Sep 11, 2018 mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language, including the new york times bestseller grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing. Thats exactly why you cant substitute a comma for a semicolon. An easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes at. The most common types of dashes are the en dash and the em dash. Although we are often taught that commas are used to help us add breathing spaces to sentences they are, in fact, more accurately used to. We had a reunion with family from salt lake city, utah. Oct 01, 2006 in the current edition of the blue book of grammar and punctuation and on the website, we have stated a preference for use of the serial, or oxford, comma. When we say this sentence aloud, we do not pause after green. The blue book of grammar and punctuation an easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes tenth edition jane straus. With over 200,000 copies sold, this is one of the most highly trusted english language resources available. Semicolons can also be used instead of commas to separate the items in a list when the items themselves already contain commas example 2 below. Semicolons the blue book of grammar and punctuation.
In the current edition of the blue book of grammar and punctuation and on the website, we have stated a preference for use of the serial, or oxford, comma. Use a semicolon to replace a coordinating conjunction. Each entry starts with a simple explanation and basic examples before moving to real. Use a semicolon before such words and terms as namely, however, therefore, that is, i. An easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes by jane straus, lester kaufman, tom stern. The semicolon is somewhere between a full stop and a comma. Also use the semicolon when you already have commas within a sentence for smaller separations, and you need the semicolon to show bigger separations. Among such rare grammar books is the one written by jane straus, named as the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Jan 01, 1997 the blue book of grammar and punctuation is filled with easytounderstand rules, realworld examples, dozens of reproducible exercises, and pre and posttests. The blue book of punctuation and grammar gives this example.
The semicolon emphasizes a close relationship between the two independent clauses that can stand alone as an independent sentence. The blue book of grammar and punctuation the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Review says it provides an online resource for grammar and punctuation usage with lessons, quizzes, and an optional test to evaluate the understanding of the material. How to use semicolons grammar girl quick and dirty tips. The blue book of grammar and punctuation a short list of rules. She is an inductee in the podcasting hall of fame, and the show is a fivetime winner of best education podcast in the podcast awards. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is a concise, entertaining workbook and guide to english grammar, punctuation, and usage.
Semicolon definition in the cambridge english dictionary. Yes, that means there are four total sentences up thereand thanks to the semicolon, only two capital letters. The examples above are both made up of two complete, grammatically correct sentences glued together. There are some general rules which you can apply when using the comma. That is a decision which you must live with for the rest of your life. If you have a sentence followed by a list, do you use a semicolon or a colon. Feb 10, 2014 the blue book of grammar and punctuation. It covers an easytouse guide with clear rules, since it was published in 199. An easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes book online at best prices in india on. The blue book of grammar and punctuation, eleventh edition. You can see in the examples below how its a choice between conjunction. Mar 18, 2014 buy the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Comma placement determines the grammatical, and therefore logical. Jul 23, 2019 another possibility is that some writers simply dont know how to use the semicolon correctly and effectively.
This handy workbook is ideal for teachers, students in middle school through college, esl students, homeschoolers, and professionals. Writers disagree on whether lists of three or more should include a comma before the. Also use the semicolon when you already have commas within a sentence for smaller separations, and you need the. Use this free lesson to better understand semicolon rules so youre using them properly. Uses of the semicolon book summaries, test preparation. Note often, you can streamline your sentence by leaving out which.
We can put these two sentences together with a semicolon because they are similar. Feb 10, 2014 a revised and updated new edition of the bestselling workbook and grammar guide. The blue book of grammar and puctuation tenth edition is filled with easytounderstand rules, realworld examples, dozens of reproducible exercises, and pre and posttests this handy workbook is ideal for teachers, students in middle school through college, esl students, homeschoolers, and professionals. Its no accident that a semicolon is a period atop a comma. The rest of the book consists of dozens of quizzes along with their answer keys. This is why i wrote the blue book of grammar and punctuation and decided to. The blue book of grammar and punctuation 11th edition.
You can see in the examples below how its a choice between conjunction or semicolon i hate alaska, because its too cold. The blue book of grammar and punctuation leans towards usage rules in cms along with other authoritative texts and does not attempt to conform to the ap stylebook, which differs significantly in some aspects. The blue book of grammar and punctuation 11th edition pages. Punctuation definition, overview, and lists of examples. This userfriendly resource includes simple explanations of grammar, punctuation, and usage. Feb 10, 2014 the blue book of grammar and punctuation, eleventh edition. Use the semicolon if you have two independent clauses connected without a conjunction. A revised and updated new edition of the bestselling workbook and grammar guide. Each entry starts with a simple explanation and basic examples before moving to reallife, entertaining examples. English rules the blue book of grammar and punctuation.
