User:Tony1/Comma workshop

"Unfolding" design. The exercises are designed to be done in your head, without writing. Each unfolds in stages: first, the problem text, then a succession of hints to help you along; then a solution; finally an explanation. You'll get the most out of the exercises by thinking carefully about each stage before clicking on the next one. Expect to stop when you've had enough, and plan to return to take up where you left off. "Distributed" ("spaced out") practice of writing skills, not "massed" (all at once), will have a more powerful effect.

Feedback on how to improve these exercises is welcome at the talk page.

Self-help writing tutorials:

• Exercises in weeding out fluff from article text
• Advanced editing exercises
• Spot the ambiguity
• Build your linking skills
• Using hyphens and dashes
• Copy-editing essentials, part of the Military History Academy

edit

Every word in a text falls into three categories:

• There can't be a comma after it.
• Inserting a comma after it is optional.
• There must be a comma after it.

The second category is where our individual style ....

Checklist:

• How long is the sentence?

• How many commas does the sentence contain?

• Does the meaning/grammar require a comma?

that vs which

• Does the presence or absence of a comma create/resolve an ambiguity?

• Test the rhythm

Say it using your inner voice.

Warm-up exercises

Problem A

With Leighton fit once more for Aberdeen, and the transfer to Norwich finally concluded, it was some months into the new season, and Gunn initially found it difficult to take over as first-choice goalkeeper.

Hint

Remove one comma and add one comma.

Solution

With Leighton fit once more for Aberdeen and the transfer to Norwich finally concluded, it was some months into the new season, and Gunn initially found it difficult to take over as first-choice goalkeeper.successfully passed.

Explanation

Problem B

The vectors—green and yellow—follow the average rainfall pattern for each region (see Figure 2).

Hint

The role of the parentheses, among other things, makes one word redundant.

Solution

The vectors—green and yellow—follow the average rainfall pattern for each region (see Figure 2).

Explanation

The parentheses are quite enough to tell the reader that Figure 2 illustrates what is being explained.