Note there is no comma after the authors name in mla format. Although there is no set rule that requires a comma before the last item in a series, it seems to be a general academic convention to include it. Type another comma immediately after the second period in ph. Use commas before and after a parenthetical phrase or clause. King comment below, i guess i should make this clear.
When you type a book name and author do you put a comma. This punctuation rule is also followed for parallel. The oxford comma occurs before the and in the following sentence. A period is requred at the end, since it is a complete sentence. Degrees like phd and titles like ceo should be separated from the persons name with commas. However, one thing to remember and this is different than it used to be, again weve mentioned that styles and conventions do change through the years. In a list with three or more elements, use commas to separate all of the elements of the series. If the phrase has fewer than three words, the comma is optional.
The use or omission of the comma is well established, and writers need only to apply the rules. Now continue writing as you would normally, for example, jane smith, ph. You usually put a comma before and when its connecting two independent clauses. Hopefully, it will help people understand the correct use of a comma in fiction. Serious academic books rarely if ever include the authors qualification on the cover. The comma is used in many contexts and languages, mainly to separate parts of a sentence such as clauses, and items in lists, particularly when there are three or more items listed. Whether or not a comma is used also depends on the type of the introductory element, and, last but not least, on whether or not there would be a slight. As for your specific examples, a lot of sources, particularly online, state that a comma is not necessary after a short introductory element. Use a comma after phrases or clauses of more than three words that begin a sentence unless it is the subject of the sentence. A book should be judged on its content, not the authors educational statu. According to wilbur, good friends who write well are not easy to find. Use a comma after an introductory phrase or clause. Linda jay, book editor and public relations writer theres no need to be scared anymore about punctuation. Therefore, if there are no commas between names and jr.
There are no hard and fast rules governing the comma. Of course, it would be a difficult thing for him to accept. Arlene millers entertaining and educational book to comma or not to comma will make you your neighborhoods and possibly, your entire towns comma expert. The grammatical use of punctuation is fairly settled. Linda jay, book editor and public relations writer there s no need to be scared anymore about punctuation. There is a reason this is called a punctuation guide. When you have a list of three or more items, place a comma after every item that occurs before and. For the stop rt, there was a significant condition x group interaction f 8. It is very much a matter of individual perception of the pause that the comma represents. There are very few rules in grammar that cannot be broken, but the book title and the authors name are typically separated by a comma. You can avoid an embarrassing mistake like this by using the oxford comma.
Jul 09, 2018 theres a lot of confusion, especially with students, about whether you should use a comma before using and. Just because they are taking the easy way out doesnt mean you should. You cannot belittle it in any context, try as you might. Do not use a comma unless there is a comma rule for it p. The first thing to know is that there are generally only two correct options. Here are the comma rules that they include in their grammar text.
The title should be in italics how i became a millionaire. Life after life, by kate atkinson, won several book awards. We are honoured to publish commas first novel, dear jane by awardwinning author, pratiwi juliani. The exceptions include years, page numbers, and street addresses. Is there a comma after a persons name and professional degree. Jan 17, 2015 garners modern american usage also says its fine to leave out the comma before jr. Some of the rules given for correct comma usage in the book arent really relevant to science writing, and some are pretty obvious. The novel follows jane, a beautiful but troubled, warm but distant, exciting but sorrowful young woman who traverses across city to city, lover to lover, age to age, in the hopes to find a place where she can belong. And dont forget to use quotation marks or italics to make the title stand out. Dec 29, 2017 whereas a comma is needed before and after the state in formulations such as new york, new york, when the city and state are used as the title of a work, no comma is needed following the name of the state, unless the grammar of the rest of the sentence requires it after watching the movie new york, new york, we went out to dinner.
Should there be a comma before the title, as in the book. When writing a date, a comma is used to separate the day from the month, and the date from the year. Ive even had someone use it interchangeably with an apostrophe when contracting words. According to a few online summaries of the ap style guide publicly available, abbreviations for degrees should be set off with commas. But in the example below, no commas are used around the by phrases because the authors names. Dec 11, 2012 ive never paid attention to this but im writing a book and want to get it right. I suppose its a bit like saying trust me, im a doctor it makes you look shifty. Its almost always optional to put a comma before and in a list. May 14, 2006 is there a comma after a persons name and professional degree.
Your second example does not require a comma, as there is no independent clause after and. If written in a sentence, include a second comma after the degree or title. If you look at other posts in the mba category in this same blog, youll see that the degree has served me well. If there are three or less lines, the material appears within the body of the paragraph like any other short quote. The sentence is correct with or without the comma before and. Instead, separate the clauses with a period, with a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction, or with a semicolon. If you learned in school that you should always put a comma before someones name, im very sorry to inform you that your teacher was mistaken.
The first novel we read lingers throughout our entire life, and so does the first novel we write. Is there a comma after md in a persons title answers. I am seeking representation for my recent novel actually is a sufficient sentence, and what comes after is more of a description, thats why you use a comma between them. It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. There are several uses of the comma that can best be described as conventional or mechanical. Avoid comma splices two independent clauses joined only by a comma.
