Chapter 16

1. McGraw-Hill/Irwin Business English at Work, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 16 The Period and the Comma

2. Objectives • Use periods correctly at the end of declarative and imperative sentences, courteous requests, and indirect questions. • Identify miscellaneous uses of the period. • Use commas correctly between items in a series and in compound sentences. • Use commas correctly with independent adjectives. PP 16-1a

3. Objectives continued • Use commas correctly to set off appositive and parenthetical expressions. • Use commas correctly with introductory expressions. • Use commas correctly with nonrestrictive clauses. • Identify miscellaneous uses of the comma. PP 16-1b

4. Declarative Sentences Use a period at the end of a declarative sentence that states a fact, an idea, or an opinion. Rick finds job openings on the Internet. Sara’s final interview with the company is on Friday. PP 16-2

5. Imperative Sentences Use a period at the end of a sentence that indicates a command or makes a strong suggestion. You is the understood subject in both of the following sentences. Proofread your cover letter carefully. Fill out the job application within 24 hours. PP 16-3

6. Courteous Requests Use a period at the end of a sentence that makes a courteous request. A courteous request requires an action rather than an answer in words. Will you please call the applicants to tell them that the position is filled. May I have the phone numbers of your last three supervisors. PP 16-4

7. Indirect Questions Use a period after an indirect question. No answer is required. I wonder whether Bob applied for the accounts payable position. Jamey asked how I posted my résumé on the Internet. PP 16-5

8. Decimal Points Use a period to separate dollars and cents. $5.59 $178.25 $14,382.38 Do not place a period after a dollar amount if there are no cents involved. $5 $802 $78,455 Use a period as a decimal point to express whole numbers and fractional amounts. 0.008 0.09 5.2 29.5 PP 16-6

9. Abbreviated Words and Measurements Use a period at the end of an abbreviated word. assn. association asst. assistant bldg. building intl. international mfg. manufacturing pd. paid PP 16-7a

10. Abbreviated Words and Measurements continued Do not use a period after a measurement that is abbreviated on most business or technical forms. ft foot, feet oz ounce, ounces gal gallon qt quart, quarts hr hour, hours yr year, years Spell out measurements when they are used in general or nontechnical writing. PP 16-7b

11. Small and Capital Letters Use a period after each letter in abbreviations that consist of small letters. a.k.a. also known as c.o.d. collect on delivery f.o.b. free on board (within sentences) Do not use a period after each letter in most abbreviations that consist of all capital letters. CEO chief executive officer HMO health maintenance organization PIN personal identification number PP 16-8a

12. Small and Capital Letters continued Exceptions P.O. post office U.S. United States A.A. Associate in Arts M.D. Doctor of Medicine D.C. District of Columbia PP 16-8b

13. Personal Names and Corporate Names Use a period after the initials or with abbreviations of most names. J. C. Williams Thos. C. McGraw Do not use a period with a nickname. Skip Jenner Red Stocker Use the same format that an individual uses in a signature or that a company uses on its letterhead as its official designation. Harry S Truman JCPenney PP 16-9

14. Titles, Academic Degrees, Professional Identification Use a period after an abbreviation of a person’s title. Mrs. Ms. Mr. Dr. Use a period after each element in the abbreviation of an academic degree or professional identification. B.A. Ph.D. M.B.A. M.D. PP 16-10a

15. Titles, Academic Degrees, Professional Identification continued Examples Dr. Carole Bennett accepted a position as a technical writer. Sara Wong, M.D., hired Rose to work as a receptionist. Gretchen Carpenter, M.B.A., uses the Internet to post company job openings. PP 16-10b

16. Seniority Designations Use a period after an abbreviated seniority designation. Do not set off seniority designations with commas unless the person being referenced prefers to use commas. Jason Harrison Jr. accepted a position in Nevada. Anthony James III applied for an international banking position. PP 16-11

17. ZIP Code State or Standard Abbreviation Province Abbreviation The Period and Geographic Locations • Use a period after an abbreviation of a country, state, or province unless the abbreviation appears in ZIP Code format. NC North Carolina N.C. AR Arkansas Ark. ON Ontario Ont. PP 16-12

18. Shortened Forms of Words • Do not use a period after shortened words or foreign words that are not abbreviations. info information rep representative specs specifications temp temporary ad hoc for a particular purpose in re or re concerning PP 16-13

