Define these:
- past participle
- present participle
- finite verb
- elliptical construction
- coordinate adjective
- noncoordinate adjective
- restrictive appositive
Prompts
Close punctuation ::: 18th- and 19th-century punctuation style that tended to use a lot of commas and marks
Open punctuation ::: Contemporary punctuation style that uses minimal punctuation, especially comma
Open punctuation mantra :: “When in doubt, leave it out.”
Three approaches to punctuation employed by different writers:
- Visual
- Analytical or syntactical ;; Aural
Three approaches to punctuation employed by different writers:
- Aural
- Analytical or syntactical ;; Visual
Three approaches to punctuation employed by different writers:
- Aural
- Visual
;; Analytical or syntactical
Aural punctuators use punctuation to ?? :: suggest how the words should be voiced.
Visual punctuators are most concerned about :: not having too many or too few punctuations
Analytical or syntactical punctuators punctuate according to ?? :: grammatical and syntactical units.
How do analytical or syntactical punctuators differ from aural and visual punctuators? :: They are less subjective.
Most contemporary house styles use ?? rather than ?? to designate decades. :: Arabic figures, words
When should you interpret punctuation conventions more liberally as a copyeditor? :: When working with experienced literary or professional writers.
To master the syntactical approach to punctuation, you must be able to identify ?? :: various grammatical units
Three most important grammatical units to identify when punctuating. :: independent clauses, dependent clauses, and phrases
Subject ::: doer or receiver of a verb’s action or state
Finite verb ::: a verb form marked to show its particular grammatical function
A finite verb is not a ?? (to be, to go, to walk), a ?? (being, going, walking), or a ?? (been, gone, walked). :: infinitive, present participle, past participle
Clause ::: group of related words that includes both a subject and a finite verb.
Independent clause ::: clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence
Dependent clause ::: clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence
Phrase ::: a group of related words that does not contain both a subject and a finite verb
Three principal uses of punctuation:
- Join independent and dependent clauses to form complicated sentences
- Set off phrases within sentences ;; Mark the end of sentences
Three principal uses of punctuation:
- Mark the end of sentences
- Set off phrases within sentences ;; Join independent and dependent clauses to form complicated sentences
Three principal uses of punctuation:
- Mark the end of sentences
- Join independent and dependent clauses to form complicated sentences
;; Set off phrases within sentences
Three most common terminal punctuation marks :: period, question mark, and exclamation point
A sentence dialogue ends with ?? to indicate an interruption. :: an em dash
A sentence dialogue ends with ?? to indicate a thought that trails off. :: an ellipsis
If a speaker’s tag follows an interrupted dialogue, a comma goes after ?? but not after ?? :: an ellipsis, an em dash
Most common pitfalls when using terminal punctuation:
- misuse of terminal question mark
- placement for sentences within parentheses
- placement for quotations ;; sentence fragments
Most common pitfalls when using terminal punctuation:
- sentence fragments
- placement for sentences within parentheses
- placement for quotations ;; misuse of terminal question mark
Most common pitfalls when using terminal punctuation:
- sentence fragments
- misuse of terminal question mark
- placement for quotations ;; placement for sentences within parentheses
Most common pitfalls when using terminal punctuation:
- sentence fragments
- misuse of terminal question mark
- placement for sentences within parentheses
;; placement for quotations
How should sentence fragments be used? :: Sparingly; to approximate speech
In a series of short questions, when should the first words be lowercased and when should they be capitalized? :: lowercase in short questions, capitalize in long questions
What is mechanically incorrect in the following sentence: The topic for debate was, should this program be funded? ;; Should (Embedded formal questions should always be capitalized.)
Per Chicago, why should all embedded questions be capitalized? :: By analogy with dialogue.
Explain why the question mark in the middle of the following sentence is acceptable: Should this program be funded? was the topic for debate. ;; When a formal question is the subject of a sentence, it retains its question mark
??, requests politely phrased as questions, embedded tag questions, and one-word interrogatives take a terminal period. :: Indirect questions
Indirect questions, ??, embedded tag questions, and one-word interrogatives take a terminal period. :: requests politely phrased as questions
Indirect questions, requests politely phrased as questions, ??, and one-word interrogatives take a terminal period. :: embedded tag questions
Indirect questions, requests politely phrased as questions, embedded tag questions, and ?? take a terminal period. :: one-word interrogatives
Rhetorical questions ::: Questions with an obvious or unnecessary answer
Rhetorical questions are normally followed by ?? :: a question mark
When a rhetorical question ends with a period, what is the writer trying to do? :: Produce an effect or assertion, not elicit a reply
Punctuate: The question is whether the project should be funded ;; The question is whether the project should be funded.
Punctuate: Would you please complete your report by Friday ;; Would you please complete your report by Friday.
Punctuate: We all believe don’t we that he will win ;; We all believe, don’t we, that he will win.
Punctuate: Employees should not second-guess company policy by asking why ;; Employees should not second-guess company policy by asking why.
Punctuate: It’s 97 degrees Fahrenheit. Have you ever felt such heat ;; It’s 97 degrees Fahrenheit. Have you ever felt such heat?
When a parenthetical sentence stands on its own, where would you put the terminal punctuation? :: Inside the closing parenthesis
Punctuate: Last year popular fiction accounted for half of all books purchased. (Business and self-help books were the second largest category) ;; Last year popular fiction accounted for half of all books purchased. (Business and self-help books were the second largest category.)
