Using commas with adjectives

Most writers seem to think that commas are always used to separate all elements in a list. If you're listing words that happen to be nouns, or noun (or prepositional)  phrases, then you'd be correct to use the comma separator between them.

I planted radishes, beets, cabbages and leeks.
(This lists four nouns, and note that I didn't use an Oxford comma).

Happiness might be found over the rainbow, behind the kitchen door or under the carpet.
(This is a list of three prepositional phrases).

Don't forget to buy green apples, red plums and a blue and white tablecloth. 
(And this is a list of three noun phrases).

If, however, you are using two or more adjectives to modify a noun or pronoun, you might--or might not-- require a comma to separate them. The rule has it that a comma is necessary where the word and would be appropriate, and when the modifiers are each modifying the same word to the same degree.

I know that sounds a bit tricky, so let me explain through examples.

My hero is tall, dark and slightly disfigured.  
(He is tall and dark and slightly disfigured. None of these modifiers is any more important than the others.)

But my heroine is perfectly proportioned, good-natured and rich.  
(Again, all three adjectives modify the word heroine in equal measure).

But sometimes two or more adjectives do not require a comma to separate them. Each case is slightly different, so you have to pay attention.

The endangered burrowing owl is making a comeback in some areas.
(No comma is needed between the word endangered and the word burrowing because these adjectives modify the word owl together. You wouldn't write, The endangered and burrowing owl...).

The quaint old village of Windermere bristles with tourists in the summer.
(Again, you wouldn't write, The quaint and old village...).

I can make the same case for using two or more adverbs to modify a verb, adjective, or another adverb.

And I'll do this in my next post.

Commas for Lists

I didn't know until today that commas are among the oldest of our modern punctuation marks, having been "invented" in stages by the Italians in the 15th and 16th centuries. According to punctuation guru Lynne Truss, commas serve two main functions: to indicate the grammar of a sentence and to emphasize elements such as "rhythm, direction, pitch, tone and flow."

Probably the first thing you learned about commas was that they're required to separate elements in a list. It's quite a simple rule, and generally doesn't lead to any discussion or disagreement, except in the case of the Oxford comma, which I defined in my last post. This rule is an example of a comma illuminating the grammar of a sentence.

Sometimes a list can be quite complex, however. Some sentences are made up of lists of phrases that contain other commas. This is where some writers might begin to worry about what they're doing.

Take a look at this example.

Spring is the busiest time for gardeners because they must plan their method of attack, prepare sites, fork compost, clear off mulch and other less valuable debris, divide perennials, prune trees, shrubs and vines, and sow seeds.

Note that I've used the Oxford comma here (the comma after the word vines) because I want to do all I can to aid my reader's comprehension.

In sentences like this one, a semi-colon could be employed to separate the various phrases from one another. But don't worry about that now. I'm getting ahead of myself. I won't be discussing semi-colons for weeks yet.

When using a comma to separate the items in a list, the rule is that the comma should be able to replace the word and or or.

In the gardening example above, the list-separating commas could all be replaced with the word and.
Except for the Oxford comma, of course. It's the exception to the rule.

Next time, I'll talk about using commas as list-separators when the list is made up of adjectives. I hope it will be an informative, useful and interesting post. (For some reason I didn't feel like using the Oxford comma here. Isn't English a wonderful language?)

The Oxford Comma

I've neglected my blog because I've been finishing a sequel to my novel, Cult of the Black Virgin. This was my first novel, and it just got a four-star review, posted on Goodreads, so I'm encouraged. Publishers and readers seem to like sequels, and I'll be writing two. The first, Revenge of the Black Virgin, should be finished in a few weeks.

When I started this blog I said I was frustrated because I wasn't permitted to ue semi-colons and colons in my work. Apparently, readers of romance don't like sophisticated sentence structure, so I have to keep it simple. Commas are okay, though. I mean, really, commas are absolutely necessary in written English.

So, the next dozen or so postings are going to discuss commas.

First off, I'll introduce the Oxford comma (also known as the Harvard comma).

The Oxford comma is a formal name for the series or serial comma used before a co-ordinating conjunction (usually and, or, and nor) in a list of three or more things.

For example: I had to remove all the colons, semi-colons, and parentheses from my manuscript.

The Oxford, or serial, comma is the comma after the word semi-colons. It's often considered an optional comma, but care should be taken that it doesn't cause ambiguity. If you use it, the result may be ambiguous, and if you omit it you may cause confusion for another reason.

For example, note the difference in the two following sentences:

 My first novel is dedicated to my teachers, Margaret Atwood, and John Updike. 
 My first novel is dedicated to my teachers, Margaret Atwood and John Updike.

See what a difference a comma can make!
In the first, I dedicate my book to my teachers and two specific writers. In the second, I dedicate the book to the two writers who were my teachers.
So what am I trying to say? I'd better be clear about it or else someone's going to have hurt feelings.

The Oxford comma is probably more commonly used  in North America than it is in Britain these days. It's endorsed by the Chicago Manual of Style in the U.S. and both the Oxford University Press (hence the name) and Fowler's in the U.K.

So whether you opt to use it regularly or not, keep two things in mind. First, be consistent. If you use it once, you'll need to use it throughout your written piece. And secondly, make sure your comma doesn't alter your meaning or lead to ambiguity.

More about commas and ambiguity next time.

Hello to my readers!

I'm pretty excited that my blog is being read by people from all over the world. You might notice I allowed myself the luxury of using an exclamation mark in my title today. Warning: I'm going to use a few more!

I'm especially interested in reaching readers from some of the countries I've visited recently. Because I live on the extreme edge of western Canada, I often feel isolated from much of the world. Hello Turkey! Hello Italy! Greetings Spain and Portugal! Serbia, too!

