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MYSTERY OF ‘COMMA’ AND ‘INVERTED COMMA’ UNVEILED
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Some Rules for Comma and Inverted Comma.
This guest post is from Raksha Pradeep, Director of ApraDocs Information Developers, New Delhi, holds a Masters Degree in Business management in Human Resource from Mumbai University.Apart from her services in the corporate sector she is also involved with various reputed institutes as visiting/ guest faculty for Business Communication.
Comma (,)
A comma is a punctuation used to denote a pause in the sentence. A comma is used to structure a sentence and helps the reader understand the meaning of the sentence.
Place a comma after each introductory word, phrase, or clause.
Eventually, she had to admit that he was the better classical singer.
In the introductory speech, the philosopher appears to be a scholar of the topic.
Whenever I get a break from my busy schedule, I go to my mother’s apartment to relax.
Use comma:
· To join the items on a list:
They own a cat, a dog, two rabbits, and six mice
· After certain adverbs:
Commas are always used to set off certain adverbs at the beginning of a sentence, including, however, in fact, therefore, nevertheless, moreover, furthermore, and still.
If these adverbs appear in the middle of a sentence, they are followed and preceded by a comma.
(can be preceded by a semicolon)
Using commas to offset certain adverbs is optional, including then, so, yet, instead, and too.
Ex-So, that’s it for this rule. or
So that’s it for this rule.
· Parenthetical phrases
Commas are often used to enclose parenthetical words and phrases within a sentence (i.e., information that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence).
Ex- M S Dhoni, Cricket Captain of India, hit the ball to score a six.
· Between Adjectives
· Before quotes
· In dates (only when it is written in month day format)
Ex- January 21, 2013
· In Numbers:
Ex- In representing large numbers, English texts usually use commas to separate each group of three digits. (numbers of 5 or more digits)
· In names:
Commas are used when writing names where a surname is presented first: Smith, John. They are also used before many titles that follow a name: John Smith, Ph.D.
· As an ellipsis:
· Commas may be used to indicate that a word has been omitted, as in The cat was white; the dog, brown. (Here the comma replaces was.)
to set off a direct address:
Vijay, will you please close the door?
· The same rule applies when you replace the name with a word which defines the relationship.
Darling, will you marry me?
Doctor, Is everything fine?
· Place a comma before and after the name of a state when you name a city and state in a sentence.
· If you include a full address in a sentence, place a comma between each part of the address except for the zip code. No commas should be placed either before or after the zip code.
· Place a comma before the coordinating conjunction when you combine two independent clauses into a single sentence.
Ex- Neha studies very hard, but she still gets poor grades in English.
· Place a comma after but not before a dependent clause.
Ex- Dependent clause, Independent clause
Independent clause Dependent clause
· Comma is always placed between the speaker and the direct quote.
· Place a comma where a pause is required in order to avoid misreading.
Apostrophe (‘)
Apostrophes are used to show possession and omission.
1. Used to show possession: Possession means ownership. When you want to indicate that an object or a trait belongs to or is an attribute of someone or something, you use an apostrophe. Where you place the apostrophe depends on whether the possessive noun or pronoun is singular or plural.
To form the possessive of a singular noun, add an apostrophe and an s.
To form the possessive of a singular noun, add an apostrophe and an s.
o Tree’s leaf
2. To form the possessive of a singular proper noun, add an apostrophe and an s, even if the proper noun already ends in s:
o Doll owned by Sita – Sita’s doll, Jesus’s love
To form the possessive of a plural noun that already ends in s, add only an apostrophe:
The officials’ decision–(the decision was made by a group of officials)
To form the possessive of a plural proper noun, add only an apostrophe:
The Indians‘ protest
To form the possessive of an irregular plural noun that does not end in s add an apostrophe and an s:
Children’s bag
Forming Possessive Compound Nouns
If ownership is separate, make each noun possessive by adding the appropriate apostrophe or an apostrophe and an s:
During Dussehra break, I’ll be staying at my brother‘s and my sister‘s houses.
The brother and sister separately own separate houses.
If ownership is shared, make only the final noun possessive:
Every year, I visit my mom and dad‘s winter cottage and summer house.
Mom and dad jointly own both residences.
3.Used to show contractions of words: Use an apostrophe in place of omitted letters in contractions:
o It is so hot today – It’s so hot today
o I have not done my homework – I haven’t done my homework
Use an apostrophe to indicate omissions in dates and expressions.
80’s, the class of ‘36, singing ‘n’ dancing
The most common apostrophe error is using the apostrophe when what you really want is a plural noun rather than a possessive one. Let’s take examples to illustrate the usage:-
The hares burrows
You have hares and you have burrows, but you don’t know the relationship between them.
The hare’s burrow
one hare has one burrow.
one hare has one burrow.
The hare’s burrows
now one hare has multiple burrows.
now one hare has multiple burrows.
The hares’ burrow
Multiple hares is sharing one burrow.
Multiple hares is sharing one burrow.
The hares’ burrows
Lots of hares have lots of burrows.
Lots of hares have lots of burrows.
Don’t use an apostrophe with personal pronouns. Ex- yours, theirs
Know to differentiate between possession and contraction
Ex- it’s and its. It’s is ‘It is’ while its is possession
Proper use of these punctuation marks can help the writer to bring the actual essence that he wants to convey through his writing.