Post by Alanna Elensar on May 10, 2006 20:47:10 GMT -5
Three of the very first things you will need to know in order to be a good writer are GRAMMAR, SPELLING, and PUNCTUATION. I cannot stress the importance of being able to correctly represent the ideas you are trying to show in your writing. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation seem like a hassle, unnessecary, and dull. Broaden your mind and look at learning these things as a way to improve your writing and hone the skills you already have.
With that said, let's get started.
Commas are important to break up large blocks of text and without having to type 'and' all the time. A comma serves as a pause in the writing, or to join two clauses. Like I mentioned, 'and' can sometimes stand in for a comma, but too many can lead to a bored audience or a run-on sentence. Some people like myself prefer to have commas before 'and' or 'or' on some occasions, but this is not nessecary. It is preferrable by most, but it is not nessecary.
Examples:
--Joe walked to the store, but he had to get there before Lucy.
--She explained how to work the math problem, walked to the front of the room, and smiled.
What you do NOT want to do:
--Joe walked to the store but he had to get there before Lucy.
--She explained how to work the math problem walked to the front of the room and smiled.
Do you understand WHY you need to have commas? It seperates the text and shows the reader (and writer!) where an appropriate pause, listing of items, or sequencing occurs.
Thank you for following the first lesson in 'Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation', I hope you learned something and apply whatever it was that helped you. Thanks again =)
--Milly
With that said, let's get started.
Commas are important to break up large blocks of text and without having to type 'and' all the time. A comma serves as a pause in the writing, or to join two clauses. Like I mentioned, 'and' can sometimes stand in for a comma, but too many can lead to a bored audience or a run-on sentence. Some people like myself prefer to have commas before 'and' or 'or' on some occasions, but this is not nessecary. It is preferrable by most, but it is not nessecary.
Examples:
--Joe walked to the store, but he had to get there before Lucy.
--She explained how to work the math problem, walked to the front of the room, and smiled.
What you do NOT want to do:
--Joe walked to the store but he had to get there before Lucy.
--She explained how to work the math problem walked to the front of the room and smiled.
Do you understand WHY you need to have commas? It seperates the text and shows the reader (and writer!) where an appropriate pause, listing of items, or sequencing occurs.
Thank you for following the first lesson in 'Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation', I hope you learned something and apply whatever it was that helped you. Thanks again =)
--Milly