Why don't you drop me a line? Leave me a comment?

Serena Janes
serenajanes.com

Methinks thou dost exclaim too much!

Like ellipses, exclamation marks are often over-used by enthusiastic writers. When we want to add a sense of urgency or excitement to our writing, like spices in a recipe, a little goes a long way.

Exclamation marks are most commonly used to close an emphatic declaration. For example: My home town is so small it isn't even on a Google map!

They're also used with interjections, like "Great!" and  imperatives or commands, like "Slow down! Stop!" Note that a period is not required if an exclamation mark closes a sentence.

Generally, exclamation points should be reserved for informal writing.

My position on exclaiming is best illustrated by the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Remember that? The first time he cried out to warn the town about a lurking wolf, he was just kidding around. The second time, ditto. But when a real wolf appeared, his cries for help went unheeded. Everyone was accustomed to his false alarms, and paid no attention.

Well the same can be said for over-using the exclamation mark. Use one, and your reader understands that your words are meant to express excitement! Use another one, and the excitement continues! By the time the third one appears, the sense of urgency you hoped to convey is starting to wane!

Using any more than three--unless you're crafting a pretty intense thriller--is usually just silly!

If you must, you can use more than one exclamation mark at a time to end to express an intense
degree of emotion!!! But, again, not in formal writing, please!

You can also use exclamation marks (!) within sentences. In this example, the exclamation mark inside parentheses is meant to emphasize the words "exclamation marks."

And if you want a single word or a phrase to express emotion, you can use parentheses or dashes to set them off from the rest of the sentence, and insert an exclamation mark.

Here are some examples:

The air teemed with rain--buckets of it!--and we were soaked through instantly.
You should watch your speed (it's only 30 mph!) on that stretch of road.

Sometimes you'll see an exclamation mark used together with a question mark. Do you really think this is a good idea?!  Maybe, again, in some types of informal writing.

Lastly, exclamation marks are useful in expressing sarcasm. I hope you found this posting exceptionally (!) illuminating!

Serena Janes
serenajanes.com

The Informal Ellipses

In my last post I distinguished between ellipses used in formal writing--like legal documents or academic papers--and ellipses used in informal writing. In casual writing, ellipses are usually employed to suggest a pause, or some sort of emotion or state of mind. In this case, the ellipsis looks the same, but it's not meant to indicate omission of one or more words.

When we text, write emails, personal letters, or fiction, ellipses can add a range of meaning to our expressions. First of all, ellipses can indicate an unfinished thought, or a trailing off into silence.

Like this: She hadn't ever given politics much thought, but then . . . .

Notice the ellipsis is followed by a period because it falls at the end of the sentence.

Ellipses are also useful for indicating the passage of time, or an unfinished list.

For example: The minutes ticked . . . and ticked, adding up to hours, days, weeks, . . . .

Lastly, ellipses are great for suggesting an awkward or temporary silence within or between sentences. They might indicate faltering or fragmented speech caused by confusion, uncertainty, or strong emotion.

For example: I can't believe it . . . what they did to me.  It was so . . . unfair!

Note that a dash could be used instead of the first ellipsis in the above example. But my sources suggest that dashes should be reserved for stronger, more emphatic pauses within a sentence.

The last thing I want to say about ellipses is to warn against their over-use. When summarizing material, it's usually better to paraphrase than quote extensively, using too many ellipses. They tend to annoy readers.

That's especially true in informal writing. Overuse tends to make even our most casual writing seem vague, disjointed, or wishy-washy.

A friend sent me the following link to a BBC article about a new grammar test being implemented in British schools. Check it out.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22403731

Ellipses Demystified

I've noticed a trend in student writing to over-use the ellipsis (plural ellipses), also known as the suspension point, the points of ellipsis, the periods of ellipsis or just plain old dot-dot-dot.

The main problem, as I see it, is that students often cannot discern between formal or academic writing (that requires ellipses to indicate omission of material), and informal writing (that allows ellipses to suggest emotions).

Let's start with ellipses in a formal context. The word ellipses in Ancient Greek means omission, or falling short. It's required in academic and legal writing to indicate that a word, sentence or section has been omitted when the writer is copying/quoting text. An ellipsis is written as three periods.

For example, see how I use two ellipses to summarize a sentence without changing its meaning.

Original sentence: The candidates worked a long, hard, excruciatingly demanding campaign throughout the entire month of May.

Summary: The candidates worked a . . . demanding campaign throughout . . . May.

Notice that I've left a space on either side of the ellipses, and separated each dot or period with a space. Be aware, however, that some publishing houses prefer no spaces between the dots, and write ellipses like this: The candidates worked a ... demanding campaign throughout ... May.

But it gets trickier.

It's not necessary to use an ellipsis at the beginning of a sentence, even if we've omitted one or more words.

Incorrect:  . . . candidates worked . . . throughout May.
Correct:  [C]andidates worked . . . throughout May. (I'll address square brackets in a later post).

And if we omit one or more words at the end of a sentence, we add a period after the ellipsis.

 The candidates worked a . . . demanding campaign . . . .

That's right. Type four periods in a row, with spaces between.

What if we're omitting more than one word from our original source? Then we must place the ellipsis between the preceding and following sentences, with a space on either side, to avoid confusion.

Example: All candidates expect to be on the road for weeks at a time. . . . A political career must take its toll on family life.

In the above passage, I've used an ellipsis to indicate that I've omitted one or more sentences that fell between the word time and the word A.

There's one more handy dandy application of ellipses in this omission business. If we want to show we've omitted one or more paragraphs, we place four dots or periods (presumably an ellipsis and a period) on a separate line, indented to match the rest of the text.

Like this.

. . . .

See?


Next time I'll address the other uses of the ellipsis, namely its role in informal writing.