SECRETS of Good Writing
Pl-a:
Place a comma before a coordinating
conjunction joining main clauses.
The seven coordinating conjunctions:
for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
fanboys
(main clause)
(main clause)
Topic comment , and topic comment.
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EXAMPLES


The election to office is over, but the quest
------------------------ ==== ---------------for good opinion is not.
------------------- ====
Nursing is physically and mentally
demanding, yet the pay is low.
P2-a:
Do not use a comma between compound
elements that are not main clauses.

word and word

phrase and phrase

subordinate clause and subordinate
clause
EXAMPLES

Most of us feel excluded and confused by medical
jargon.

Doctors speak of a patient's pain and problems in
words that the patient doesn't understand.

I discovered that I'd finally cracked the code and
that I could use it myself.
P1-c:
Place commas between elements in a
series.


___________ , ____________ ,
___________ , and _________
Series must be grammatically
parallel — See rule S1-a
Remember the World Series.
EXAMPLES

Computers are classified by their size, speed, and cost.
---- ------

Four of his former clients had either been gassed,
electrocuted, or lethally injected.

----
Mary saw a meadowlark on Tuesday, a loon on
Thursday, and a nuthatch on Friday.
Rules P1-b and P1-e are related.
Remember the secret of good writing?
Where can we add to a main clause?
[before] TOPIC [between] COMMENT [after].
EXAMPLES
P1-b
introductory

P1-e
interrupting
P1-e
tagged-on
introductory element
Even though he didn't study, David passed the test.


interrupting element
David, who didn't study at all, passed the test.
tagged-on element
David passed the test, even though he didn't study.
Pl-b: Place a comma after an
introductory element.
Introductory element, topic comment.
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EXAMPLES:




Grown in California and Oregon, nectarines resemble peaches
without fuzz.
To pay his political and financial debts, Charles II had
relinquished royal control over vast areas of his domain.
If the fool would persist in his folly, he would become wise.
subordinate conjunctions


when, if, because, although, while,
unless . . . [see p. 315]
If a sentence starts with a subordinate
conjunction, it will be a complex
sentence requiring Rule P1-b.
P1-e: Use commas to set off nonessential
elements, whether interrupting or tagged
on.
INTERRUPTIONS (like this one) ARE PARENTHETICAL.
EXAMPLES:


Columbus was not the first European to discover America.
Columbus (according to some historians) was not the first
European to discover America.



Columbus, according to some historians, was not the first
European to discover America.
(an appositive)

Dr. Jeremiah Floyd, associate director of
the National School Boards Association,
predicts that most schools will be on a
year-round calendar by the year 2001.
DON'T SET OFF ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
(P2-e) essential = restrictive
EXAMPLE:
 People who are color blind see the
world as if it were a black and
white movie.
P1-e: . . . whether interrupting or
TAGGED-ON.
TOPIC COMMENT, tagged-on element.
EXAMPLES:

Seeing or hearing take place in the brain, not in the eye or ear.

Talking about the way others dress can be rude, even cruel.

Our eyes take in groups of words, usually three at a time.
Conjunctive adverbs and transitional
phrases are usually nonessential and
should be set off according to Rules P1-b
or P1-e.
See list on p. 315:
consequently, furthermore, however,
nevertheless, therefore, for example,
on the other hand, in addition
EXAMPLES


It is rare and, indeed, very exciting to see an Indian person
in a commercial advertisement.
Of course, the thesis must develop from and be supported by
the evidence of the analysis.

Synonyms can convey the range of a word's meanings. For
example, a writer could equate misery with wretchedness and
distress.
P7-d: Use dashes to set off interruptions or
tagged-on elements that contain commas.
EXAMPLES:
 The connotations of words--the associations
called up in readers' minds by words like
home, ambitious, and generous--can
contribute to your definition as well.

It showed Indians as we live today--enjoying
pizza as one of our favorite foods, including
humor and fun as part of our daily lives, and
recognizing the importance of preserving
traditional knowledge.
P4-a and P3-d: Substitution of colon and
semicolons for clarity.
EXAMPLE:
 These are the main exports:
metals, primarily iron, copper, and
tin; grains, primarily wheat; and
cotton.