Module 2 Task 4 Punctuation (Commas and Periods)

[AjAlan]

Dear Students,

I have enjoyed reading your letters for the fourth task in Module 2.
Scores and feedback will be uploaded on the course website within the next day or two.


One grammatical issue I saw in almost every letter was confusion over commas and periods (full stops). Please allow me to quickly review key rules for these two important forms of punctuation:

Periods are used at the end of a complete thought (independent clause=a sentence=a subject and verb that can stand alone).
Commas are used as pauses to separate items and incomplete thoughts but cannot stand alone and are not typically used between independent clauses unless a coordinating conjunction comes before them.

Additionally, an independent clause has a subject and a verb and can stand alone; a dependent clause may have a subject and verb but cannot stand alone. Dependent clauses may begin sentences, but they must have a comma and an independent clause after them. Independent clauses may begin a sentence and be followed by a dependent clause, but no punctuation is needed after them.

Examples & Explanations:

Albert Einstein discovered the theory of relativity. (What is the subject? What is the verb? Can it stand alone?)

She needed to go to the supermarket to buy milk, rice, and vegetables. (Notice a comma separates each item.)

They wanted to travel to Chiang Mai during the Songkran holiday, but they didn't because their daughter got sick. (Here you have two independent clauses separated by a coordinating conjunction, so a comma is acceptable/necessary.)

TangMo needed to go to the pharmacy but had more important errands to run first. (Here there is no comma after "but" because it is missing a subject (dependent clause and follows an independent clause.)

Independent clause: He is very tired. (This sentence ends in a period because it has both a subject and a verb and can stand alone.)
Dependent clause: because he has been studying for his English exam all night (This clause also has a subject and a verb but CANNOT stand alone. The "because" makes the clause dependent.)
Solution (combine the clauses, two structures): 1) He is very tired because he has been studying for his English exam all night. 2) Because he has been studying for his English exam all night, he is very tired.

Other dependent clauses:
Because he loves traveling. (What is wrong? How can you fix it?)
Since she was young. (What is wrong? How can you fix it?)
After he graduated from high school. (What is wrong? How can you fix it?)

After Nat graduated from high school, he decided to study English at STOU.
After Nat graduated from high school, (dependent clause opening sentence =comma) he decided to study English at STOU (independent clause after dependent clause=period). (What is another way of writing this sentence? Remember the structural pattern.)


This is a very rough review These were some of the biggest issues with your sentences in this assignment. Should you have further questions, please contact me. I would be happy to answer specific questions or provide additional examples and/or explanations.



All the best,
Aj. Alan

[Thanaphan]

Thank you so much, Aj. Alan. Here's what I think.

Because he loves traveling. (What is wrong? How can you fix it?)
Since she was young. (What is wrong? How can you fix it?)
After he graduated from high school. (What is wrong? How can you fix it?)

All of the above are dependent clauses. We need a main clause following each one of them.

After Nat graduated from high school, (dependent clause opening sentence =comma) he decided to study English at STOU (independent clause after dependent clause=period). (What is another way of writing this sentence? Remember the structural pattern.)

Another way to write this sentence is:
Nat decided to study English at STOU after he graduated from high school.

[Thanaphan]

Dear Aj. Alan,

Have you uploaded the scores and feedback yet? I don't see the scores on d4lp.

[AjAlan]

Task 4 has been graded (finished last Wednesday). Due to a poor internet connection and the Songkran holiday, however, I was unable to upload scores last week. All scores will probably be uploaded tomorrow. Sorry for the delay!