Punctuation Standards

Some grammar rules (and embarrassing mistakes!) transcend the uniqueness of different regions and style guides. This new International Grammar section by OnlineBookClub.org ultimately identifies those rules thus providing a simple, flexible rule-set, respecting the differences between regions and style guides. You can feel free to ask general questions about spelling and grammar. You can also provide example sentences for other members to proofread and inform you of any grammar mistakes.

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Mary WhiteFace
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Punctuation Standards

Post by Mary WhiteFace »

All writers have their own personal style. We want our personalities to shine through our writing. Even so, there have to be basic guidelines for the way we use punctuation. As we are all aware, a change in punctuation can totally change the meaning of a sentence.

Example:
A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman: without her, man is nothing.

Even a tiny little comma can make a big difference.
Let's eat grandpa.
Let's eat, grandpa.

The Oxford comma has been the topic of great debate. Should we use that last comma before the word and?
You decide:
Our scarves come in red, white and blue.
Our scarves come in red, white, and blue.
In the end, it all depends on the message you're trying to convey. Are all the colors on one scarf, or are there three scarves of different colors?

There are so many resources for help with punctuation. Through much toil and tribulation, I have found one particular website to be invaluable.

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writ ... rview.html


Where do you go when you have a punctuation question?
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Yssimnar
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Post by Yssimnar »

I go to Google and this forum. Thanks for the link, though. I will put it in my "grammar" bookmark folder.
:wink:
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Post by Mary WhiteFace »

Yssimnar wrote: 04 Aug 2018, 17:34 I go to Google and this forum. Thanks for the link, though. I will put it in my "grammar" bookmark folder.
You're welcome. I'm actually hoping that eventually we will have an official guidebook here. One that is listed within the Review Team Guidelines. It would be easy to find, and save everyone alot of frustration. Reviewers and Editors would all have the same reference to go to for grammar and punctuation standards.
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Post by Yssimnar »

Tiny_Turtle wrote: 06 Aug 2018, 06:57
Yssimnar wrote: 04 Aug 2018, 17:34 I'm actually hoping that eventually we will have an official guidebook here. One that is listed within the Review Team Guidelines. It would be easy to find, and save everyone alot of frustration. Reviewers and Editors would all have the same reference to go to for grammar and punctuation standards.
That would be my dream come true!
:wink:
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Mary WhiteFace
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Post by Mary WhiteFace »

:-D
Yssimnar wrote: 06 Aug 2018, 23:22
Tiny_Turtle wrote: 06 Aug 2018, 06:57
Yssimnar wrote: 04 Aug 2018, 17:34 I'm actually hoping that eventually we will have an official guidebook here. One that is listed within the Review Team Guidelines. It would be easy to find, and save everyone alot of frustration. Reviewers and Editors would all have the same reference to go to for grammar and punctuation standards.
That would be my dream come true!
It would be nice 💕
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Post by bellaterrabooks »

I would very much like a universal standard for grammar and punctuation that can be used by reviewers and editors. I had asked on a previous forum if there was a particular grammar book that the editors used for their reference so that the reviewers would be able to use the same guide, but thus far I haven't received a response in any direction. When I am writing my reviews I use several grammar websites and college grammar textbooks so I have access to several of the "standard textbooks" that are utilized by English professors in the university system. In the interest of full disclosure, I am speaking of more than one university system as well. So I would really appreciate a standard from which we can all work collectively in order to give forth the best work to the authors on their own hard work.
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Post by jgraney8 »

bellaterrabooks wrote: 24 Oct 2018, 19:02 I would very much like a universal standard for grammar and punctuation that can be used by reviewers and editors. I had asked on a previous forum if there was a particular grammar book that the editors used for their reference so that the reviewers would be able to use the same guide, but thus far I haven't received a response in any direction. When I am writing my reviews I use several grammar websites and college grammar textbooks so I have access to several of the "standard textbooks" that are utilized by English professors in the university system. In the interest of full disclosure, I am speaking of more than one university system as well. So I would really appreciate a standard from which we can all work collectively in order to give forth the best work to the authors on their own hard work.
I agree that a style book specific to the Online Book Club would be beneficial for all of us. As it is, sometimes I have to guess about some minute point of grammar and hope.
“On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.”
― Michel de Montaigne, The Complete Essays
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Post by fernsmom »

