Punctuating quotations raises many questions, and when instructing a class on proper comma placement, I am often met with blank stares unless I first break down the elements involved: 1) rules of quotation and 2) rules of commas. Once students have reviewed both uses, they can more easily combine them …
Semicolons are one of the most misunderstood and underused punctuation marks. Most of my students have never used one, nor do they recognize how it is used. I find it interesting they have never truly learned its use since it is such an easy element to include in their writing. …
Communication is a powerful tool, and if you can speak and write properly, it is much more likely you will be taken seriously. These are the tenets of my classes, and when I have a group of students in front of me, I remind them constantly that proper grammar and …
I’m an avid reader, and I never think twice about the punctuation that makes dialog so easy to read, allowing you to flow from one conversation to the next. With so much exposure to the technique, you’d think it would be easy to reproduce – but nothing could be further …
Despite how easy it is to use apostrophes properly, they are often used incorrectly. This punctuation mark is essential to show possession, and its placement provides clarity and consciousness in written materials. I personally have made mistakes with an apostrophe: placing it improperly or forgetting the basic rules of use …
Quoting sources gives your essay or research paper credibility. But what if the quote requires context or doesn’t fit your sentences? How do you modify a quote? As a content creator, I’m always quoting people and sources. But sometimes, I have to tweak things or chop them up to fit …
The rules of commas can be slippery little rascals. I find myself undoing bad habits with my students due to poor comma rule definitions and a lack of grammar practice, almost more than teaching proper comma usage. However, one can only go so far in telling a class what not …
The majority of English speakers struggle with apostrophe placement, especially when trying to show ownership. Does the apostrophe go before the -s or after? If you struggle to find the answer, you aren’t alone. However, despite their nefarious-sounding name, plural possessive noun examples aren’t tricky to understand. To prove this …
The students in my class regularly overuse commas, but the minute parentheses are included in a sentence, they are nowhere to be seen. This is due to the misconception that a pair of parentheses replaces the use of commas, but this isn’t always the case. This is a common issue …
Commas are probably one of the most confusing punctuation marks to use, and even I struggle to find ways to help my students determine where they belong. One of the most commonly asked questions I hear surrounds whether to place a comma before or after the word “and.” Unfortunately, the …