Grammar and sentence-level resources

If you are asked to pay attention to your pronoun references, you are probably a visual writer. You can see what you are writing and while you are reading. You might write: “When Grandma pushed on the window with her hand, she broke it.” You know what you mean, but your readers probably do not because:

• Your audience can not see the cast with the Wonder Woman tattoo that your Grandma is wearing.
• Your audience will wonder whether the window got broken, or whether the arm got broken because “it” could be either one or the other.

Clearing up pronoun references is an easy fix once you accept that your readers cannot visualize the level of detail that you can. What is needed is a revision for ambiguous pronoun references. In Grandma’s case, a revision is “Grandma broke her hand when she pushed on the window.” Now there is no doubt what was broken.

Next steps and additional information

When we talk to somebody, pronoun references are usually cleared up quickly. When your friend tells you: “He went to his house,” you know or you can quickly ask whether “he” and “his” is one person or “he” and “his” are two people. When we write, we need to be more careful so that we do not confuse the reader. To make sure that you link a pronoun to a specific noun:

• Read your writing slowly and check whether you had a noun preceding the pronoun, and whether there is only one noun that precedes the pronoun.
• Do not think that your readers know what the pronoun is referring to just because you know.
• Use the pronoun it very sparingly. Find a more precise word instead.
• Read one paragraph at a time instead of the entire draft from introduction to conclusion. It is easier to spot pronoun references when you focus on a section at a time.
• Check in with a Writing Assistant the University Writing Commons.
• Start early!

A great way to keep your writing direct and focused is to pay attention to your articles and determiners.

• Articles:” The, A/An.
• The is definite. “My puppy is not just any puppy, but the puppy who works with Paws for Health in the HLC.”
• A/An is indefinite or perhaps not so absolute. “A puppy arrived and all were happy in the HLC.” Clearly it was not my puppy, but a puppy nonetheless.
• Demonstrative Determiners: For many students, these determiners cause unspoken havoc for their professors. The sentence is grammatically correct, but there is something not quite right.
• This, That, These, Those. They are a sneaky four because it is easy to think that everybody knows what “this” is. A sentence such as, “This is reason for…” “This what? This study? This data? This tempura batter? This development? You are asking your reader to remember the details from previous sentences. Bring the noun, so that the demonstrative determiner does not get lonely. “This DIY page is totally amazing.” If we did not have a noun, we would be pretty lonely.

There are more determiners to pay attention to! We have some links below.

Next steps and additional information

You can make your writing more specific if you pay attention to the following:

• Mind the articles. Be selective and deliberate when choosing a definite or indefinite article.
• Pay attention to demonstrative determiners. You can score points quickly by including a noun with the determiner.
• Search the document for “this” and supply a noun, especially if the determiner begins the sentence.
• Check in with a Writing Assistant at the University Writing Commons.
• Start early!

Learning new rules about how to use commas always helps your final write-up. You will notice fewer comments such as “splice” or “r-on” in your papers, and you will be a happier person for it.

A common rule that is often misunderstood is the Comma + Coordinating Conjunction (CC) rule.

First, here are the CCs:

• For
• And
• Nor
• But
• Or
• Yet
• So

To remember them, use the acronym: FANBOYS.

The two CCs that often have a comma that should not be there, or that do not have a comma that should be there – in other words the two words that writers often guess are:

• And
• But

The rule is that you need two independent clauses, or you need two complete sentences (subject + verb in each independent clause). The sentences can join one another with a comma + a CC. “Jane studied her chemistry notes at the Beaker. She couldn’t remember much because of the noise.” Join the two separate sentences (independent clauses) with a comma + CC. “Jane studied her chemistry notes at the Beaker, but she couldn’t remember much because of the noise.”

Here’s a sentence with a comma-splice,  “Jane studied her chemistry notes at the Beaker, but couldn’t remember much because of the noise.” There is no subject on the second part. The independent clause (subject + verb) now lacks the subject.

The easy fix is to add the subject OR to remove the comma. That’s the formula.

Another comma that is good to remember is the serial comma. It is also called the Oxford, Cambridge, or Harvard Comma (we accept all names). Whatever your professor and future supervisors call it, this comma is in a current transition period. Do you include a comma before “and”?

• “The patient reported abdominal pain after a dinner of escargot, lobster bisque, au gratin, veal, and a diet coke.”

Some of your professors will mark the comma before “and” wrong while others will fully expect it right where it is. Both expectations are correct. The current trend is to use the serial comma for clarity.

If your professor tells you that you have a run-on sentence, it means that you are missing punctuation. Your sentence is running on and on and on, even though you have 2 or 3 complete sentences all ready to punctuate.  A run-on needs punctuation. It could be a period or a comma or a semicolon to show that you have multiple subjects and verbs.