Tiny_Turtle, I clicked on the link you had in your post and it didn't work. You gave great examples on the comma use and how they can make the sentence mean totally different things. I too, I'm embarrassed to say, have difficulty with this part of writing. It's probably just a bad excuse but I feel it is partly do to my age. It has been a long (very) since I have been in school. I've tried gammarly and a couple other sites but it seems like they don't catch all the mistakes.
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Post by jgraney8 »

fernsmom wrote: 25 Oct 2018, 23:39 Tiny_Turtle, I clicked on the link you had in your post and it didn't work. You gave great examples on the comma use and how they can make the sentence mean totally different things. I too, I'm embarrassed to say, have difficulty with this part of writing. It's probably just a bad excuse but I feel it is partly do to my age. It has been a long (very) since I have been in school. I've tried gammarly and a couple other sites but it seems like they don't catch all the mistakes.
The Purdue site has been updated. Here is the link to the opening page https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/about_the_ow ... w_owl.html. I hope this helps.
“On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.”
― Michel de Montaigne, The Complete Essays
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Post by bellaterrabooks »

Jgraney8, thank you so much for updating the link. I am going to add this information to my growing list of websites to use as reference materials for my reviews.
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Post by Mary WhiteFace »

jgraney8 wrote: 25 Oct 2018, 23:04
bellaterrabooks wrote: 24 Oct 2018, 19:02 I would very much like a universal standard for grammar and punctuation that can be used by reviewers and editors. I had asked on a previous forum if there was a particular grammar book that the editors used for their reference so that the reviewers would be able to use the same guide, but thus far I haven't received a response in any direction. When I am writing my reviews I use several grammar websites and college grammar textbooks so I have access to several of the "standard textbooks" that are utilized by English professors in the university system. In the interest of full disclosure, I am speaking of more than one university system as well. So I would really appreciate a standard from which we can all work collectively in order to give forth the best work to the authors on their own hard work.
I agree that a style book specific to the Online Book Club would be beneficial for all of us. As it is, sometimes I have to guess about some minute point of grammar and hope.
I would love it if that would happen. I have gotten dinged for using commas to offset a portion of a sentence. Maybe it's my age, but I was taught that commas could be used to offset a few words that emphasize the importance of that portion of the sentence, as long as the sentence made sense without that section. I was also taught that commas could be used to emphasize a place to pause, not stop, in a sentence as long as the sentence makes sense without that particular piece. I really do wish we had one set standard for us to use. It would make life so much easier.
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Post by Mary WhiteFace »

jgraney8 wrote: 26 Oct 2018, 13:52
fernsmom wrote: 25 Oct 2018, 23:39 Tiny_Turtle, I clicked on the link you had in your post and it didn't work. You gave great examples on the comma use and how they can make the sentence mean totally different things. I too, I'm embarrassed to say, have difficulty with this part of writing. It's probably just a bad excuse but I feel it is partly do to my age. It has been a long (very) since I have been in school. I've tried gammarly and a couple other sites but it seems like they don't catch all the mistakes.
The Purdue site has been updated. Here is the link to the opening page https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/about_the_ow ... w_owl.html. I hope this helps.
Thank you for the updated link.
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Post by jgraney8 »

Tiny_Turtle wrote: 27 Oct 2018, 12:09
I would love it if that would happen. I have gotten dinged for using commas to offset a portion of a sentence. Maybe it's my age, but I was taught that commas could be used to offset a few words that emphasize the importance of that portion of the sentence, as long as the sentence made sense without that section. I was also taught that commas could be used to emphasize a place to pause, not stop, in a sentence as long as the sentence makes sense without that particular piece. I really do wish we had one set standard for us to use. It would make life so much easier.
I agree. Even stylebooks such as the AP, Chicago Manual, and the APA stylebook differ. We are writing for reviewers who may have different standards in mind that we are not aware of until we get dinged for something by one reviewer but not another. When it causes a loss of points, it can be very frustrating. It's like trying to hit a moving target.
“On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.”
― Michel de Montaigne, The Complete Essays
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Mary WhiteFace
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Post by Mary WhiteFace »

jgraney8 wrote: 27 Oct 2018, 12:46
Tiny_Turtle wrote: 27 Oct 2018, 12:09
I would love it if that would happen. I have gotten dinged for using commas to offset a portion of a sentence. Maybe it's my age, but I was taught that commas could be used to offset a few words that emphasize the importance of that portion of the sentence, as long as the sentence made sense without that section. I was also taught that commas could be used to emphasize a place to pause, not stop, in a sentence as long as the sentence makes sense without that particular piece. I really do wish we had one set standard for us to use. It would make life so much easier.
I agree. Even stylebooks such as the AP, Chicago Manual, and the APA stylebook differ. We are writing for reviewers who may have different standards in mind that we are not aware of until we get dinged for something by one reviewer but not another. When it causes a loss of points, it can be very frustrating. It's like trying to hit a moving target.
:ditto:
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Post by Monie_raey »

We can always leave our suggestions in the public suggestion box. I think Mr Scott will consider this.
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