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Titles of Books, Plays, Articles, etc.: Underline? Italics? Quotation Marks?

Prior to computers, people were taught to underline titles of books and plays and to surround chapters, articles, songs, and other shorter works in quotation marks. However, here is what The Chicago Manual of Style says: When quoted in text or listed in a bibliography, titles of books, journals, plays, and other freestanding works are italicized; titles of articles, chapters, and other shorter works are set in roman and enclosed in quotation marks.

Below are some examples to help you:

Example: We read A Separate Peace in class. (title of a book)

Example: That Time magazine article, “Your Brain on Drugs,” was fascinating.
Note that the word “magazine” was not italicized because that is not part of the actual name of the publication.

Example: His article, “Death by Dessert,” appeared in The New York Times Magazine.

Note that the and magazine are both capitalized and set off because the name of the publication is The New York Times Magazine.

Newspapers, which follow The Associated Press Stylebook, have their own sets of rules because italics cannot be sent through AP computers.

Posted on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 at 2:33 am

Excuses Sent by Parents to Schools

Whenever I receive a humorous e-mail, I have to pass it along to you. I promise to write something “more serious” next week but hope you smile when you read these.

Apparently, these are real notes written by parents. (Spellings have been left intact.)

1. My son is under a doctor’s care and should not take PE today. Please execute him.

2. Please exkuce lisa for being absent she was sick and i had her shot.

3. Dear school: please ecsc’s john being absent on jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and also 33.

4. Please excuse roland from p.e. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out
of a tree and misplaced his hip.

5. John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.

6. Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered
by very close veins.

7. Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.

8. Please excuse ray friday from school. He has very loose vowels.

9. Please excuse tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea,
and his boots leak.

10. Please excuse jimmy for being. It was his father’s fault.

11. I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping
because i don’t know what size she wear.

12. Please excuse jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get
the sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it monday. We thought
it was sunday.

13. Sally won’t be in school a week from friday. We have to attend her funeral.

14. Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and
could not breed well.

Posted on Friday, January 18th, 2008 at 4:39 am

Connecting Sentences with Commas and Semicolons

Many of you have been asking for help with punctuating between sentences. You want to know when you should use a comma and when you need a semicolon. Here are a few rules with examples that I hope you find very helpful.

Commas

Rule: Use a comma between two complete, long clauses (two subject and verb pairs) when conjunctions such as and, or, but, for, nor connect them.

Example: I have painted the entire house, but she is still working on sanding the floors.

Rule: If the clauses are short (your call), then leave out the comma.

Example: I painted and he sanded.

Rule: If you have only one clause (one subject and verb pair), do not use a comma in front of the conjunction.

Example: I have painted the house but still need to sand the floors.
This sentence has two verbs but only one subject, so it has only one clause.

Semicolons

So when does the semicolon get to have its time in the spotlight?

Rule: Use the semicolon if you have two clauses you are connecting without a conjunction.

Example: I have painted the house; I still need to sand the floors.

Rule: Also, use the semicolon when you have commas for smaller separations, and you need the semicolon to show a bigger separation.

Example: We had a reunion with family from Salt Lake City, Utah; Los Angeles, California; and Albany, New York.

Posted on Saturday, January 5th, 2008 at 9:30 pm