19. Outlines and Lists Use a period after the numbers or letters that identify items in an outline or list unless the numbers or letters are in parentheses. I. EMPLOYMENT MATERIALS A. Résumé 1. Chronological a. Advantages (1) Shows job history PP 16-14a

20. Outlines and Lists continued Use periods after complete sentences, dependent clauses, and long phrases in a list or outline. • The keys to salary negotiation are the following: 1. Discuss salary at the end of the interview. 2. Let the interviewer introduce the issue of salary. 3. Do research on salaries for your field. PP 16-14b

21. Outlines and Lists continued Do not use periods after short phrases listed on separate lines if the lead-in statement is complete. • Avoid the following job-hunting methods: 1. Unsolicited résumés 2. Employment agencies 3. Employment advertisements PP 16-14c

22. Compound Sentences Use a comma to separate two independent clauses in a compound sentence. Place the comma before the coordinating conjunction (and, or, nor, but) that joins the two clauses. Most public libraries have company directories, and most online services also offer access to these directories. Everyone knows about doing job hunting research, but few people do it well. PP 16-15a

23. Compound Sentences continued Omit the comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence if either or both of the two independent clauses are very short (four words or fewer). Read the job description and fax your résumé. Do not omit the comma if it is necessary for clarity. Kyle interviewed me, and Maria tested my skills. PP 16-15b

24. Compound Sentences continued Use a comma before the coordinating conjunction when a subject is not expressed (but implied) in one or both clauses in an imperative sentence. Do not use a comma if one of the independent clauses is very short. Call companies that interest you, and ask to speak to people who can give you specific information about available positions. Prepare a portfolio of your best work, and bring it with you to the interview. PP 16-15c

25. Series Use commas to separate words, phrases, or clauses in a series. Include the comma before the coordinating conjunction. Be selective when listing job duties, skills, and accomplishments on your résumé. Please bring your résumé, a sharpened pencil, and a list of references to the interview. Interviewing effectively means listening to suggestions of others, reading about interviewing, and participating in as many interviews as possible. PP 16-16a

26. Series continued Do not use commas to separate items when each item is connected by a conjunction. Cover letters require the exact last name of the person and the exact spelling of the name and the title of his or her position. PP 16-16b

27. Series continued Use commas in a series of names in an organization exactly the way that the organization uses the commas on its letterhead or on another verifiable source. Do not use a comma before the ampersand (&) in the name of an organization unless the company itself does. The firm of Farrell, White,and Jones specializes in recruiting hospital employees. Henderson, Hernandez,& Holmes fills its positions through networking. PP 16-16c

28. The Comma and Etc. Use a comma before and after the abbreviation etc.When etc. appears at the end of a sentence, use a comma before the abbreviation only. The abbreviation etc. means and so forth or and others. Do not use the phrase and etc. Most experts recommend cream, white, off-white, etc., bond paper for résumés. PP 16-17

29. Independent Adjectives Place a comma between independent adjectives that precede a noun unless they are already separated by a coordinating conjunction. To determine whether adjectives are independent, reverse their order or place the word and between the two adjectives. If both revisions sound satisfactory, place a comma between the two adjectives. PP 16-18a

30. Independent Adjectives continued Examples James offered vague, disorganized answers to the interview questions. Anne conducted a successful, well-organized job search. A study of successful female job hunters indicated that attention to detail is vital. PP 16-18b

31. Appositives Use commas to set off an appositive if it is not essential to the meaning of a sentence. An appositive explains or identifies the noun or pronoun that it follows. Kris Hing, CEO of Hing and Associates, looks for candidates who speak at least three languages. JOBS, an online listing of professional positions, helped me narrow my job search. PP 16-19a

32. Appositives continued Do not use commas to set off an appositive that explains or clarifies the noun preceding it. The newspaper National Business Employment Weekly offers job hunting strategies. The year 2005 was the year that I was promoted to assistant manager. PP 16-19b

33. Parenthetical Expressions Parenthetical expressions interrupt a sentence. These side remarks do not add to the clarity of a sentence, and they are set aside by commas. Parenthetical words and phrases act as connectors, or they express a writer’s opinion or explanation about the statement. PP 16-20a

34. Parenthetical Expressions continued Below is a partial list of parenthetical expressions. • after all as a consequence • as a matter of fact as a result • as a rule as you know • at any rate believe me • by the way for example • however I am sure • I assure you I believe PP 16-20b

