August 2005
BULLETED LISTS
Last month, one of our subscribers asked us to discuss the use of punctuation between items in an indented, bulleted list. With thanks to Gina for her request, we're making "bulleted lists" this month's feature.
Rules for punctuating a vertical list of items vary, depending on the style guide or handbook you use. In general, we recommend the following five guidelines.
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Guideline #1: Place a colon after an independent clause that introduces a list of items; place no punctuation mark after a dependent clause that introduces a list.
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Example A (with Independent Clause) . . .
The following states begin with the letter "O":
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
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Example B (with Dependent Clause) . . .
The states we visited this year were
* New Hampshire.
* New York.
* Maine.
* Massachusetts.
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Guideline #2: Place a period after a listed item when the item completes the statement that introduces the series.
Example . . .
Many people have trouble with sentence errors, including
* Comma splices.
* Run-on sentences.
* Sentence fragments.
* Derailed sentences.
Notice how a dependent clause introduced the list of items, so no punctuation mark was placed after it.
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Guideline #3: Place a period after a listed item when the item forms a complete sentence.
Example . . .
Many people have trouble with the following sentence structure errors:
* Comma splices are the number one problem.
* Run-on sentences come in second.
* Sentence fragments are not as common.
* Derailed sentences are the least common error.
Notice how an independent clause introduced the list of items, so a colon was placed after it.
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Guideline #4: Do not place a period after a listed item when a complete sentence introduces the list--except when the listed item forms a complete sentence (as stated in Guideline #3).
Example . . .
Many people have trouble with the following sentence structure errors:
* Comma splices
* Run-on sentences
* Sentence fragments
* Derailed sentences
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Guideline #5: A semicolon may be placed after each listed item (except the last one, in which case a period is used) when one or more of the items includes commas.
Example . . .
The students in my class have trouble with certain aspects of writing, including
* Spelling;
* Comma splices, fragments, and run-ons;
* Capitalization;
* Paragraph structure.
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Here are a few other guidelines to follow when writing a vertical list of items:
1. Capitalize the first word of each item if the item is an independent clause. Capitalization is optional if the item is a single word, phrase, or dependent clause.
2. Make sure each listed item is parallel in structure. For example, if the first item begins with a verb, all items in the series should begin with a verb. If the first item is an independent clause, each item in the series should be an independent clause. If the first item is a word or phrase, all items in the series should be words or phrases.
3. Do not place "and" between the last two items of the series.
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ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH'S PRACTICE EXERCISES
Choose the correct verb form for the following sentences.
1. If you (lie/lay) on this sofa before noon, you'll damage the newly washed fabric.
ANSWER: LIE
2. Sarah was so exhausted that she (lay/laid) her ring on the countertop before (lying/laying) down for the evening.
ANSWERS: LAID/LYING
3. If you had (lain/laid) your keys on the table where they belong, you wouldn't have lost them.
ANSWER: LAID
4. Are you sure that Irina is (lying/laying) new floor tile in the bathroom?
ANSWER: LAYING
5. The beautiful red rose continues to (lie/lay) on the treasured book.
ANSWER: LIE
6. I saw a weird cartoon yesterday in which Casper (a friendly ghost) removed his head and (lay/laid) it on a pillow.
ANSWER: LAID
7. Mother said that Father could have worked yesterday, but he chose to (lie/lay) around instead.
ANSWER: LIE
Questions about these answers? Consult last month's feature article on-line at http://www.GrammarCheck.com/archives/.
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HAVE ANY STYLE AND/OR EDITING SUGGESTIONS? WRITE TO US!
Our readers often share great ideas about writing and grammar. If you have a writing tip related to editing for style, e-mail it to mailto:grammarcheck@gmail.com. Your idea may appear in a future edition of GrammarCheck.
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QUESTION: Regarding last month's feature article on "lie" vs. "lay": What about a sentence such as "She laid her hand on my shoulder in sympathy"? To my ear, "rested" and "placed" both make sense there. Although her hand is physically attached to her, she seems to be using it as a token and thus is somewhat disassociated from it, so the second rule could also fall either way. Is this a "corner" case which stretches the rules or is it cut-and-dried but my "ear" is broken? (Lance)
GRAMMARCHECK: Good question, Lance. Both verb forms appear to fit, but "lay" is the correct verb to use unless "she" physically removes her hand and "places" it on the other person's shoulder.
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QUESTION: Is it incorrect to say "Following his passion for baseball led him to discover the story of . . ."? Can "following" here act as a gerund?
GRAMMARCHECK: The sentence to which you refer is correct. One could say that "his passion" for baseball led him to discover the story, but since it's possible for someone to have a passion for something without following that passion, one also could say that "following his passion" led to the discovery as well. Regarding your second question: "Following" is a gerund because it functions as a noun that forms the subject of the sentence.
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QUESTION: I wanted to forward an idea for a future GrammarCheck article: further vs. farther. (Deb)
GRAMMARCHECK: Hello, Deb. We're happy to address this topic. People often use these words interchangeably--both refer to an "additional" something--but there is a slight difference for those who care to observe it.
"Farther" refers to additional distance.
