Colon Use in UK

Thanks to an anonymous post from across the ocean, I've learned that in the UK, a colon is NOT used after the salutation in a business letter.

I love learning more about the differences between UK and US English. I hope to see more in the future.

Commas--Part Two

1. To set off an appositive. Appositives are words or phrases that add additional information to nearby words.

This is Linda, my neighbor.
My neighbor, Linda, likes planting vegetables in her garden.

2. To separate a string of three or more adjectives.

The tall, dark, handsome man uses Old Spice® Body Wash.
They purchased a large, white, two-story house.

3. To separate a nonrestrictive (nonessential) phrase from the rest of the sentence. This is what I call the "handle rule." Nonessential phrases can be removed from a sentence without changing the meaning, so we set them off with two commas.

Restrictive
The tree that is diseased will be removed on Tuesday. The phrase "that is diseased" is essential to the meaning of the sentence.

Nonrestrictive
The tree that is diseased, which is a 50-year-old oak, will be removed on Tuesday. The phrase "which is a 50-year-old oak" is not essential to the meaning of the sentence, so we use commas to enclose it. The commas act like handles, meaning you can use the "handles" to remove the phrase from the sentence without changing the meaning.

Happy punctuating. Please post additional questions here.

Commas--Part One

Weakest, but oh so important piece of punctuation

1. Use to separate two independent clauses (sentences) joined with a simple conjunction. Simple conjunctions are:
B ut
O r
Y et
S o
F or
A nd
N or

I would love to help you with the project, but I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow.
She loves to knit, and she also loves to make jewelry.

2. Comma in a series. To give equal weight to all items in a series, put commas around them all, even the one before the "and." This rule has changed many times over the years, but consider the following:

"The inheritance will be divided among Cassie, Eric and Ryan." In this construction the sentence could be construed to mean that Cassie gets 50 percent, and Eric and Ryan would have to split the other 50 percent.

If all items in the series are equally important, put commas around them all.

Sandra remembered to bring cups, plates, and napkins, but she forgot the silverware.

3.To separate long introductory phrases and clauses from the rest of the sentence. The clauses usually address when, why, how something happened.

Because the party was canceled, Peter returned the gift to the store. (Why)

After the rain finally stopped, the spectators moved back to the bleachers. (When)

With great precision and unparalleled perseverance, Deepa put the pieces of the broken pottery back together. (How)

More to come . . . stayed tuned.

Semi Colon

1. Semicolons separate independent thoughts when one thought is not more important than the other: In other words, the thoughts are related and equal.

The new restaurant is very popular; patrons often wait two hours for a table.
I love chocolate cake; german chocolate is my favorite.

2. Use a semicolon to separate independent thoughts joined with a conjunctive adverb, i.e., however, nevertheless, for instance, further, etc.

I can run a 5k race; however, I never come in first.
I never come in first in a 5k race; nevertheless, I run in at least four races a year.

3. Use a semicolon to separate items in series when one of the items contains a comma.

Conferences will be held in Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; and Columbus, Ohio.
For sale: leather jacket, size 10; suede full-length coat, size 8.

4. Use a semicolon to separate independent thoughts joined by a coordinating conjunction when one of the thoughts contains a comma.

When I started working at ABC Company, I was never home; so I had to find a doggy day care provider.

Colon

The colon, weaker than the full stop, but stronger than the semicolon. Okay, here goes: Colons connect related thoughts and put emphasis on what follows the colon.

Major uses for the colon:
1. To introduce lists or examples.



Bring these things to the meeting:

1. Your calendar
2. A copy of last year's budget
3. Your draft of this year's budget

There are three reasons for his dismissal: tardiness, incompetence, and inappropriate language.

2. To link related thoughts, placing emphasis on the second thought

WAMU bank billboard in Chicago area displaying a JD Power and Associates award:
It's official, Chicago: We're nice.

The Miller Truck Repair shop need one thing to remain solvent: It had to win the FedEx contract.

3. After the salutation in a formal business letter.

Dear Ms. Jones:
Dear Dr. Chang:

4. To separate hours from minutes, titles from subtitles, and volumes from pages

The deadline for submission is 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Government Architecture: Managing Interface Specifications.
Government Architecture 15:233.

Thought Stoppers

The period, question mark and the exclamation point

When I was teaching seminars in the United Kingdom, I learned that they call the period at the end of sentences a "full stop." Wham, it hit me. That means that the next sentence is a different thought on the same topic.

Keep that in mind when deciding your stopping points. Today's tendency is to make sentences short, but sometimes doing so breaks apart thoughts that belong together. Consider the following:

I got my dog from the pound. He was too cute to resist.

These two sentences are related to one another and should not be separated by a full stop. They need to be linked with a conjunction or a semicolon (more on the semicolon later).

I got my dog from the pound because he was too cute to resist. Ah, much better.

Question marks and exclamation points are also thought stoppers. Use them the same way you would a full stop (period).

One more comment:
DO NOT overuse exclamation points. If your text is not exciting, adding an exclamation point (or three) at the end certainly doesn't improve it. Use them only when something is genuinely exciting or emotional.