One of most commonly misused punctuation marks in the English language is the comma. Most people are confident with their use of the period, the question mark and the semi-colon. However, people either are "comma happy" and overuse the comma, or they don't use the comma enough, creating run-on sentences.
For today's writing tip, we want to determine your knowledge of comma punctuation rules with the simple multiple choice question below:
When separating two sentences with a comma, only one of the words below can be used. Which one is it?
A. Because
B. So
C. However
D. As
If you answered B, then you are absolutely correct! The word "so" is one of only seven words in the English language that you should use to separate two sentences (known in grammar terms as an independent clauses).
Though this comma usage rule is one of the many ones that governs how to use the comma, knowing it gives you a great start to mastering the "tricky" comma.
Soon, we will be hosting a webinar on creating sentence variety in your writing. In this webinar, we will delve into grammar rules for commas, semi-colons and the various words that connect sentences. To sign up in advance, email us at info@cultivatethewriter.com.
Cultivating writers...one tip at a time!
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