Clauses and Sentences

When you recognize what kind of clause(s) a sentence contains, you'll know how to punctuate the sentence. The type of clause determines the punctuation.

Here are some key things to know:

If you see a sentence with two or more independent clauses (meaning each clause expresses a complete thought by itself), you have three options for punctuating it.

The option you use depends on how you decide to connect the clauses. For news writing, the first is generally the best:

* The clauses may be connected with a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction (the simple conjunctions, including "and," "but" or "or").

Example: The Cubs are optimistic about the 2006 season, but their roster has weak spots.

* The clauses may be connected with a semi-colon and no conjunction at all.

Example: The Cubs are optimistic about the 2006 season; their roster has weak spots.

* The clauses may be connected with a semi-colon, then a conjunctive adverb (such as "besides," "however," "moreover"), then a comma after the adverb.

Example: The Cubs are optimistic about the 2006 season; however, their roster has weak spots.

If you see a sentence with an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses, whether you need a comma at all depends on the sequence of the clauses.

Dependent clauses typically are signaled by the presence of a subordinating conjunction such as "although," "because," "if" or "until."

* You do not need a comma if the independent clause comes ahead of the dependent clause in the sentence.

Example: The Cubs are optimistic about the 2006 season although their roster has weak spots.

* If the dependent clause comes ahead of the independent clause in the sentence, you do need a comma.

Example: Although their roster has weak spots, the Cubs are optimistic about the 2006 season.

Watch out for comma-splice sentences.

A comma-splice sentence incorrectly connects two or more independent clauses with only a comma.

Example of comma-splice: The Red Sox finally have broken their curse, the Cubs still are haunted by that stupid goat.

You have several options for fixing such sentences.

* You can add an appropriate coordinating conjunction.

Example: The Red Sox finally have broken their curse, yet the Cubs still are haunted by that stupid goat.

* You can create two separate sentences.

Example: The Red Sox finally have broken their curse. The Cubs still are haunted by that stupid goat.

* You can change the comma to a semi-colon.

Example: The Red Sox finally have broken their curse; the Cubs still are haunted by that stupid goat.

... And if you like, you can insert a conjunctive adverb (followed by a comma) as well.

Example: The Red Sox finally have broken their curse; nonetheless, the Cubs still are haunted by that stupid goat.

Phrases and clauses can be either essential ("restrictive") or non-essential ("nonrestrictive").

* Some clauses (or phrases) are necessary in order for a sentence to make sense. These are called essential clauses or phrases.

Because readers need that clause (or phrase) in order to understand the sentence, you do not want to slow them down with commas, which signal a pause.

Example: Baseball teams that acquired high-quality relief pitchers over the winter are expected to win more games this year.

(Not all baseball teams are expected to win more games. If you took out the highlighted phrase, the sentence would be so vague that it would be meaningless.)

* Some clauses (or phrases) provide supplementary information that may be nice to have but is not necessary in order for a sentence to make sense. These are called non-essential clauses or phrases.

Because readers do not need that clause (or phrase) in order to understand the sentence, you use a comma to signal a pause for the supplementary information you are about to provide.

Example: The Cubs, after acquiring high-quality relief pitchers over the winter, are expected to win more games this year.

("The Cubs are expected to win more games this year" makes sense. Well, at least it makes grammatical sense! Anyway, the clause in the middle provides supplemental information, but it is not essential to understanding the meaning of the sentence.)

Several people indicated on their bio sheets that they had trouble knowing when to use "that" and when to use "which." You're not alone!

In general, "that" is used with essential clauses, and "which" is used with non-essential clauses. More on this topic later ...

Let's do some quick practice together before the graded exercise. First, here are a few sentences based on ones in The Editorial Eye and Working With Words workbooks. Which sentences need commas, and where should the commas go?

* Arson investigators found traces of gasoline inside the smoldering house and they began searching for more clues.

* When the Pulitzer Prize winner accepted her award all her colleagues in the audience stood and cheered.

* His mission was explained clearly to him the fighter pilot knew what he had to do.
* Chicago Cubs fans bemoan the goat's curse and anticipate its return every fall.
* The columnist thought his story was perfect however he forgot to check for style errors.
* The trial story was hard to write because the lawyers refused to talk with any reporters.
* Although the product was still being tested the advertising agency already had a strategy for selling it.

Now to get you warmed up for editing a complete story ...

Together, let's fix the AP style and punctuation errors (plus any others you notice) in this short piece:

In the early 1970's, 2/3 of all young people read a daily newspaper. Only 50% of people under thirty now read a paper, many get they're information from forms of media which were not available a generation ago.

Although the Internets largest impact has been on T.V. print media also has been effected.

Newspapers must continue to change to be relevant to young readers, warns Al Gollin, Research Director for the Newspaper Assn. of America (N.A.A.). He said, attracting younger readers should be the newspaper industries number one goal.

Papers all over the U.S. have tried special youth oriented sections but few have been successful.

Some papers also have experimented with seperate publications. In Fort Lauderdale, Florida the Sun-Sentinel Company created a weekly tabloid; and gave out free copies at a popular mall on the East side of town.

FYI, here's a clean version of that ad for a copy editor, with the corrections indicated by the editing marks on the handout. Reads better, yes? (It could be tightened even more, but at least this version is free of grammatical and spelling errors.)

Networking Management, a trade magazine that serves the multimedia communications industry, is looking to hire a detail-oriented editor with three years' experience in copy editing and writing. Familiarity with electronic editing is essential. Basic understanding of the design and production processes is preferred. With a degree in journalism or a related field, you should be a quick learner who can juggle many projects on deadline. You will copy edit feature articles, coordinate and write the magazine’s New Products section, and write news. Occasional attendance at trade shows and press conferences also will be part of your job.