, the thoughts are flowing. You’re in the zone. Then life rips you out after what seems like a mere five minutes. You go back to the computer, type another line or two, only to be summoned by the real world again. If this describes you, don’t worry - the story still brews while you attend to reality, the words sub-consciously simmering as you do what you need to. There are only two situations when you really must write fast: 1. When you have a contract or a time limit. Writers quickly learn to write with speed when they have a pressing deadline. Students know the perils of handing in late assignments. 2. When you write for a living. If writing is the only way you earn money, then your income is tied to your output. The rest of us are free to savour our writing if that’s what we want to do. Incidentally, J.K. Rowling and Stephen King are two of many authors who wrote novels at a snail’s pace. And there are lots of valid reasons why writing might take a long time. Maybe you: have a life. are just starting. don’t need the money. are a meticulous researcher. like looking for exactly the right words. need time to gather your thoughts and assemble the most salient. Or maybe you write simply because, fast or slow, it’s good for your soul. Amen. Whether you take a day or three to write a brief article, a month or four to produce a short story, a year or more to draft a novel, I’m here to say, it’s okay to take your time. While ever you are making progress and you haven’t given up, if writing makes you happy, there’s no reason to feel guilty about doing it slowly. Savour each word, each sentence, each paragraph. About the Author: C. G. is a freelance writer. Her blog is named for the trees surrounding her home where she loves to play with words ─ the words sort themselves into stories at regular intervals. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a Sentence5 Brainstorming Strategies for Writers1,462 Basic Plot Types