Next steps and additional information

Commas come in handy many times. They aren’t arbitrary, but they are part of a sentence for a reason. It’s good to practice and learn new rules to use in your writing. To improve the flow of your writing:

• Learn more about the commas that interfere with and interrupt your writing.
• Practice editing your sentences with a new rule in mind (look for the missing subject after a comma).
• Purchase a handbook! It’s good to have reference materials at hand.
• Check in with a Writing Assistant the University Writing Commons.
• Start early!

Colons, semicolons, and dashes are great ways to add character to your writing. If you were taught to “put a comma where you naturally breathe,” forget that rule. Your writing might just show when you were hyperventilating. Punctuation rules, instead, are useful to:

• Structure and organize your sentences
• Create cohesion and emphasis
• Let your readers know how to read your sentence

Here are some useful hints for using the colon correctly:

• The colon amplifies meaning.
• The colon needs complete sentences on either side (just like the semicolon).
• The colon creates connection whereas a period can create separation.
  • Example: “The ligaments above the knee are overextended when improperly stretched: wake up before stretching.”
• The colon can be separated by one or two spaces from the following sentence.
  • It used to be that periods and colons both required two spaces when everyone used typewriters. Two spaces provided just enough white-space for the reader to know that the sentence ended. Today, you will find that your professors do not agree, and neither will your future supervisors. The trend is moving to using one space because with a computer, it is easier to know when a comma is not a period and the colon is easily identifiable as well.
• The colon requires a capital or lower case letter.
  • To make sure you do the right thing, check with your professor and future supervisor because both are correct and are currently considered a stylistic choice. For you, adapt your writing to your rhetorical situation and remember that your audience matters.

Here are some useful hints for using the semicolon:

• The semicolon has two implications – stop and go.
  • The punctuation on top is the period. The period means that you need two independent sentences on each side of the semicolon
  • The punctuation on the bottom is the comma. The comma means to pause and to continue.
• A semicolon separates two complete sentences.
• A semicolon lets the reader know that the sentences on either side are related.
• The first sentence shows separation by using a period. The second sentence shows connection by using a semicolon.
  • “My dog is a gentle huntress. She bays, sleeps in, and has disemboweled her stuffed toy Meli.” Two separate sentences.
  • “My dog is a gentle hound; she bays, sleeps in, and has disemboweled her stuffed toy Meli.”

Here are some useful hints about using hyphen, En Dash, or Em Dash:

The hyphen has many functions. Here are a few:

• The hyphenated adjective must come before the noun. Drop the hyphen if you change the order: “The desert was sun drenched.” “The pond was germ infested.”
• The hyphen connects two words that become one single adjective (descriptor) for the noun.
  • Sun-drenched desert, germ-infested pond
• The hyphen connects compound numbers “fifty-two, twenty-six” and prefixes of ex-, self- all… “ex-best friend, self-assured, all-inclusive.”

The En Dash is a good dash to know if you are ready to go on to become a proofreader, or if you are proofreading your own work:

• The En Dash is the size of the letter n,
• The En Dash is used for phone numbers: 928–523–7745
• The En Dash is used for showing range: 12–18 sources.
• How you insert an En Dash is dependent on the program that you are using. For MS Word 2016, on a Mac, use “fn + option + -” once.

The Em Dash is a bit more common when you write your assignment. Your professor might ask you to use the Em Dash in your writing. Here are some hints about the Em Dash:

• The Em Dash is the size of the letter m
• The Em Dash is the extroverted cousin of the parentheses. Where the parentheses are an aside, the Em Dash provides a spotlight and a bit of drama
  • “We were happy during our research (until my partner sat on the micropipette), and we were happier when it ended.” You included a brief nod to your partner’s poor habit of putting equipment in the wrong pocket.
  • “We were happy during our research—until my partner sat on the micropipette—and we were happier when it ended.” You wanted to focus attention to your partner’s poor choice of pocket.

Be careful with the current hip-dash. Too many Em Dashes in your text, and you may as well revert to the exclamation point!!! You can insert the Em Dash with “Shift + Option + Dash”

Next steps and additional information

Punctuation marks help you replicate spoken text. You can’t read your text to your professors, so you apply marks that say Wait! There is more! (semicolon), or imply a subtle connection (colon). Here are some ideas for improving your use of hyphens, colons, and semicolons:

• Take time to learn about a few punctuation marks for every writing assignment.
• Let your professor know that you’ll practice using a couple of new punctuation marks in the paper.
• Practice using punctuation marks in daily correspondence. Start a new trend with texting. “LOL—you’re a weirdo.” But don’t overuse any punctuation mark. The tried and true always work (the period and the comma).
• Learn more about the semicolon, colon, and dashes before you graduate. You’ll be the new hire who actually knows what their purpose is.
• Check in with a Writing Assistant the University Writing Commons.
• Start early!