For example, the associated press ap stylebook is a guide specific for news media and journalists while the chicago manual of style cms is used by many book publishers and writers. No one writing handbook or grammar guide should suffice for careful writers, and though jane strauss the blue book of grammar and punctuation is less comprehensive than some other resources, its largeformat workbook approach provides a readerfriendly introduction to the intricacies of proper prose. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is both a reference book and. It is also preferable to use a comma after these words and terms. In business writing, media writing or even in writing personal letters and emails, proper grammar helps you portray your message clearly and projects intelligence on your part. Grammar rules the blue book of grammar and punctuation.
Semicolons and colons quiz 1 from the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Learning how to use the semicolon effectively can drastically improve the flow and clarity of a written work. For each of the following, choose the sentence with the correct punctuation. Grammar and punctuation the blue book of grammar and. Semicolons and colons quiz 1 the blue book of grammar and. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is filled with easytounderstand rules,realworld examples, dozens of reproducible exercises, and pre and posttests this handy workbook is ideal for teachers, students in middle school through college, esl students, homeschoolers, and professionals. Notice that the letter following the semicolon is not capitalized. All it takes is the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Buy our book smashing grammar 2019 written by the founder of grammar monster, smashing grammar includes a glossary of grammar essentials from apostrophes to zeugma and a chapter on easily confused words from affecteffect to whetherif. An easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes by jane straus.
The blue book of grammar and punctuation explains not only grammar, but capitalization, punctuation along with the basic writing skills. A good way to remember the difference between these two dashes is to visualize the en dash as the length of the letter n and the em dash as the length of the letter m. Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language, including the new york times bestseller grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing. Here you can find the most common questions flooding peoples minds and short, definite grammar rules containing semicolon usage. Rule 1 to avoid confusion, use commas to separate words and word groups with a series of three or more. Jun 26, 2015 10 the blue book of grammar and punctuation examples. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is filled with easytounderstand rules,realworld examples, dozens of reproducible exercises, and. An easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes 10th revised edition by jane straus, mignon fogarty isbn. In each of these examples, a period could be used instead of the semicolon, though the effect of balance might be diminished.
Semicolons can be used in english to join phrases and sentences that are thematically linked without having to use a conjunction example 1 below. Isbn 9781118785560 pbkisbn 9781118790212 pdfisbn 9781118790328 epub 1. By following a few simple rules, you can learn how to use the comma and semicolon correctly. An easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes 11th by straus, jane, kaufman, lester, stern, tom isbn. Many people arent exactly sure how to use them, so they simply avoid using them altogether. The blue book of grammar and punctuation an easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes tenth edition jane straus 3. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is filled with easytounderstand rules, realworld examples, dozens of reproducible exercises, and pre and posttests. A revised and updated new edition of the bestselling workbook and grammar guide the blue book of grammar and punctuation is a concise, entertaining workbook and guide to english grammar, punctuation, and usage. Using commas, semicolons, and colons within sentences.
At their worst, misused punctuation marks commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and. As has been suggested earlier, in most cases a semicolon can be used stylistically to replace a conjunction like and, but, because and so on. This book also provides easy to learn examples on confusing words. Use a semicolon in place of a period to separate two sentences where the conjunction has been left out. Those ideas, which weve discussed thoroughly enough, do not need to be addressed again. If youre bewildered by semicolons, then youre not alone. The blue book of grammar and punctuation an easytouse guide with clear rules, realworld examples, and reproducible quizzes tenth edition jane straus 2. Semicolons separating elements in a series this article is about semicolons separating elements in a series enjoy your reading. Punctuation definition, overview, and lists of examples this article is about punctuation definition, overview, and lists of examples enjoy your reading. Often, youll find a transitional phrase following a semicolon. Like commas, semicolons indicate an audible pauseslightly longer than a commas, but short of a periods full stop.
How to use the comma and semicolon correctly pen and the pad. The blue book of grammar and punctuation jane straus. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. For guidance in proper citation format, you should consult the bluebook, our. And so, for the benefit of those writers, lets examine its three main uses. It doesnt take a lifetime to master english grammar and punctuation. This userfriendly resource includes simple explanations of. Review the blue book of grammar and punctuation young. This article is about semicolons separating elements in a series enjoy your reading. The fear of punctuation writing english proofreading and. Semicolons and colons quiz 1 the blue book of grammar. However, you will find that in english there are many other ways to use the comma to add to the meaning of a sentence or to emphasise an item, point, or meaning. Always use the comma before the coordinating conjunction like and, but. The blue book of grammar and punctuation 11th edition writeshop.
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