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February 15, 2000
COMMAS--PART II
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Last week we discussed using commas to punctuate a series of items in a sentence and following introductory coordinating conjunctions.
RULE #3:
This week let's look at commas used between main clauses (also called independent clauses) connected by a coordinating conjunction. A main clause is a complete statement that could stand alone but which is part of a longer statement.
EXAMPLE: Jim and I went to a movie last night and then we went out to eat.
In the above sentence, both halves of the sentence ("Jim and I went to a movie last night" and "then we went out to eat") are main (or independent) clauses because they could stand alone as separate sentences, but instead they form a long compound sentence. (We'll discuss main clauses and compound sentences in more detail in a future issue.)
QUESTION: Should a comma be placed between the two clauses?
EXAMPLE: Jim and I went to a movie last night, and then we went out to eat.
Most grammar books claim that a comma between main clauses is unneeded as long as you connect the two clauses with a coordinating conjunction (and, or, for, so, yet, but). However, using a comma in this way is not wrong. Therefore, you can use a comma if you think it best.
In general, use a comma if both clauses are especially long or complex; don't use a comma if both clauses are short.
NO COMMA NEEDED: We remained and they left.
COMMA NEEDED: They gave us lots of cherries, and we prepared a feast fit for a king.
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FOR PRACTICE:
Which sentences need commas between clauses:
1. Jeremy asked Alicia to the concert but then decided to take Sarah.
2. Harry couldn't finish the job so Bill hired another contractor.
3. Jennifer broke up with Allen and started dating Paul.
4. My lawyer told us that everyone should prepare a will yet few people take the time to have one made.
For the correct answers, visit our web site at http://www.grammarcheck.com/answers.htm
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SPELLING HINT:
Effect vs. affect--which is which?
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An "effect" is generally used as a noun.
EXAMPLE #1: Derrick has a bad effect on my sister.
EXAMPLE #2: Many medications have strong side effects.
("Effect" can occasionally be used as a verb to show action: The manager worked hard to effect change in his department. This usage is more formal and less common than using "effect" as a noun.)
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To "affect" is to influence and typically is used as a verb.
EXAMPLE #1: Did the child's dose of Ritalin affect his unruly behavior?
EXAMPLE #2: How did the extra-credit assignment affect your final grade?
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In summary, use EFFECT as a noun (most commonly) and AFFECT as a verb. Think of the "E" in effect as "elephant"--a very visible noun! And think of "A" in "affect" as showing "action."
Effect/elephant
Affect/action
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WRITING TIP:
Avoid using "I" in business writing, especially at the beginning of a paragraph. Business writing is typically geared toward the reader, so references to the writer can be boring and distracting.
Stay tuned for future issues as we present two editing techniques that can make your writing more professional!
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YOUR GRAMMAR AND WRITING QUESTIONS:
QUESTION: When writing dialogue in a story, is a comma like this needed: John cried, "What! Done already!"
GRAMMARCHECK: Yes, commas introduce dialogue used in a direct quoting method.
EXAMPLE #1: He yelled, "Get out of there!"
EXAMPLE #2: Percy whined, "I can't do it."
Indirect quotes or "reported speech" do not need commas: He yelled at the kids to get out of the garbage bin. Percy whined that he couldn't do it. Watch for direct vs. reported speech in a future issue.
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QUESTION: When using "an" instead of "a" in a sentence, is the principle correct that "an" comes before any word beginning with a vowel?
GRAMMARCHECK: Righto! Use "a" before words beginning with a consonant and "an" before those beginning with a vowel.
"a": Sheila handed the old man a shovel.
"an": Sheila handed the old man an ugly shovel.
But there's more: Also use "a" before words beginning with a consonant-sounding word and "an" before those beginning with a vowel-sounding word.
"a": A Ulysses S. Grant memorial fund has been started.
"an": An RCA dog appears in every advertisement.
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QUESTION: I hear many people using "myself" where I would just say "me." What is the correct way to use "myself"?
GRAMMARCHECK: "Me" is a first-person pronoun used as an object of the action in a sentence.
CORRECT: Joan handed the bill to me.
INCORRECT: Joan handed the bill to myself.
"Myself" refers to the first-person "I" in the subject position for clarity or emphasis.
EXAMPLE: I, myself, stuffed the envelopes and mailed them.
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