Anker Susan. Real Essays with Readings with 2009 MLA Update
Подождите немного. Документ загружается.
EDITING ESSAYS
Chapter 37 • Commas 677
3. Few trained nurses and nurse’s aides want nursing-home jobs for the pay
is also usually lower than that offered by hospitals.
4. Nursing-home workers have high turnover rates and the facilities are con-
stantly in need of new personnel.
5. More workers will be needed as the baby boomers become elderly yet
there is already a shortage of people willing to do the work.
6. A director sometimes must hire undertrained workers or the nursing
home will face a severe staff shortage.
7. Workers without education and training may have diffi culty understand-
ing a doctor’s orders, so the patients’ care may suffer.
8. Home health aides and hospice workers are also in short supply and the
need for such workers is growing every day.
9. Solving these problems will be diffi cult for long-term care for the elderly
is already very expensive.
10. People caring for elderly patients must get better pay or no one will be
available to do the work in a few years.
Commas after Introductory Word Groups
Use a comma after an introductory word or word group. An introductory
word group can be a word, a phrase, or a clause. The comma lets your
readers know when the main part of the sentence is starting.
Introductory word or word group
,
main part of sentence.
INTRODUCTORY WORD Finally, I fi nished the job.
INTRODUCTORY PHRASE According to the paper, the crime rate went down.
INTRODUCTORY CLAUSE As you know, the store is going out of business.
ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 677ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 677 10/29/08 10:24:11 AM10/29/08 10:24:11 AM
EDITING ESSAYS
678 Part Seven • Punctuation and Capitalization
PRACTICE 3 USING COMMAS AFTER INTRODUCTORY
WORD GROUPS
In each item, underline any introductory word or word group. Then, add
commas after introductory word groups where they are needed.
EXAMPLE: Every year, more than two hundred motorists die in
collisions with animals.
1. Along roadsides all across the country drivers see the bodies of animals hit
by cars.
2. Usually the victims are common species, such as deer and raccoons.
3. Of course hitting a deer is not only disturbing but also potentially harmful
or fatal to the occupants of a car.
4. However the deer population has not suffered much of a decline from
traffi c accidents.
5. On the other hand drivers in wilderness areas may accidentally kill endan-
gered species.
6. For instance experts believe that 65 percent of the population of Florida
panthers has been killed on highways in the past twenty years.
7. Maintaining the world’s largest network of roads the U.S. Forest Service
tries to balance the needs of humans and wildlife.
8. To get access to wilderness areas humans, many of whom strongly favor
protecting the environment, need roads.
9. Unfortunately wilderness roads may isolate populations of animals that
will not cross them and kill animals that make the attempt.
10. Although expensive underpasses and overpasses have been successful in
some areas at reducing human collisions with animals.
^
ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 678ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 678 10/29/08 10:24:11 AM10/29/08 10:24:11 AM
EDITING ESSAYS
Chapter 37 • Commas 679
Commas around Appositives and Interrupters
An appositive, a phrase that renames a noun, comes directly before or
after the noun.
Dick, my neighbor, has a new job.
Apartment prices are high at Riverview, the new complex.
An interrupter is an aside or transition that interrupts the fl ow of a
sentence and does not affect its meaning.
Campus parking fees, you should know, are going up by 30 percent.
A six-month sticker will now be $45, if you can believe it.
An interrupter that appears at the beginning of a sentence can be treated
the same as an introductory word group.
As a matter of fact, the fees are the highest of any of the campuses in
the city.
Putting commas around appositives and interrupters tells readers that
these elements give extra information but are not essential to the meaning
of a sentence. If an appositive or interrupter is in the middle of a sentence,
set it off with a pair of commas, one before and one after. If an appositive
or interrupter comes at the beginning or end of a sentence, separate it
from the rest of the sentence with one comma.
Incidentally, your raise has been approved.
Your raise, incidentally, has been approved.
Your raise has been approved, incidentally.
Sometimes, an appositive is essential to the meaning of a sentence.
When a sentence would not have the same meaning without the apposi-
tive, the appositive should not be set off with commas.
The actor John Travolta has never won an Academy Award.
[The sentence The actor has never won an Academy Award does not have the same
meaning.]
The lawyer Clarence Darrow was one of history’s greatest speakers.
[The sentence The lawyer was one of history’s greatest speakers does not have the
same meaning.]
■ For more on
appositives, see
pages 572–74.
ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 679ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 679 10/29/08 10:24:11 AM10/29/08 10:24:11 AM
EDITING ESSAYS
680 Part Seven • Punctuation and Capitalization
PRACTICE 4 USING COMMAS TO SET OFF APPOSITIVES
AND INTERRUPTERS
Underline any appositives or interrupters in the following sentences. Then use
commas to set them off.
EXAMPLE: The reason for the delay, a mechanical problem with the
airplane, was not mentioned.
1. Road rage as most people know occurs when angry drivers overreact.
2. Another phenomenon air rage involves out-of-control and often intoxi-
cated passengers on an airplane.