When the date or address has only one element or has its individual parts separated by words in the sentence, do not use a comma within or after the date or address. Garners modern american usage also says its fine to leave out the comma before jr. The comma in your sentence is useful in separating the clauses, but understand that it is not required. There are a few exceptions that require you to use the oxford comma in a list, but they are pretty rare. Style guides for book and academic publishing generally would insist on another comma after pears, the socalled serial comma or oxford comma. Comma academic writing in english, lund university. Its a whole world, built out of a persons heart, memories, longing, and hope.
Around the world in 80 days, by jules verne, is a great book i would love to have in my collection. Use a comma after an introductory word, phrase, or clause that precedes the main clause. The zero tolerance approach to punctuation also by lynne truss. Most authorities, including the associated press stylebook and the chicago manual of style, recommend a comma after the first digit of a fourdigit. Heres a rundown of whether you should use that comma or not. Aug 18, 2015 the first thing to know is that there are generally only two correct options. Slashes for poetry and verse with poetry or plays written in verse, the student uses a slash to show where each line ends in the poem. The word became is important, so capitalize it unless you are doing library cataloging and entering the title into a database so then millionaire wont be capitalized. Lets start with the fact that unless a name or title is the last words in a sentence, it can either be used with no commas at all, or with a comma both before and after.
Note the bolding and highlighting used for emphasis in the examples on this page the following constructions require commas. Browse the mba category on this blog and youll see. Commas should sometimes be placed before and after names and titles. Whites famous pig, laments that it is difficult to find a good friend who writes well. Whereas a comma is needed before and after the state in formulations such as new york, new york, when the city and state are used as the title of a work, no comma is needed following the name of the state, unless the grammar of the rest of the sentence requires it after watching the movie new york, new york, we went out to dinner.
Although they are more important than the songs opening line might suggest, there are, however, times when you dont need a comma writers often think titled and entitled need to be followed by a comma, but, as this old chicago faq points out, that would mean that the title of the book is not necessary to the sentence. The comma comes before and after phd and if you have a long string of titles and degrees than a comma should be used after each of them. Commas after words or phrases like sure or of course. Introductory phrases that need to be separated by a comma include. The problem for me with thatll do, comma is that it isnt scientificallyoriented. Dates and addresses when a date or address with several parts occurs in a sentence, place a comma between each element and after the last part.
Whether or not you put a comma before and depends on how youre using and. Commas before and in a series grammar and punctuation. While a comma after the title may be correct on rare occasions which dont concern us here, a comma only before a name or title is wrong. Do not use a comma for titles that appear before the persons name, such as the reverend joe smith or doctor mary richards. Commas grammar and mechanics academic guides at walden. The company treats rich, famous, and average people. But if youre writing the date in daymonthyear format, you dont need a comma. The oxford comma has been disappearing from publications because newspapers dont want to spend the extra ink on it. When it is critical, let your teacher or publisher tell you what she wants. Also do not include both a persons title, such as doctor, and their corresponding degree, such as m. The short answer to the problem is that it depends on how youre using and.
There are wonderfully funny drawings on each page to emphasize exactly what each sentence means so readers can grasp exactly what is wrong. May 17, 2011 it is very much a matter of individual perception of the pause that the comma represents. I suppose its a bit like saying trust me, im a doctor. The founders of hankmed were hank lawson, md, and evan r. In the following example, commas are used to set off the by phrase because the phrase is not integral to the meaning of the sentence. Perhaps we shouldnt give up on paper books just yet. And if you look at my bio on any of the multiple places that it appears, youll see that i show that degree proudly in every bio. Commas are punctuation marks with a variety of uses. Some have even decided on a specific word limit usually four before a comma becomes necessary. Use a semicolon to join two independent clauses when the second clause restates the first or when the two clauses are of equal emphasis. The best guide is to put a comma when there is a short gap between the words when spoken. Commas with names and titles, simplified the critical reader. After winning americas next top model, jessica thanked her parents, god and tyra banks.
One of those is how and when to use an oxford comma. If you are suffering comma withdrawal, check this book out. Most authorities, including the associated press stylebook and the chicago manual of style, recommend a comma after the first digit of a fourdigit number. That there should be a space after a comma is obvious to most people, but i have had more than one person insist on writing the comma like this,without a space. In the united states, the leading style guides are the chicago manual of style and the associated press stylebook. Should i put phd after my name on the cover of my book. The chicago manual of style online is the venerable, timetested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. Asked in academic writing, essays, brackets parentheses.
July 4, 1776, was an important day in american history. Apr 06, 2012 the problem for me with thatll do, comma is that it isnt scientificallyoriented. Thanks for the comment, you just caused me to add a note at the bottom of the post. It attempts to provide guidance, rather than blackandwhite rules. Commas with compound sentences a compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses joined by a conjunction and, but, for, nor, or, so, and yet. Oct 03, 2014 serious academic books rarely if ever include the authors qualification on the cover.
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