PA 105 Kaplan University. Use a comma to set off the elements of a series (three or more things), including the last two. My favorite uses of the

PA 105 Kaplan University


Use a comma to set off the elements of a series (three or more things), including the last two.

My favorite uses of the Internet are sending e-

mail, surfing the Web, and using chat rooms.

You may have learned that this comma is not necessary. Sometimes, however, the last two items in your series will glom into one if you don’t use the so-called serial comma.


Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so) to separate two independent clauses.

The public seems eager for some kind of gun control legislation, but the congress is obviously too timid to enact any truly effective measures.

If the two independent clauses are brief and nicely balanced, this comma may be omitted, but the comma is always correct.

Our team is very good but their team is better. PA 105 Kaplan University

Use a comma to set off introductory elements.

Anxious about the upcoming winter, settlers began to bicker among themselves about supplies.

If the introductory element is brief and the sentence can be read easily without the comma, it can be omitted.

In 1649 the settlers abandoned their initial outpost.

In the winter of 1644, nearly half the settlers died of starvation or exposure.


Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives.

Coaches grew weary of running practices in the drafty, dreary, dilapidated gymnasium.

If you could put a but or an and between the adjectives, you should put a comma between them.

expensive and modern = expensive, modern . . . . But not “a little and old house.” “A little old house” would be correct.

The designs for an expensive, modern gym should make them happy.


Use a comma to set off states and countries, years (in a full date), titles, etc.

The conference was originally set for Geneva, Switzerland, but was then rescheduled for Chicago, Illinois.

Their wedding date was set for August 5, 2000, in the college chapel in Newton, Massachusetts.

Tashonda Klondike, Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, submitted the committee’s final report.


Use a comma to set off quoted language.

Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice” begins with the lines, “Some say the world will end in fire, / Some say in ice.”

“Fire when ready, Gridley,” the Admiral said.

“We can’t see into the future,” said the President, “but we have to prepare for it nonetheless.”


Use a comma to set off parenthetical elements. This is the most difficult rule in comma usage. A parenthetical element is “added information,” something that can be removed from a sentence without changing the essential meaning of that sentence. Deciding what is “added information” and what is essential is sometimes difficult. See the next slide.


Parenthetical elements:

Robert Frost, perhaps America’s most beloved poet, died when he was 88.

Frankly, it doesn’t seem to matter.

When an appositive phrase can be removed from a sentence without changing its meaning or making it ambiguous:

An absolute phrase is treated as a parenthetical element:

An addressed person’s name is always parenthetical:

I am warning you, good citizens of Hartford, this vote is crucial to the future of our city.

One more parenthetical element:

Excuse me, but there are, of course, many points of view that we must consider before voting.

An interjection is treated as a parenthetical element:


One last rule: Don’t over-use commas! When a comma is needed, use it; otherwise, do without.

Reviewing the rules of comma usage will help you understand the way sentences are built — and that, ultimately, will help you become a better writer.



“Verbs are the most important of all your tools. They push the sentence forward and give it momentum. Active verbs push hard; passive verbs tug fitfully.”

-- William Zinsser, On Writing Well


In the Active voice, the subject performs the action.

For example:Joseph draws a picture.

Joseph is the subject and he is doing something (drawing).


In passive voice the subject is acted upon.

For example:The picture was drawn by Joseph.

In this case, the drawing is the subject and it is being acted upon by Joseph.


Use passive voice when you do not wish to emphasize the subject of the sentence.

Example: Smoking is prohibited. (passive) The management prohibits smoking.

(active)

The passive sentence takes attention away from management, so they do not have to be in the role of the “bad guys.”PA 105 Kaplan University

Also use passive voice when you wish to emphasize what happened and the person or thing acting is unknown or unimportant.

Example Poisonous gases were found in six

factories.The use of passive emphasizes the finding of gases, not who found them.

Note: Because passive voice often leads to awkward or wordy constructions, use passive voice sparingly and with good reason.


Use active voice unless you are required or have very specific reasons for doing otherwise.

Active voice generally leads to more concise writing.

It clarifies who is performing the action.

Remember: Staying active is a healthy practice, especially in your writing!


Many English verbs have been changed into useful nouns with the use of a suffix.

