Key points from the video

Punctuation 1

• This lesson is specifically focused on commas.

• So the tricky thing about punctuation in English is that it is a mix of hard rules and
stylistic choices.
• Especially for commas most of the time it is not as simple as just saying use a comma
here don't use a comma there.
• So let's take a look at some common usage in English and look at where this is a rule of
you have to or cannot use it and where it's an option depending on the effect you want
on your reader.

• So here's the first sentence we'll look at.

• Decide if there are any errors in the sentence.
• (Please note that some of these sentences may not have any errors in them.)

• Example 1
• Existing research on this topic is extensive, as a result, my thesis only addresses one
specific subsection.

• The sentence as written is incorrect because what we have here are two independent
clauses i.e., two clauses within the sentence that could grammatically be a sentence by
themselves.
• We do not use a comma to separate two independent clauses.
• We can do one of two things:
• We can either put a period and make two sentences, or we can use a semicolon to
separate the two independent clauses.

• Existing research on this topic is extensive. As a result, my thesis only addresses one
specific subsection.

• Existing research on this topic is extensive; as a result, my thesis only addresses one
specific subsection.

• This is a hard rule.

• It's called a comma splice when you separate two independent clauses
• with a comma.
• Make sure you do not do that.
 • Example 2
• When the cell divides its number of chromosomes is halved in a process called
meiosis.

• The issue that we're looking at here is the introductory element.

• The introductory element is everything that comes before the subject in your sentence.
• In the example sentence here the subject is 'it's number of chromosomes’ so the
introductory element is 'when the cell divides’.

• A comma is not necessarily required after an introductory element.

• The question you have to ask yourself is ‘is there any ambiguity about where my
introductory element ends and the subject of my sentence begins?’.
• In this case there is ambiguity because if we read the sentence we might read it as
• 'when the cell divides its number of chromosomes’ and then by the time we get to our
verb 'is halved’ we are a little bit confused and have to start the sentence over again to
understand what's happening.
• If we put a comma after the introductory element it's much clearer.
• We understand that the main clause begins with 'its number of chromosomes’ and then
there's no ambiguity.

• If you have a very short introductory element and there's no question about where your
introductory element ends and your subject begins then it's optional whether or not you
use a comma there.

• Example 2a
• Once again the cycle of nuclear division begins.

• In this example there's no question about where the main clause begins so it's up to you
whether to use it or not.

• British English doesn't use very many introductory element commas.

• American English uses them most of the time, so it's a choice you can make.
• Just be consistent with your choice whether you decide to use them or not.

• Example 3
• Hospitals seem like sterile environments, but, health care-acquired infections are on
the rise.

• So the issue we're looking at here is commas with coordinating conjunctions.

• In this sentence your coordinating conjunction is 'but'.
• It is perfectly fine to use a comma before the conjunction, but do not use a comma after.
• So in our example here the first comma is correct.
• The second comma is incorrect.
• The coordinating conjunctions can be remembered using this acronym: FANBOYS.
• It stands for For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet and So, and what it does in the sentence is, as it
suggests, coordinates two elements of the sentence.
• So if the two elements you are coordinating are very short, for example, the sentence
'little known yet deadly' it's optional whether or not you need a comma.

• Health care-acquired infections are little-known, yet deadly

• Health care-acquired infections are little-known yet deadly

• For these shorter sentences, note that there's a difference in emphasis

• with these two sentences.
• So if you use the comma it puts a lot of emphasis on the 'yet deadly'.
• In the second one, there's no comma, less emphasis.
• It's more closely integrated into the sentence.
• So both are correct.
• It just depends on what the effect you want to have on your reader is.
• If the elements you're coordinating are longer
• then it might be needed to be clear in what you're saying.

• Example 4
• The tetrahedral arrangement of the hydrogens around the two electrons on the oxygen
atom gives the water molecule a bent shape.

• Okay, so this sentence is actually correct as written.

• It may feel to you like it needs a comma in there somewhere because we have quite a
long subject.
• Our subject is everything from 'the tetrahedral arrangement’ all the way up to 'atom'.
• But we do not need a comma anywhere in this sentence.
• To add a comma between the subject and the verb as in this example would be
incorrect.
• Even if the subject is very long and you feel like you need a pause, it's never correct to
put a comma between your subject and verb.
• If you have extra information you want to insert into the sentence that would make the
sentence too long or cumbersome, you can use paired commas as in this example.

• The tetrahedral arrangement of the atoms, formed among the hydrogens and the two
electrons on the oxygen, gives the water molecule a bent shape.

• Here we have some information that's between our subject and verb, but when we have
it in the paired commas, in our minds we sort of take it out of the main structure of the
sentence, so it doesn't interrupt our subject verb connection in the same way.
• Just make sure you don't use a single comma between your subject and verb.
 • Example 5
• The paper, that laid the groundwork for her theory was published in 1971.

• Okay, so in this sentence the comma is incorrect and the reason is that we have here a
defining relative clause.
• The relative clause is the part of the sentence that goes 'that laid the groundwork for her
theory' and it is a defining relative clause because it’s defining exactly which paper we're
talking about.
• We're not talking about just any paper that she has written.
• We're specifically talking about the paper that laid the groundwork for her theory.
• So this is essential information and we do not use a comma before the relative clause in
this case.
• Defining relative clauses can use either 'that' or 'which' as the relative pronoun, but
whichever pronoun you choose to use do not use a comma in front of it.

• Her first paper, which laid the groundwork for her theory, was published in 1971.

• In this sentence what we have is a non-defining relative clause.

• So it's still a relative clause 'which laid the groundwork for her theory’, but it's non-
defining because it's not essential to understand the sentence.
• In this case the important part of the sentence is ’her first paper was published in 1971'.
• The clause 'which laid the groundwork for her theory’ is really just giving us extra
information.
• The sentence still makes perfect sense without it.

• In 1971 she published her first paper, which laid the groundwork for her later theory.

• In this example as well the important part is 'in 1971 she published her first paper'.
• The clause is not defining - it's not telling us specifically which paper.
• It's just giving us some background information.

• So these here are hard rules.

• If you have a defining relative clause, whether you use 'that' or ‘which', do not use a
comma in front of it.
• If you have a non-defining relative clause which can only use ‘which', do use a comma in
front of it.

• Example 6
• The following chapter will describe, analyse and ultimately disprove Johnson’s
hypothesis.

• So here we're talking about the Oxford comma.

• The Oxford comma is a comma that comes before 'and' or ‘or' when you're making a list
of things.
• The Oxford comma is commonly used in American English.
• Less commonly used in British English.
• This sentence does not use an Oxford comma and that's perfectly correct.

• The following chapter will describe, analyse, and ultimately disprove Johnson’s
hypothesis.

• This sentence is the same sentence but with the Oxford comma
• also perfectly correct.
• Similarly to our discussion of the introductory element comma, it's a stylistic choice you
can make and the important thing is to be consistent.
• If you decide to use it, keep using it.
• If you decide not to use it, don't use it.
• However, if you have a long, complicated list with lots of embedded clauses and those
embedded clauses maybe contain the word ‘and', then using the Oxford comma will
make it much easier to understand.
• So, in this example, the Oxford comma before 'and rebut and ultimately disprove' allows
us to figure out what are the elements in your list?
• What words in this sentence go together to make the items in your list?
• Otherwise, it takes quite a bit of time to figure it out.