Examples:
She lives farther from town than I do.
How much farther from town do we need to travel?
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"Further" refers to additional time, amount, degree, or quantity.
Examples:
I will pursue this matter further with his supervisor.
They didn't offer any further conclusions to the report.
Did he refuse to spend further time with his own child?
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QUESTION: Please discuss the usage of "try TO" vs. "try AND." For example, I've always thought one should "try TO" be there on time, yet I often hear "I will try AND be there on time." The latter sounds very clumsy and incorrect to me. (Karen)
GRAMMARCHECK: Your intuition is correct, Karen. "Try TO" is correct; "try AND" is not. Why? Because the example you give requires the use of the infinitive "to be" (or "try to be"). The words "try and," however, can be used if "and" functions as a conjunction, as in the following example:
Please try, and be careful next time.
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QUESTION: I asked someone how they were doing. They responded by saying "I am wonderfully well." Is this correct English? (Avonne)
GRAMMARCHECK: It depends on what "this" refers to: both sentences or only the second sentence? The first sentence is incorrect because the plural "they" refers to the singular "someone." The second sentence (aside from "they" once again referring to "someone") is correct. We assume, however, that you're referring to the correctness of saying "wonderfully well." Although we don't often hear these two words together, their structure is no different than hearing someone say "I am SERIOUSLY ILL." But we're glad that he or she is "wonderfully well." Thanks for writing, Avonne!
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QUESTION: I was taught many years ago that "Very truly yours" was to be used for business. "Sincerely" should be used for personal letters. Lately, I have seen many business letters, including letters from attorneys' offices, using "Sincerely." Is this now acceptable? (Grace)
GRAMMARCHECK: Times are changing, and so is conventional wisdom regarding business letter closings. Some of our sources find "Sincerely" acceptable in all business letters. Others believe business writers should use "Sincerely" for personal letters (or business letters to acquaintances) and "Very truly yours" or "Very sincerely yours" for more formal letters. We see nothing wrong with writing "Sincerely" as a closing for all business letters, but we admit that a lot depends on our mood at the time and to whom we are writing a letter. Thanks for writing to GrammarCheck, Grace.
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GRAMMAR IN THE WILD
Three of our family members visited an amusement park last month, and it didn't take us long to spot a few grammar errors--but we still had a great time! Here's what we found.
1. "This was how the Racer facade looked in 1927, when the ride was built, until the front was 'Modernized'. Inline with [the park's] designation as a National Historic Landmark the original look has been restored."
Error #1: The end-mark "period" in the first sentence should be placed before the closing quotation mark.
Error #2: "Modernized" should not be capitalized.
Error #3: "Inline" should be written as two words: "In line."
Error #4: A "comma" should be placed after "Landmark."
Correction: "This was how the Racer facade looked in 1927, when the ride was built, until the front was 'modernized.' In line with [the park's] designation as a National Historic Landmark, the original look has been restored."
Revised: "In line with [the park's] designation as a National Historic Landmark, the Racer's facade has been restored to its original look as it appeared when the ride was built in 1927."
2. "This is a high-speed roller coaster ride. It is not recommended for those with a heart condition, back problems, or pregnant mothers."
Error: The list of items in the second sentence does not have a parallel structure.
Correction: "This is a high-speed roller coaster ride. It is not recommended for pregnant women or for those with heart conditions or back problems."
Revised: "This high-speed roller coaster is not recommended for pregnant women or for those with heart conditions or back problems."
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QUESTION: In last month's Grammar in the Wild section, you didn't comment on the dreadful dangling modifier: "With a large population of senior citizens, we offer secure buildings and fully uniformed door attendants--stationed in the lobby--on duty every evening." This seems to say that "we" have a large population of senior citizens--clearly nonsense.
Better would be "With a large population of senior citizens, Chapel Hill Towers offers secure buildings . . ."
Even better would be "Because it has a large population of senior citizens, Chapel Hill Towers offers secure buildings . . ."
Best wishes, Paul (UK)
GRAMMARCHECK: It's not unusual for advertisers to use "we" in this manner when referring to a company and/or its people. For example, in 1980, Dairy Queen came out with its slogan "We Treat You Right," referring both to the people of the company and to Dairy Queen. And then there's the famous McDonald's slogan "We love to see you smile." We agree with you that the sentence--in a strict grammatical sense--includes a dangling modifier, but as part of an advertisement, it's acceptable to substitute "we" for Chapel Hill Towers--at least here in the States. Thanks for writing!
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QUESTION: Please explain the rule for using "couple of" vs. "couple."
Example #1:
A couple of minutes is all I need.
A couple minutes is all I need.
Example #2:
Pack a couple of sweaters in your suitcase.
Pack a couple sweaters in your suitcase.
It sounds really strange when the "of" is left out, but I see it quite often in books. (Arline)
GRAMMARCHECK: Good observation, Arline. While "couple" (without "of") is often used in speech, it's considered incorrect by most grammarians. "Couple of" is correct, especially in formal writing.
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WORD OF THE MONTH
"Castigate" (KAS-tuh-gayt) transitive verb
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To punish severely; also, to chastise verbally; to rebuke; to criticize severely.