When a parenthetical sentence is tucked inside another sentence, ?? :: It does not take a terminal punctuation mark.
Punctuate: Last year popular fiction accounted for half of all books purchased (business and self-help books were the second largest category) ;; Last year popular fiction accounted for half of all books purchased (business and self-help books were the second largest category).
Punctuate: Three mice died (they refused to eat), and two others lost a third of their body weight. ;; Three mice died (they refused to eat), and two others lost a third of their body weight.
How do you punctuate a tucked-in parenthetical comment consisting of two sentences? :: First sentence with terminal punctuation mark; second sentence without
At the end of a quotation, the terminal punctuation mark is placed ?? :: inside the closing quotation mark
Punctuate: Jones stated that the manufacturing schedule was “entirely unrealistic” ;; Jones stated that the manufacturing schedule was “entirely unrealistic.”
When a quoted question is in the middle of a question, where will you put the question mark of the quoted question? :: Inside the quotation marks.
Punctuate: Who can forget his “Who doesn’t like Nascar” remark ;; Who can forget his “Who doesn’t like Nascar?” remark?
If a quoted question is interrupted by a speaker’s tag, where will the question mark go? :: At the end off the quotation, inside quotation marks
Punctuate: “What is the penalty” he asked, “if we cannot complete the project on time” ;; “What is the penalty” he asked, “if we cannot complete the project on time?”
In what case is a question mark or an exclamation point placed outside the closing quotation mark? :: When the punctuation is added as an editorial comment.
Punctuate: Was it Jones who concluded that “the manufacturing schedule is entirely unrealistic” ;; Was it Jones who concluded that “the manufacturing schedule is entirely unrealistic”?
What is the British convention in punctuating? :: Punctuation in quotation mark if part of original quote.
In traditional British style, single quotation marks are normally used to ?? :: enclose direct quotations.
In traditional British style, double quotation marks are normally used to ?? :: enclose nested quotations
Punctuations to join two independent clauses into a compound sentence.
- semicolon
- colon
- dash ;; comma
Punctuations to join two independent clauses into a compound sentence.
- comma
- colon
- dash ;; semicolon
Punctuations to join two independent clauses into a compound sentence.
- comma
- semicolon
- dash ;; colon
Punctuations used to join two independent clauses into a compound sentence.
- comma
- semicolon
- colon
;; dash
Compound sentence ::: A sentence made up of two independent clauses.
Four materials that bond independent clauses.
- adverb
- transitional expression
- punctuation ;; coordinate conjunction
Four materials that bond independent clauses.
- coordinate conjunction
- transitional expression
- punctuation ;; adverb
Four materials that bond independent clauses.
- coordinate conjunction
- adverb
- punctuation ;; transitional expression
Four materials that bond independent clauses.
- coordinate conjunction
- adverb
- transitional expression
;; punctuation
Punctuate: IND coordinate conjunction IND :: IND, coordinate conjunction IND.
Punctuate: IND adverb IND :: IND; adverb [,] IND.
Punctuate: IND transitional expression IND. :: IND; transitional expression, IND.
Punctuate: IND IND :: IND;IND. or IND: IND. or IND-IND.
Coordinate conjunction ::: A word that connects clauses that are equal to each other.
Seven traditional coordinating conjunctions (cue: FANBOYS) :: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
When is the comma before a coordinating conjunction connecting two IND omitted? :: When the clauses are short and readers won’t misinterpret which elements are joined.
Give two examples of conjunctive adverbs. Use examples you haven’t mentioned before. :: however, indeed, moreover, nevertheless, then, therefore, thus
Give at least one instance when the comma after an adverb connecting two IND is omitted? :: After then, therefore, or thus; when transition is not abrupt; when no emphasis is desired
Give one example of a transitional expression. Use an example you haven’t mentioned before. :: for example, in addition, in other words, namely, that is
A semicolon precedes a transitional expression only when ?? :: what follows is an independent clause.
What punctuation marks can precede a transitional expression connecting an IND and a DEP? :: comma, dash, or DEP inside parentheses
When do you use a semicolon to directly join two IND? :: The IND are closely related or antithetical statements (functions like “and”).
When do you use a colon to directly join two IND? :: When the second IND amplifies or illustrates the first (functions like “because”).
When do you use a dash to directly join two IND? :: When signaling an abrupt change of thought or tone.
In Chicago style, the first word of an independent clause following a colon is in what case? :: lowercase
Chicago style calls for capitalization of the first word of an independent clause following a colon when what follows the colon is
- a question
- a direct quotation
- a series of two or more complete sentences ;; a proper name
Chicago style calls for capitalization of the first word of an independent clause following a colon when what follows the colon is
- a proper name
- a direct quotation
- a series of two or more complete sentences ;; a question
Chicago style calls for capitalization of the first word of an independent clause following a colon when what follows the colon is
- a proper name
- a question
- a series of two or more complete sentences ;; a direct quotation
Chicago style calls for capitalization of the first word of an independent clause following a colon when what follows the colon is
- a proper name
- a question
- a direct quotation
;; a series of two or more complete sentences
CONTINUE: PITFALL RUN-ON SENTENCES
References
Einsohn, A., & Schwartz, M. (2019). The Copyeditor’s Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications (4th ed.). University of California Press.