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Effective Punctuation
Contents:
- Oxford commas
- Parenthetic phrases
- Independent clauses
- Punctuation before or after quotation marks
- Ellipses in quotations
- Em dashes
- One or two spaces after periods
- When to capitalize after colons
1. Oxford Comma
Writers disagree on whether lists of three or more should include a comma before the “and” (or “or”) and the last item in the list. Above all, consistency is key. If you do not know your reader's preference, choose one method and stick to it. Commas before the last “and” must be used when the final item in the list itself contains a conjunction (e.g., “He was charged with assault, battery, and breaking and entering.”)
Option 1 Option 2 When the “Oxford
Comma” is required
The American flag is red, white and blue. The American flag is red, white, and blue. You are charged with trespassing, burglary, and assault and battery.
2. Parenthetic phrases
Use commas to set off words and phrases that do not neatly fit into the main grammatical structure of the sentence. Nonrestrictive clauses are examples of parenthetic phrases. Unless the parenthetic phrase ends the sentence, there should always be a comma at the end of the parenthetic phrase. Do not use commas to set off phrases that, if removed, would change the meaning of the sentence, i.e., a restrictive clause.
- Examples: o The Constitution, which was signed in 1787, is the supreme law of the land. o The Constitution, signed in 1787, is the supreme law of the land. o The judge, however, was not amused. o The version of the bill that the Senate ultimately approved was substantially weakened.
3. Independent clauses
There are three ways to separate independent clauses, and they require different punctuation depending on which you choose. Rule Type of Punctuation Example When independent clauses are separated by a conjunction, you should place a comma before the conjunction. Comma He likes apples, but she prefers oranges. A semicolon can separate two independent clauses when you do not want to use a conjunction but are not ready to end the sentence. This can be useful when the second independent clause starts with an adverb such as “nevertheless” or “therefore.” Semicolon Justice Kagan held for the plaintiff; however, Justice Breyer wanted to remand the case. Finally, two independent clauses can always be converted into two sentences with a period to separate them. Because legal writing values conciseness, when in doubt, stick with writing two sentences. Period Justice Thomas went to Yale Law School. Chief Justice Roberts, however, went to Harvard.
Note on using dashes: Avoid using dashes to replace more than one kind of punctuation in a single sentence. For instance, the sentence “On the Supreme Court, the federal government’s highest judicial body, one justice virtually never asks questions in oral argument: Clarence Thomas,” would be harder to understand if it were written, “On the Supreme Court—the federal government’s highest judicial body—one justice virtually never asks a question—Clarence Thomas.”
7. One or two spaces after periods?
There is a general presumption against double spacing after a period. When proofreading your writing, do a Ctrl+F search for “[period][space][space]” to get rid of any double spacing between sentences.
8. When to capitalize after colons
Colons introduce words, phrases, or a series of words or phrases that explain or amplify what came before. Generally, capitalize the first letter of the word following the colon if the colon introduces multiple sentences or if the colon introduces a quotation that could function as an independent sentence. Leave the first letter of the first word after the colon lowercase if the colon introduces a clause within a sentence or a quotation that cannot function as its own sentence.
Capitalize Lowercase
The thief weighed his options: He could keep driving, and live his life on the run. Or he could turn himself in and see his daughter again. The thief realized he had two options: run or turn himself in. Marshall wrote decisively: “It is emphatically the province and the duty of the judicial department to say what the law is.” When I spoke to Marshall he recalled his favorite colors: “red, white, and blue.” Note: Avoid using phrases such as “as follows” or “the following” immediately preceding a colon. The colon is understood to incorporate those words.
