(L.6.2.a) The Scroll of Punctuating Appositives and Transitions

The ability to use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements

The Scroll of Punctuating Appositives and Transistional Tags

L.6.2.a50xp

What is an Appositive?An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it. The appositive can be a short or long combination of words. Here is an example:The insect, a cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table.

An interrupter, or parenthetical element, is any sentence element that interrupts the forward movement of a clause. An interrupter is set off from the clause it interrupts by parenthetical punctuation. Parenthetical elements vary in intensity, and their relative strength is indicated by the form of punctuation used to set them off. Sometimes, a weak parenthetical element needs no punctuation at all: ~I also doubt his story. The main forms of parenthetical punctuation are, in ascending order of strength, commas, dashes, and parentheses. (Square brackets also have special uses as parenthetical punctuation.)EXAMPLES:Commas~Take, for example, the way Linda responded to being accused of bias.~That explanation, as I have already said, doesn't really hold water.~You should, nevertheless, continue your efforts despite this recent disappointment.~He cannot, however, hope to defeat a popular incumbent.Dashes~There is no way--and no particular reason--to gauge popular interest in such an approach.~The mythographer Joseph Campbell--who visited this campus in the 1980s, by the way--is perhaps best known for his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces.Parentheses~The last person who leaves (that is, if anyone ever manages to get out of here at all) needs to make sure all the lights are out and the furniture is put back in its proper place.~The War of the Worlds (this isn't the first time it has been made into a movie, you know) is based on a well-known science fiction novel. Commas and dashes differ from parentheses in that they can be used singly, whereas parentheses always occur in a complete set. Some of the examples above have parenthetical elements embedded within the parenthetical elements. In those examples, the internal interrupters are set off by a single comma:~The mythographer Joseph Campbell--who visited this campus in the 1980s, by the way--is perhaps best known for his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces.~The last person who leaves (that is, if anyone ever manages to get out of here at all) needs to make sure all the lights are out and the furniture is put back in its proper place.~The War of the Worlds (this isn't the first time it has been made into a movie, you know) is based on a well-known science fiction novel. But notice that in each case, the element set off by a single comma ends the structural unit, like this. The original structure is not picked up following the parenthetical element. Similarly, an element set off by a single dash can end a sentence--as this aside does right now. But once you have set that element off by either a comma or a dash, you cannot go back to the clause you have interrupted, unless you use another comma or dash to complete the set of parenthetical punctuation.

Punctuation Rules for TransitionsThe rules for punctuation around transitions and connectors are brief. There are, basically, three ways to punctuate transitions and connectors within essays. Note the following examples:I studied hard for the exam. However, I failed. (Capital letter following a period) I studied hard for the exam; however, I failed. (Lower case letter following a semicolon)The weather in Alaska is cold in the winter. Otherwise, I like living there. (Capital letter following a period) The weather in Alaska is cold in the winter; otherwise, I like living there. (Lower case letter following a semicolon)The punctuation in both sets of examples above is identical in terms of "correctness." Neither the use of the semicolon nor period is "preferable" to the other. Probably the use of one or the other will be influenced by the sentences around it, with "sentence variety" a factor in choosing which to use.Less frequently, transitions and connectors are used within a sentence as follows:The president promised a quick victory. Victory, however, was not easily won. Most people think the senator is honest. He is, instead, a thief and a liar.Note that in the sentences above, the transition is set of by commas on both sides. Also note that it would be possible to remove both the commas and the transitions without affecting the "correctness" of the remaining sentence.Summary: In sum, transitions and connectors show the relationship between ideas within sentences. In addition, correctly placed and punctuated transitions and connectors can help guide the reader through a complex maze of ideas.

Rules for Transitions

Parenthetical Elements

Examples of Transitions