Brain Spew in Lieu of Wit

  Note: This article was originally published May 17, 2020 on my now-defunct website for AMA Creative Solutions. I have completed the most minor of edits, so what you see is what was published (barring a glaring and obnoxious error). Semicolons act as a middle point between commas and periods. They can connect two closely related sentences, separate complex lists, and separate individual ideas in complicated sentences. One of the biggest complaints I hear from students about reading social theory, older literature, and philosophy is that the sentences make the ideas too difficult to follow. These writers tend to have long, winding sentences with several clauses separated by semicolons and commas. I tend to recommend using semicolons sparingly, but many writers & editors have distinct stylistic preferences and the rules can change depending on your (or your audience's) region. Here are some general rules to follow when using semicolons. As always, double-check your style guide f...

  Note: This article was originally published May 17, 2020 on my now-defunct website for AMA Creative Solutions. I have completed the most minor of edits, so what you see is what was published (barring a glaring and obnoxious error). Commas are one of the most misused (and misunderstood) punctuation marks. Not only are comma rules complicated, they also have a great deal of stylistic variation. 1. How they are used has changed over time. I love complicated sentences with many phrases offset by commas and semicolons because many of my favorite literary works are from 19th-century England. Some people prefer the shorter, more concise sentences seen in US writing since the mid-20th century. We often develop our writing styles and grammatical preferences from the writing we love, which can also cause a lot of consternation between people of different stylistic origins. 2. There is a lot of variation in regional, professional, and personal styles. Comma usage changes depending on wher...

Note: This article was originally published July 7, 2020 on my now-defunct AMA Creative Solutions website. I have made only the most minor edits in cases of particularly obvious or obnoxious grammatical errors. There are three different dashes that each have their own purpose. Hyphens are used within words to show a specific meaning. The en dash is most often used in date ranges and point scores. The em dash is a stylistic punctuation mark that is used to reflect a pronounced pause or to highlight specific information. I will be explaining how each of these types of dashes is used in general writing. As always, if you are writing professionally, double-check your organization’s style guide. Hyphens Hyphens are placed within words to demonstrate specific meanings or to show that the word continues on the next line. They are entered into a word processor by pressing the dash key (most U.S. keyboards have it placed to the right of the number row) or the minus key on the number pad. You c...

Note: This article was originally published June 10, 2020 on my now-defunct website for AMA Creative Solutions. I have completed the most minor of edits, so what you see is what was published (barring a glaring and obnoxious error). Perhaps it’s just me, but I find the colon the most mysterious of all punctuation. While we often have a general “sense” of how and where to use commas and semicolons, the colon seems to be less straightforward. They aren’t used as often in modern writing as the comma or semicolon and are most often found in citations. Regardless, colons are useful punctuation marks to draw attention to the words or phrases that follow them. Here are the general rules for using colons (and, as always, refer to your style guide for how colons are used in citations and quotations). Between two independent clauses Colons are used between independent clauses when you are using the second clause to clarify or explain what you mean in the first clause. The first letter following...