Communication and Presentation Skills

CPSD

Punctuation
 perhaps you dont always need to use commas
periods colons etc to make sentences clear
when i am in a hurry tired cold lazy or angry i
sometimes leave out punctuation marks
grammar is stupid i can write without it and
dont need it my uncle Harry once said he was
not very clever and i never understood a word
he wrote to me i think ill learn some
punctuation not too much enough to write to
Uncle Harry he needs some help structure and
organise your writing.
Punctuation
 Punctuation is used to create sense,
clarity and stress in sentences. You use
punctuation marks to structure and
organise your writing.
Now look the Punctuated Version
 Perhaps you don't always need to use commas, periods,
colons etc. to make sentences clear. When I am in a
hurry, tired, cold, lazy, or angry I sometimes leave out
punctuation marks. "Grammar is stupid! I can write
without it and don't need it," my uncle Harry once
said. He was not very clever, and I never understood a
word he wrote to me. I think I'll learn some
punctuation - not too much, enough to write to Uncle
Harry. He needs some help!
Comma Splice
 The use of a comma, instead of a period or
semicolon, between two main clauses not
joined by a connective is called a comma
splice.
 He got admission in the learning school, he
wanted to speak English fluently.
 He migrated to his native country, he wanted
to meet his relatives.
Where do we use a comma…
 Separate phrases, words, or clauses in lists
 Examples

 I met Harry, we went for a swim together, and

afterwards Harry went home.
 I like your son, I might even love him, but he is not a
very good soccer player.
 A series of nouns within a sentence
 Examples
 For dinner I had soup, fish, chicken, dessert, and coffee.
 This afternoon I went to Marriot, Radio Station,
Islamabad club, and Islamabad Airport.
 A series of adjectives
 A list of adjectives usually requires commas. However,
if an adjective is modifying another adjective you do
not separate them with a comma.
 Examples
 She was young, beautiful, kind, and intelligent.
 The house we visited was dark, dreary, and run-down.
 A series of verbs
 Examples
 Tony ran towards me, fell, yelled, and fainted.
 The boy leapt, spun, twisted, and dove into the water.

 A series of phrases
 Examples
 The car smashed into the wall, flipped onto its roof, slid
along the road, and finally stopped against a tree.
 The dog leapt into the air, snatched the frisbee in its
mouth, landed, and ran off into the forest.
 Enclosing details/Restrictive/Non-restrictive
Cluases
 Use a comma to enclose non-defining relative
clauses and other non-essential details and
comments. The comma is placed on either side of
the insertion.
 Examples
 China, one of the most powerful nations on Earth,
has a huge population.
 Jason's grandmother, who was born in 1930, lived
through the Second World War.
 Cats, unlike dogs, do not respect their masters.
 Participial phrases
 Examples
 Hearing that her father was in hospital, Jane left
work immediately.
 Walking to the bus stop that morning, Sam knew it
was going to be a special day.
 Tag questions
 Examples
 She lives in Paris, doesn't she?
 We haven't met, have we?
 Interjections
 Examples
 Yes, I will stay a little longer, thank you.
 No, he isn't like other boys.
 Wait, I didn't mean to scare you.
A final warning
 Putting a comma in the wrong place can lead to a
sentence with a completely different meaning, look
at these two example:

1. I detest liars like you; I believe that honesty is the

best policy. = I detest you because you are a liar.

2. I detest liars, like you; I believe that honesty is

the best policy. = You and I both detest liars.
How can we fix a comma splice
 Make two sentences instead of one:
Summer comes. Summer goes.

 Use a semicolon (;) Summer comes; Summer goes.

 Use a subordinating conjunction (because, when,

since, although,...).
Because Robert is late, the teacher dislikes him.
 Use a semicolon plus a conjunctive adverb
(therefore, then, however,...).
David was late; therefore, we left without him.

