Punctuation with Conjunctions

Punctuation with Conjunctions Punctuation with Conjunctions Punctuation with Conjunctions By Mark Nichol The rules for punctuating in proximity to simple coordinating conjunctions (and, but, and or) are straightforward, but writers can become confused about when and where to put a comma or other punctuation. Sentences that illustrate the basics, and a discussion of each, follow. When a conjunction links an independent clause (one that could stand on its own as a sentence) with a dependent clause (one that would form an incomplete sentence), omit internal punctuation: â€Å"She went to the pool and took a swim,† or â€Å"She went to the pool but did not swim.† (â€Å"She went to the pool† is an independent clause; â€Å"took a swim† and â€Å"did not swim† are dependent.) When a conjunction links two independent clauses, precede it with a comma: â€Å"She went to the pool, and then she took a swim,† or â€Å"She went to the pool, but she did not swim.† (â€Å"Then she took a swim† and â€Å"she did not swim† are independent clauses.) The comma may be omitted for a very short compound sentence such as â€Å"She swam and then she ate†; longer sentences, such as the examples given earlier in this paragraph, are often written without internal punctuation, but doing so is not recommended, and for consistency, even brief sentences with two independent clauses should include a comma. A comma should not follow a conjunction unless it is the first of two commas framing a parenthetical phrase, as in â€Å"She went to the pool and, soothed by the cool water, took a swim† and â€Å"She went to the pool but, chilled by the cold water, did not swim.† (Said another way, don’t precede a verb with a comma unless the comma closes a parenthetical.) These commas bracket â€Å"soothed by the cool water† and â€Å"chilled by the cold water,† respectively, which, when omitted, leave the sentences â€Å"She went to the pool and took a swim† and â€Å"She went to the pool but did not swim,† which do not require internal punctuation. A pair of em dashes or parentheses can take the place of the two commas: When the parenthesis is abrupt or provocative, use em dashes, as in â€Å"She went to the pool and- undeterred by the piranhas- took a swim.† When the interruption is subtle or offered as an aside, use parentheses, as in â€Å"She went to the pool and (though she felt tired) took a swim.† Although older literature, especially that written in British English, can be found that employs both a semicolon and a conjunction to provide a stronger contrast between two independent clauses (â€Å"She went to the pool; but she did not swim†), this is now considered incorrect, because the semicolon and the conjunction are redundant to each other. If you use a semicolon, the sentence should be rendered as follows: â€Å"She went to the pool; she did not swim.† Use of a comma in place of a semicolon in such a sentence is incorrect; this error is called a comma splice. Sentences in which or connects clauses should follow the same guidelines: â€Å"She went to the pool or the beach,† â€Å"She went to the pool, or she went to the beach,† â€Å"She went to the pool or, depending on the weather, the beach.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing Prompts 101Confusing "Passed" with "Past"Running Errands and Doing Chores

How to Gain Inspiration from 6 Crazy Tactics That Got People Hired

How to Gain Inspiration from 6 Crazy Tactics That Got People Hired A strong resume and a quality educational background are key factors in getting hired. However, sometimes it takes a little more to nab a job. We don’t necessarily recommend that you try the following 6 crazy tactics that got people hired, but they did work for others, so who knows? Maybe they could work for you too. Proceed at your own risk†¦ 1. Use your artistry to impress.Grab attention however you can. The holiday season once inspired a woman to transform the exterior of her Georgia home into a festive resume. She used Christmas lights to spell out her desire for a job on the front of her house: â€Å"My wish, HR job, Liz Hickok, LinkedIn.† The stunt apparently scored her a lot of contacts on LinkedIn. That’s networking at its most sparkly!2. Turn your resume into an interactive experience!If you’re applying to a non-traditional company, why not wow them with a resume they’ll be talking about long after you’ve been hired? Graeme Anth ony was a PR and social media consultant who used his particular skills to put together a highly untraditional resume. Instead of listing his work experience and accomplishments on paper he went the digital route, creating an interactive video resume to get a job. His video stimulated so many job offers that he decided to become a freelancer to work for as many of the interested companies as he could.3. Be persistent.Frankly, stalking a company is a big no-no when trying to get a job. However, this crazy tactic worked for Flavie Bagnol, who was so intent on getting a job at CBS that she called the person in charge of hiring every day until she pinned down a meeting. The best takeaway here is to set your sights on a field, company, or title, and put all of your energy into reaching out to vital people with connections until you make the one that sticks.4. Put your information where important people are sure to see it.Would you ever think that Google-stalking could lead to a job? Admi t it. You’ve looked up your own name on Google to see what was out there. Everybody does it, including the people who might hire you. Alec Brownstein took advantage of that fact by creating Google ads for a number of creative directors in the advertising field he hoped to break into. Whenever these directors Google-stalked themselves, the results included Google ads with a personalized message from Brownstein asking for a job interview. The stunt got the enterprising fellow a job at Young and Rubicam.5. Don’t be afraid to show a bit of personality.Richard Waddington was dashing out of his home to a job interview when his 4-year old daughter offered him a good luck charm: a little toy cow. Waddington was so charmed by the gesture that he stuck the cow in his pocket before leaving. During his interview, the HR person warned him that the office environment was a â€Å"little crazy† and asked him if he thought he would â€Å"fit in† in such a place. His respo nse: â€Å"I have a cow in my pocket.† He then produced the little, plastic bovine from his pocket, a move that so delighted the HR exec that Waddington got the job.6. When all else fails, candy might work.Paper is such a boring vehicle for your resume. It doesn’t even taste good! Chocolate, however, is scrumptious. A marketing professional named Nicholas used that universal truth to his advantage when he printed his resume on a wrapper wrapped around a bar of chocolate. The stunt got him the job of his sweet dreams. Whether or not his employer ate the chocolate remains a mystery.