PUNCTUATION MARKS By Juan Pablo Vanegas

Punctuation depends on sentence structure and the logical order of ideas. The first thing is to know what makes a sentence and how that determines the punctuation to be used.

What Makes  a Sentence? MY PARENTS AND ME GO FOR A WALK. SUBJECT COMPLEMENT VERB

PHRASES ARE DIFFERENT FROM SENTENCES BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE A SUBJECT AND A VERB. FOR EXAMPLE: WHEN THESE PHRASES COME AT THE BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE, THEY END WITH A COMMA, AND THEN COMES THE SUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE. EVERY MORNING, AFTER SOME TIME, DURING THE WAR, PHRASES GIVE YOU THE CONTEXT FOR WHAT YOU WILL TELL OF THE SUBJECT AND THE VERB OF YOUR SENTENCE. AT THE GYM, WITH HIS HELP,

WHAT IS THE SUBJECT, VERB AND COMPLEMENT OF THESE SENTENCES? EVERY MORNING, MY PARENTS AND ME GO FOR A WALK. MOST OF THE TIMES, MY STUDENTS DON’T THINK GRAMMAR IS VERY EASY

NEVER USE A COMMA BEFORE OR AFTER BECAUSE A SENTENCE CAN BE COMPOSED OF MORE THAN ONE SUBJECT AND ONE VERB. THAT NIGHT, THE MAN MADE A DECISION BECAUSE HE DISCOVERED THE TRUTH, BUT SHE NEVER KNEW WHAT HAPPENED. AFTER SHE FINISHED WRITING THE LETTER, THE MAN TOOK IT TO THE POST OFFICE NEVER USE A COMMA BEFORE OR AFTER BECAUSE

BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU HAVE TWO CLAUSES BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU HAVE TWO CLAUSES. You use punctuation depending on the order of the clauses NOTICE THE COMMA WHEN SHE CAME INTO THE OFFICE, THE MAN OPENED HIS EYES WIDE. THE MAN OPENED HIS EYES WIDE WHEN SHE CAME INTO THE OFFICE.

Other examples with clauses If Carlos comes to the party, Lisa will be very happy. CLAUSE 1 CLAUSE 2 NOTICE THE COMMA IN THE FIRST CLAUSE BUT IF WE INVERT THE ORDER OF THE CLAUSES… Lisa will be very happy if Carlos comes to the party. NO COMMA THIS TIME

Most complex sentences have an independent and a dependent clause. 1. Independent: A clause that can stand by itself and still make sense. An independent clause could be its own sentence, but is often part of a larger structure, combined with other independent clauses and with dependent clauses. Independent clauses are sometimes called essential or restrictive clauses. 2. Dependent: A clause that cannot stand by itself. It depends on something else, an independent clause, for its meaning. A dependent clause trying to stand by itself would be a sentence fragment. Dependent clauses are sometimes called subordinate, nonessential, or nonrestrictive clauses. We will review the different kinds of dependent clauses.

EXAMPLES. When JP arrived, all the girls got ready. IF YOU SAY THE FIRST CLAUSE, IT SOUNDS INCOMPLETE: WHEN JP ARRIVED…. WHAT?? THIS IS WHY IT IS CALLED DEPENDENT. IF A DEPENDENT CLAUSE BEGINS THE SENTENCE, THERE MUST BE A COMMA BEFORE THE INDEPENDENT CLAUSE. WHEN IF DEPENDENT CLAUSES ARE INTRODUCED BY WHILE AFTER BEFORE

ALWAYS USE A COMMA BEFORE THE FOLLOWING IF THERE IS A SUBJECT AND A VERB AFTER THE CONNECTOR. JP EXPLAINED THIS TOPIC, AND BUT OR YET SO HE GAVE US MANY EXAMPLES. MOST OF US UNDERSTOOD, USING THEM IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT. WE WILL NEED TO PRACTICE, JP WILL NEED TO EXPLAIN THIS AGAIN. HE IS WILLING TO, HE MAY LOSE HIS PATIENCE. PUNCTUATION IS A PROBLEM FOR US, WE’D BETTER PAY ATTENTION. NOTICE THE SUBJECTS ARE CIRCLED IN RED OTHER CONNECTORS ARE: FOR AND NOR

YOU CAN REMEMBER THEM EASILY WITH THIS ABBREVIATION F O R A N D N O R B U T O R Y E T S O BE CAREFUL! DO NOT USE A COMMA IF “SO” IS PART OF AN ADDITION. IN SUCH CASE IT’S NOT A CONNECTOR. She loves music; so do I. She loves music. So does she. Use a semi colon or a period.

FINALLY USE A COMMA AFTER HOWEVER. IT ALWAYS BEGINS A SENTENCE OR A CLAUSE PRECEDED BY A SEMI COLON. THIS IS TOO MUCH GRAMMAR. HOWEVER, IT IS QUITE USEFUL THIS IS TOO MUCH GRAMMAR; HOWEVER, IT IS QUITE USEFUL