 Use a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but,

or, yet, so) – fanboys – after the comma.
 David was late, so we left without him.
Fused or Run-on Sentences
 A run-on sentence consists of two or more main
clauses that are run together without proper
punctuation. In this type of sentence two thoughts are
fused together with no adequate sign to mark the
break between them. We often speak in run-on
sentences, but we make pauses and change our tone so
people can understand us.
 The article also consists of the various controversies on
machines many of the poets and writers oppose the
idea of machanization while some still support it.
FRAGMENTS
 No one escapes high school English without being
penalized for writing the odd sentence fragment,
but not everyone remembers what they are and
how to fix them. Put simply, a sentence fragment is
a clause that falls short of true sentencehood
because it is missing one of three critical
components: a subject, a verb, and a complete
thought.
 Because of the rain.
 Because of the rain, the party was canceled.
Parallelism
 He continued his work, without hope, without
pleasure, and having no assurance that people would
understand the significance of what he was trying to
do.
 He admires people with integrity and who have
character.
 In college you will be both required to study on your
own and to take extensive notes.
 He is enthusiastic, skilled, and you can rely on him.
 For the sake of your friends, your parents, and in the
interest of your future, I hope you will reject the offer.
 The city council is as likely to adopt the measure as vetoing
it.
 In this modern world of today, we must necessarily project
ahead in planning for the future.
 In an effort to increase production, it was found necessary
by the plant superintendent to hire four additional
workers.
 In my opinion, I think the situation has grown worse.
 He was elected unanimously by all the members.
 The theatre has three main technical areas. These
areas are costumes, scenery, and lighting.
 At what point in time will a downturn in the stock
market have a really serious effect on the social life
of people as a whole.
 We wish to state that if you have any further
queries regarding this matter, please feel free to
contact us any time.
PARALLELISM
 Parallelism means expression of similar ideas in similar
grammatical structures. A writing which observes
parallelism is easy to read and comprehend. All elements in
a sentence must follow the same grammatical forms.
Examples:
 He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our
towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. (Jefferson)
 Nations are nourished in war, and wasted in peace; taught
in war, and deceived in peace; trained in war, and betrayed
in peace; born in war, and expired in peace. (Ruskin)
Lack of Parallelism in Listing the Similar Items
 The dictionary can be used to find:
 to look up meanings
 pronunciation
 correct spellings
 looking for irregular verbs

 The dictionary can be used to find:

 meanings
 pronunciations
 spellings
 irregular verbs
PARALLELISM IN CORRELATIVES
 For this job you need both English and French.
 I can both read and write.
 Either he could not come or he did not want to.
 Their house is neither big nor small.
 I neither knew nor cared what happened.
 She not only wrote the text but also selected the
illustration.
 Success demands not only hard work but also luck.
 Every night, either loud music or fighting neighbors
wake John from his sleep.
 When you use a correlative conjunction, you must be
sure that pronouns agree.
 Neither Marry nor Sally expressed her annoyance
when the cat broke the antique lamp.
 When using correlative conjunctions, be sure to keep
parallel structure intact. Equal grammatical units need
to be incorporated into the entire sentence.
 Not only did Mary grill burgers for
Michael, but she also fixed a steak for her dog, Vinny.
PARALLEL STRUCTURE EXERCISES
 Correct any errors in parallel structure in the following sentences.
 The plaintiff was wasting the court’s time and prejudiced my client.

 The investment firm must choose to either disclose its clients to the
SEC or to immediately return the funds to those clients.

 Before crashing his car, the defendant smoked two marijuana

cigarettes, drank sixteen ounces of bourbon, and was swallowing
three Valium pills.

 Detective Cobb is a skilled forensic investigator with over 200

convictions under his belt and who is admired by the junior officers
of the police department.
 The Disciplinary Board investigated Attorney Johnson
when it was alleged that she misled the court by failing
to reveal unfavorable law, commingled personal and
client funds, and there was a conflict of interest
because of a sexual relationship with a client’s former
spouse.

 Dexter is not only a great fielding shortstop and he is

also a superb hitter.

 To legally register to vote, a person must have resided

in the state for thirty days, be a United States citizen,
and committed no felony.
 The plaintiff’s attorneys were bombastic, uncivil, and
lacked competence.

 My favorite activities are baseball, riding my bike, and

playing piano.

 Her chores were to polish the furniture, sweep the

floor, and to water the garden.
Questions?