Sign Up For Our Free Grammar E-Newsletter

Commas before and in a Series

In American English usage, a comma should precede and with three or more items in a series.

Example: I would like to order a salad, a sandwich, and dessert.

Newspapers and magazines do not generally use this rule as print space is too valuable to use on what might be considered extraneous punctuation. However, print publications will use the final comma before and if it is needed to avoid confusion.

Example: Her $10 million estate was split among her husband, daughter, son, and nephew.

Omitting the comma after son would have led the reader to believe that the son and nephew had to split one-third of the estate (each receiving one-sixth) rather than understanding that each relative received one-fourth of the estate.

Posted on Wednesday, January 17th, 2007 at 8:58 pm

Writing Addresses

If you are writing an address, whether typed or handwritten, on an envelope to be mailed via the post office, do not use any punctuation. Use all CAPS. Center the address on the envelope and use a flush left margin. Put room, suite, and apartment numbers on the same line as the street address.

Example:
JESSIE SANTANA
4325 W PALM BEACH RD RM 419
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94116

If you know the four-digit extension of the zip code, the post office will be even happier with you.

Also, note that you should use RD for Road and W for West. Other abbreviations: STE for Suite and APT for Apartment.

If you are writing an address in the body of a letter, use punctuation.

Example: Please send mail to Jessie Santana, 4325 W. Palm Beach Rd., San Francisco, CA 94116.

Posted on Wednesday, January 17th, 2007 at 6:42 pm

Use of Brackets

Brackets are used for a number of purposes:

Use #1: Sometimes, you may wish to clarify or add to an original quote. Put words that are being added to an original quote within brackets.

Example:
Original: She said, “I found their services invaluable.”
Amended: She said, “I found their [IT] services invaluable.”

Always put the changes in brackets, not parentheses. This tells your readers exactly how you have altered the original.


Use #2: Use brackets as parentheses within parentheses. You will see this with bibliographic references.

Example: (For more on the topic, see The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation [2008].)

Use #3: Use brackets to show the pronunciation of a word.

Example: He mispronounced mischievous [mis-chuh-vuhs].

Use #4: Use brackets surrounding sic and italicize it.

Example: She wrote, “They made there [sic] beds.”

The Latin term sic is used to indicate that something written is intentionally left in the original form, which may be incorrect.

Pop Quiz
Place brackets where needed.

  1. (For more details on brackets, see The Chicago Manual of Style 2003.)
  2. He has difficulty correctly pronouncing nuclear noo-klee-er.
  3. The instructions read, “Be sure to tighten it’s sic lid securely.”

Answers

  1. (For more details on brackets, see The Chicago Manual of Style [2003].)
  2. He has difficulty correctly pronouncing nuclear [noo-klee-er].
  3. The instructions read, “Be sure to tighten it’s [sic] lid securely.”

Posted on Tuesday, January 16th, 2007 at 5:54 pm

Effect vs. Affect

Knowing whether to use effect or affect may not qualify you as a genius, but you will be demonstrating an understanding about a grammar issue most people find perplexing. I trust that the strategies offered here will clear up any confusion you have had.

Rule: Use the verb effect when you mean bring about or brought about, cause or caused.

Example: He effected a commotion in the crowd.

Meaning: He caused a commotion in the crowd.

Example: She effected a change in procedure.

Meaning: She brought about a change in procedure.

Rule: Use the noun effect when you mean result.

Example: What effect did that speech have?

Rule: Also use the noun effect whenever any of these words precede it: a, an, any, the, take, into, no.

Note: These words may be separated from effect by an adjective.

Examples:
That book had a long-lasting effect on my thinking.
Has the medicine produced any noticeable effects?

Rule: Use the verb affect when you mean to influence rather than to cause.

Example: How do the budget cuts affect your staffing?

Rule: Affect is also used as a noun to mean emotional expression.

Example: She showed little affect when told she had won the lottery.

Posted on Wednesday, January 10th, 2007 at 3:57 pm

« Previous Page