Example: Was it necessary to castigate him for every transgression?
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Words, pronunciations, and definitions courtesy of Dictionary.com, Copyright 2005, Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Visit http://www.Dictionary.com for all your on-line dictionary and thesaurus needs.
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QUESTION: Which of the following is correct?
1. What new website feature would you most like?
2. What new website feature would you like most?
Thank you. (Michael)
GRAMMARCHECK: "Most" is an adverb of degree and thus follows the verb it modifies. The second sentence is correct. Some people, however, would spell "website" as "Web site" or "Website." Its acceptable spelling is still being debated.
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QUESTION: Please help me. My friend says the negative of "used to" is "didn't used to." I think it should be "didn't use to." Who is correct? Thanks.
GRAMMARCHECK: Your friend is correct.
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GRAMMARCHECK ARCHIVES
Read past issues of GrammarCheck on-line at http://www.GrammarCheck.com/archives/
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QUESTION: I wonder if you can help. I am desperate to know if species, tribe, Habitat (a company), and number are collective nouns.
1. The species, popular in the Amazon, is/are becoming extinct.
2. Habitat (the furniture company) is/are very popular.
3. The tribe, decimated by crop failure, need/needs to move elsewhere.
4. There is/are a number of different hotels.
I'll appreciate any feedback. I'm trying to make my way as a proofreader and can't find any answers in my books. (Stephanie)
GRAMMARCHECK: A collective noun has a singular form, but it refers to a group. When the group to which it refers acts as one unit, the collective noun takes a singular verb and may be referred to by a singular pronoun.
Example: The new group HAS organized ITSELF into a separate unit.
When the members of a group act independently, the collective noun takes a plural verb and may be referred to by a plural pronoun.
Example: The new group HAVE organized THEIR own independent basketball teams.
Three of the four words you mention are collective nouns, so let's take a look at each of your sentences.
1. The species, popular in the Amazon, is/are becoming extinct.
"Species" is not a collective noun, but it can be used as both a singular and plural noun. ("Specie" is considered obsolete.) Without knowing the context of this sentence, we can't determine whether "species" takes a singular or plural verb.
2. Habitat (the furniture company) IS very popular.
"Habitat" is a collective noun. Since you've identified Habitat as a furniture company, it takes a singular verb.
3. The tribe, decimated by crop failure, NEEDS to move elsewhere.
"Tribe" is a collective noun. In this sentence, we know that it takes a singular verb because the word "decimated" refers to a large part of a group, not to individual members of a group who act independently.
4. There ARE a number of different hotels.
"Number" is a collective noun. When "number" is preceded by "a," use a plural verb. When it's preceded by "the," use a singular verb. In this sentence, "number" is preceded by "a," so it takes the plural verb ARE.
Be aware that the correct verb and/or pronoun reference to a collective noun may sound funny. When this occurs, we recommend revising the sentence.
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Original: The species is becoming extinct.
Revision: This species of flower is becoming extinct.
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Original: Habitat are donating time and money to their favorite causes.
Revision: The people of Habitat are donating time and money to their favorite causes.
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Original: The tribe are moving closer to one another.
Revision: The tribe of monkeys are moving closer to one another.
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Collective nouns are tricky, so consult your handbook when in doubt. Thanks for writing, Stephanie.
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QUESTION: When typing the name of a book in a document, how is it set off with punctuation?
Example: I recommend Dr. Zin's book FULL CATASTROPHE LIVING to see if this is helpful for her.
Thank you!
GRAMMARCHECK: If you use "book" after the author's name, set off the title with commas:
I recommend Dr. Zin's book, FULL CATASTROPHE LIVING, to see if this is helpful for her.
If you name the book immediately after the author's name, no punctuation is necessary:
I recommend Dr. Zin's FULL CATASTROPHE LIVING to see if this is helpful for her.
Note: The title of a book is underlined or italicized, neither of which we can do in this "plain text" newsletter, so we're indicating the book's title with ALL CAPS. _Full Catastrophe Living_ is another acceptable plain text format for book titles.
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Have a question about grammar or writing? E-mail it to mailto:grammarcheck@gmail.com or send it anonymously through our Web form at http://www.GrammarCheck.com/submit.htm
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WEB SITE OF THE MONTH
Each month we feature a Web site that provides on-line help with grammar and/or writing. Check out this month's site:
"Business Letter Writing"
http://www.business-letter-writing.com/
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QUESTION: When is "the" pronounced as THEE and when is it pronounced as THUH?
GRAMMARCHECK: Pronounce it as THEE before a word starting with a vowel sound, and pronounce it as THUH before a word that starts with a consonant sound.
Examples:
THUH wedding (consonant sound "w")
THEE abstract painting (vowel sound "a")
THUH xylophone (consonant sound "x"; pronounced as "z")
THEE economy (vowel sound "e")
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QUESTION: Can you say "She TEACHED the class" instead of "She TAUGHT the class"?
GRAMMARCHECK: Yes, but only if you want to speak English incorrectly. Seriously, we hear "teached" being used more frequently in spoken language, but "taught" remains the only correct past tense form of "teach."
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