A plain language guide to grammar, punctuation and writing well
Easy-to-understand guidelines on how to use punctuation correctly.
Welcome to a new series of short posts from Wordwatch Towers. The aim is to achieve some quick grammar wins without having to wade through acres of text. A big thank you to my reader, Gladys, for suggesting this great idea. Anyways - here's your first quick win: Always put a comma after introductory words… Continue reading A quick word … new series
I’m so ashamed. The butler claims he told me ages ago (he didn’t) and is now sulking in the pantry. I considered pretending that I knew all along but my reader, Gladys (who seems to be spending a lot of time with the butler lately), would never forgive me for lying. So I have to ‘fess up.… Continue reading A confession and some lovely words
The other day, while *cough* accidentally reading an article in the Guardian about the X Factor (a TV competition for wannabee singers that I never watch except for sometimes every week), I noticed that the comments thread had segued into a discussion about spelling and punctuation.
Well, the cover looks good... (that bit wasn't me). Here's the blurb: This is a basic guide to writing well. Aspects of grammar and punctuation that commonly cause confusion are demystified in plain English. You'll find clear instructions on the correct use of possessive apostrophes, commas, speech marks, hyphens and semicolons. Other topics include the… Continue reading Available now: Wordwatch for Kindle
Suddenly, using commas seems a bit redundant.
See that comma there? See how important it is to the meaning of the sentence? If it wasn't there, I'd be startling you by suddenly using commas. Perhaps while I'm emptying the teapot, or putting petrol in the car.
Summary
Extra information in a sentence is called a non-defining clause. Extra (or non-defining) information is always placed between commas.
Information that defines exactly who or what the sentence is about is called a defining clause. Defining information is not placed between commas.
This is an official April Fool's Day post. But you don't have to spot the joke, just the apostrophe. In common with many special days, the apostrophe comes before the 's'.
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