3. One famous air rage incident a confrontation between a drunken busi-
nessman and a fl ight attendant ended with the passenger tied to his seat
for the rest of the fl ight.
4. Ground rage like air rage is a term used for incidents between airline pas-
sengers and airline employees.
5. Ground rage as the name suggests occurs in the terminal, not in the air.
6. Gate agents the people who check tickets and allow passengers to board
the plane are frequent victims of ground rage.
7. Oversold seats a common occurrence in air travel can mean that some
passengers are forced to miss a fl ight.
8. Passengers many of whom are on a tight schedule or have a connecting
fl ight to catch fi nd delayed fl ights infuriating as well.
9. Some delayed or bumped passengers take out their anger on the gate
agent a convenient target.
10. Although some airline employees may not be helpful or friendly, their
attitudes do not excuse passengers who commit assault a serious crime.
^
^
ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 680ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 680 10/29/08 10:24:11 AM10/29/08 10:24:11 AM
EDITING ESSAYS
Chapter 37 • Commas 681
Commas around Adjective Clauses
An adjective clause is a group of words that often begins with who, which,
or that; has a subject and verb; and describes the noun that comes before it
in a sentence. An adjective clause may or may not be set off from the rest
of the sentence by commas depending on its meaning in the sentence.
If an adjective clause can be taken out of a sentence without com-
pletely changing the meaning, put commas around the clause.
The mayor, who was recently elected, has no political experience.
SuperShop, which is the largest supermarket in town, was recently bought
by Big Boy Markets.
I have an appointment with Dr. Kling, who is the specialist.
If an adjective clause is essential to the meaning of a sentence, do not
put commas around it. You can tell whether a clause is essential by taking
it out and seeing if the meaning of the sentence changes signifi cantly, as it
would if you took the clauses out of the following examples:
The hair salon that I liked recently closed.
Salesclerks who sell liquor to minors are breaking the law.
Noun
adjective clause
essential to meaning
rest of sentence.
Noun
,
adjective clause
not essential to meaning
,
rest of sentence.
Use who to refer to a person; which to refer to places or things (but not to
people); and that for people, places, or things. When referring to a person,
who is preferable to that.
PRACTICE 5 USING COMMAS TO SET OFF
ADJECTIVE CLAUSES
Edit the following sentences by putting any needed commas around adjective
clauses. Remember that if an adjective clause is essential to the meaning of
the sentence, you should not use commas. If a sentence is already correct, put
a “C” next to it.
■ For more on
adjective clauses,
see pages 575–77.
ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 681ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 681 10/29/08 10:24:12 AM10/29/08 10:24:12 AM
EDITING ESSAYS
682 Part Seven • Punctuation and Capitalization
EXAMPLE: Stephen King, who understands how to frighten his
readers, has depicted evil clowns in his work.
1. The only thing that terrifi es Maria is a person dressed as a clown.
2. The fear of clowns which is called coulrophobia is fairly common.
3. Some young children who develop this fear are not prepared adequately
before seeing a clown for the fi rst time.
4. Clowns who usually wear heavy makeup and brightly colored wigs do not
look like ordinary people.
5. Clowns also make sudden movements that can frighten children.
6. Most children who fear clowns will get over their phobia as they grow up.
7. Such people who may never love clowns will still be able to tolerate having
them around.
8. Many adults have seen movies that show clowns as evil killers.
9. Few adults admit to having coulrophobia which is most effectively treated
when the sufferer confronts the fear.
10. Unlike some other phobias which can trap people in their homes or make
them unable to work coulrophobia has little effect on most sufferers, who
are not likely to meet clowns frequently in everyday life.
Other Uses for Commas
Commas with Quotation Marks
Quotation marks are used to show that you are using a direct quotation,
repeating exactly what someone said or wrote. Generally, use commas to
set off the words inside quotation marks from the rest of the sentence.
^
^
■ For more on
quotation marks, see
Chapter 39.
ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 682ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 682 10/29/08 10:24:12 AM10/29/08 10:24:12 AM
EDITING ESSAYS
Chapter 37 • Commas 683
“Excuse me
,” said the old woman in back of me.
“Did you know,” she asked, “that you just cut in front of me?”
I exclaimed, “Oh, no. I’m so sorry!”
Notice that a comma never comes directly after a quotation mark.
Commas in Addresses
Use commas to separate the elements of an address included in a sen-
tence. However, do not use a comma before a zip code.
My address is 4498 Main Street, Bolton, Massachusetts 01740.
If a sentence continues after the address, put a comma after the ad-
dress. Also, use a comma after individual elements used to name a geo-
graphical location such as a city and state.
The house was moved from Cripple Creek, Colorado, to the lot on
Forest Street.
Commas in Dates
Separate the day from the year with a comma. If you give only the month
and year, do not separate them with a comma.
She wrote the letter on April 1, 2005.