35. Parenthetical Expressions continued Examples Being unemployed, as you can see, allowed me to return to school. Unfortunately, Jack lost the disk that contained his résumé. Group interviews, by the way, are popular with educational institutions. PP 16-20c

36. Introductory ExpressionsDependent Clauses Use a comma to separate an introductory dependent clause from the independent clause. If I have to move to another state, I will turn down the job offer. Although the competition was intimidating,Carrie still secured the job. PP 16-21a

37. Introductory ExpressionsDependent Clauses continued Generally, do not use a comma when the dependent clause follows the independent clause or when the comma is necessary for the meaning of the sentence. Do thorough research on a company before you go on a job interview. PP 16-21b

38. Introductory Expressions Prepositional Phrases Use a comma to set off an introductory prepositional phrase from the independent clause that follows. Within one year, he received a promotion to the position of accounts payable supervisor. From an employer’s standpoint, a thank-you note that is sent after the interview is important. PP 16-22

39. Introductory Expressions Infinitive Phrases Use a comma to set off an introductory infinitive phrase from the rest of the sentence. To save time, more companies are using résumé scanning software. Do not use a comma when an infinitive phrase is the subject of a sentence. To purposely lie on your employment application may cause dismissal from most positions. PP 16-23

40. Introductory Expressions Participial Phrases Use a comma to set off an introductory participial phrase from the rest of the sentence. Surprised by the results of my skill tests, I decided to set new goals. Reviewing her cover letter, Terri realized that she had used an incorrect telephone number. PP 16-24

41. Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses Use commas to set off a nonrestrictive adjective clause from the rest of the sentence. A nonrestrictive adjective clause is not necessary for the meaning of the word that it modifies. Drug testing, which is becoming more prevalent, is a requirement for some occupations. I carry my résumé in a leather portfolio, which was a graduation gift. PP 16-25

42. Restrictive Adjective Clauses Do not set off a restrictive adjective clause (necessary for the meaning of the word that it modifies) from the rest of the sentence. Job applicants who arrive late for their interviews are usually not hired at our firm. A college degree that emphasizes communication skills is valuable in today’s job market. PP 16-26

43. Contrasting Expressions Use commas to set aside a contrasting expression from the rest of the sentence. A contrasting expression often begins with the word not or never. A contrasting expression contradicts the noun or idea that it follows. The interview, not the résumé, gets you the job. The position for which Nina is interviewing is an existing position, not a new one. PP 16-27

44. Direct Address Use commas to set off the names of individuals who are being addressed directly. You will be pleased to know, Larry, that you will receive a bonus this year. Sheila, you are a finalist for the position. PP 16-28

45. Tag Questions Use a comma to separate a tag question from the rest of the sentence. We have five job candidates to interview today, don’t we? We do not need to interview the job candidates on Saturday, do we? PP 16-29

46. Quotations Use a comma to introduce a direct quotation or set it off from other parts of a sentence. Mr. Bertoli asked me, “How do you define success?” “Success,” Mr. Bertoli said, “depends upon your own definition.” Do not use a comma to set off an indirect quotation. Mr. Bertoli said that success depends upon your own definition. PP 16-30

47. Dates Use a comma before and after the year when a date includes a month, day, and year. I hope to graduate by June 30, 2007, or at the latest December 31, 2007. Do not use a comma if only the month and day or only the month and year are in a sentence. Mr. Elias indicated that he would notify me by August 5 about the position. My first interview was in October 2005 for a retail sales position. PP 16-31

48. Addresses Use commas to separate parts of an address or geographical location. Do not place a comma between a state name or a two-letter state abbreviation and the ZIP Code within a document or on an envelope. I applied for a position at Sonoma State University, 1801 East Coati Avenue, Rohnert Park, CA 94953, last week. PP 16-32

49. Occupational Designations, Academic Degrees Use commas to set off occupational designations or academic degrees when they follow a person’s name. Do not use both a personal or job title before a name and a job or academic degree designation after the name. Pamela Guzman, M.S., refers her clients for vocational assessment. Dylan works with Leslie Salazar, Ph.D., and Luis Pardue, M.B.A. PP 16-33

50. Seniority Designations Do not use commas to separate seniority designations from the name unless the person being referenced prefers to use commas. Lonnie Lamont Jr. works for Diamond Lane Communications. Nielson Electronics promoted Richard Whitmore II to the position of comptroller of their Canadian operations. PP 16-34