Announce – announcementPropose - proposalDepart – departure

Meet – meeting For active voice sentences use the verb

instead of the noun form of these kinds of words.


The two scientists could not arrive at a conclusion on anything.

They held discussions on several topics.

However, neither could put forth a proposal for a plan.

They only made a translation of previous studies.


The seeds were scattered by Jessica.A healthy harvest is expected by

Jessica and her father.

Another way of preserving Another way of preserving active voice is by placing the active voice is by placing the noun/s doing the action noun/s doing the action before the verb. Try it!before the verb. Try it!


Jessica scattered the seeds.Jessica and her father expected

a healthy harvest.


All passives consist of a form of the verb to be (am, is, are, was, were, being, been) plus a past participle.

Example: The boy was impressed by Ms. Jones.

A past participle is the ed form of regular verbs for irregular verbs: en, n, t) and can fill the empty slot in this sentence: “I had _______ it.”


Houses were destroyed by the storm.

The cake was eaten by me. Inexpensive ways for people to have

fun are provided by parks.Oxygen was discovered in 1774 by

Joseph Priestley.A kitten was chosen by the family to

have as a pet.


The storm destroyed housesI ate the cake.Parks provide inexpensive fun.Joseph Priestley discovered

oxygen in 1774.The family chose a kitten as a

pet.


Use active voice unless specified otherwise.

Make sure the subject is acting and not being acted upon.

Use the verb form of words with suffixesPlace subjects in front of the action they

perform (this often eliminates to be verbs)

Avoid to be forms of verbs PA 105 Kaplan University


The apostrophe has only a handful of uses, but these uses are very important. A misplaced apostrophe can be annoying — not to mention lonely.

The apostrophe is used:

1. to create possessives

2. to show contractions

3. to create some plural forms


The apostrophe is used to create possessive forms for singular and plural nouns, especially nouns referring to people.

the mayor’s car, my father’s moustache

Pedrito’s sister, Joe Kennedy’s habits


When a noun already ends in “s,” you can decide whether or not to use another “s” after the apostrophe.

Charles’s car OR Charles’ car With multisyllabic words, don’t add another

“s” after the apostrophe.

Dumas’ second novel, Jesus’ birth,

Socrates’ ideas, Illinois’ legislature


To form the possessive of an inanimate object, we’re usually better off using an “of phrase,” but the apostrophe possessive is not impossible, especially with expressions of time and in personifications.

The roar of the greasepaint, the smell of the crowd a year’s salary, my heart’s desire, your

dollar’s worth, the paper’s conclusion


To form the possessive of a plural noun, we pluralize first and then add the apostrophe.

The Kennedys’ house The children’s playhouse The travelers’ expectations Notice that with an irregular plural, the apostrophe will

come before the “s.”


A contraction allows us to blend sounds by omitting letters from a verb construction. The apostrophe shows where something is left out.

I am a student here = I’m a student here. I have been working on the railroad. = I’ve been

working on the railroad. They could have been great together. = They

could’ve been great together.


Contractions: Let us go. = Let’s go. Who is there? = Who’s there? It is Dierdre. = It’s Dierdre.

REMINDER: It’s is a contraction for “it is”; the possessive of it = its (no apostrophe).


The apostrophe is also used to form the plural of digits and letters . . .

The word Mississippi has four s’s. She got three A’s and two B’s last semester. She dotted all her i’s very carefully. . . . and to indicate omission of a number in

a date: summer of ’99; class of ’38


The mighty apostrophe doesn’t mind being used, but it wants to be used wisely.

Use it well and it will be there whenever you need it!

You can now review the apostrophe and the other marks of punctuation in the Guide to Grammar and Writing.


Ebest, Sally Barr and Charles T. Brusaw. Writing from A to Z. Mountain View: Mayfield Publishing, 2000.

Keen, Michael and Katherine H. Adams. Easy Access. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2002.

Troyka, Lynn Quitman. Quick Access. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/powerpoint.htmhs.auburn.cnyric.org/teachers/.../Active%20vs.

%20Passive%20Voice.ppt


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PA 105 Kaplan University. Use a comma to set off the elements of a series (three or more things), including the last two. My favorite uses of the