The next session is in January 2010.
If a sentence continues after a date that includes the day, put a comma
after the date.
He waited until April 15, 2005, to fi le his 2004 tax return.
Commas with Names
Put commas around the name of someone you are addressing by name.
Don, I want you to come look at this.
Unfortunately, Marie, you need to fi nish the report by next week.
ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 683ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 683 10/29/08 10:24:12 AM10/29/08 10:24:12 AM
EDITING ESSAYS
684 Part Seven • Punctuation and Capitalization
Commas with Yes or No
Put a comma after the word yes or no in response to a question.
No, that isn’t what I meant.
PRACTICE 6 USING COMMAS
Edit the following sentences by adding commas where they are needed. If a
sentence is already correct, put a “C” next to it.
EXAMPLE: The new regulations of telemarketing went into effect on
April 1, 2001.
1. My sister asked “James do you get a lot of telemarketing calls?”
2. “Yes I do” I replied “and they always come at dinnertime.”
3. She told me that new laws that could help me protect my privacy had
taken effect in April 2001.
4. I wrote to the governor’s offi ce in Albany New York for information
about the telemarketing registry.
5. My address which is 21 Highland Road Binghamton New York has now
been added to the state registry.
6. For a while I still got occasional calls that began with an unfamiliar voice
saying “James I have an exciting offer for you.”
7. I simply replied “No I have news for you.”
8. I pointed out that on August 11 2009 I had added my name and address
to a list of people who do not want to receive calls about exciting offers.
9. “As you probably know” I told my unwanted callers “it is illegal for you
to contact me in this way.”
10. The marketing calls had stopped completely by November 1.
^
ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 684ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 684 10/29/08 10:24:12 AM10/29/08 10:24:12 AM
EDITING ESSAYS
Chapter 37 • Commas 685
Edit Paragraphs and Your Own Writing
Edit the following paragraphs by adding commas where they are needed.
EDITING REVIEW 1 (17 commas)
(1) Everyone who uses cleaning products at home has probably seen
warning labels on those products for most household cleaners contain
harsh chemicals. (2) The warnings which are required by law are so
common that many users probably ignore them. (3) However all cleaning
products should be used with care and some of them can seriously injure
children or anyone else who misuses them. (4) Drain cleaners toilet bowl
cleaners and chlorine bleach can all cause serious damage to skin eyes
and other sensitive tissue. (5) Glass cleaners can react with bleach to
produce toxic fumes. (6) Alternative cleansers nontoxic products that can
be made from items in an average kitchen are cheaper than brand-name
cleaning products and usually work just as well. (7) For most cleaning
jobs a solution of vinegar and water or baking soda and water is effective.
(8) A plunger can often fi x a clogged drain as well as a drain cleaner can
and club soda cleans windows nicely. (9) As for air fresheners one expert
advises “Open your windows.” (10) Economy effi ciency and safety are
three excellent reasons for choosing homemade cleansers.
EDITING REVIEW 2 (39 commas)
(1) A few days ago I received an e-mail that told a terrifying story.
(2) At a large discount store in Austin Texas a four-year-old girl had
disappeared and her mother had asked for the store employees’ help in
fi nding the child. (3) Thinking quickly the employees locked all of the
ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 685ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 685 10/29/08 10:24:12 AM10/29/08 10:24:12 AM
EDITING ESSAYS
686 Part Seven • Punctuation and Capitalization
doors posted an employee at every exit and systematically searched the
store. (4) The child who was found in a bathroom was safe but half of her
head had been shaved. (5) In addition someone had changed her clothes
so it seemed obvious that an abductor had been trying to slip her out of
the store unnoticed. (6) The e-mail message which came from a distant
acquaintance ended by advising me “Don’t let your children out of your
sight!”
(7) Later that day I was talking to my neighbor and I happened to
mention the message. (8) She too had seen it and the story had shocked
her. (9) Something about the story made me suspicious however so I
decided to do some Internet research. (10) I found a site that discussed
urban legends Internet hoaxes and chain letters. (11) On the site I dis-
covered an exact copy of the e-mail I had received. (12) I also learned
that my neighbor and I were not the fi rst people to fall for this hoax
for Ann Landers had even printed a version of it several years earlier.
(13) When she learned that she had been fooled she printed a retraction
a column explaining that the story was fi ctional. (14) A reader wrote to
her and said “Reminding people to be cautious is one thing. Scaring them
is another.”
(15) After doing the research I felt better about the scary e-mail story
but I felt sad that we are so distrustful of one another. (16) Such stories
can make us fear that potential abductors are everywhere. (17) Thirty
years ago most parents were not usually afraid to let children walk to
school alone or play outside but today’s parents rarely let children out
of their sight until the kids are in their teens. (18) The difference is not
in the number of abductions of children a very small number that has
ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 686ANK_47574_37_ch37_pp671-687 r2 ko.indd 686 10/29/08 10:24:13 AM10/29/08 10:24:13 AM