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Punctuation Patterns and Sentence Patterns

Directions:

1. Provide an example demonstrating each punctuation and sentence pattern.
2. You may use examples that you have created, or you may use examples from outside sources.
3. You must label each example with the pattern you are using. For example, for the Commas section you would provide the following labels:
4. Comma is used when FANBOYS comes between two complete ideas (independent clauses).
5. Comma is used after an incomplete idea (or dependent clause) when a complete idea (or independent clause) follows that incomplete idea.
6. Comma is used both before and after intervening information that breaks up a complete idea (or independent clause)
7. Comma is used to separate a list of three or more words or phrases within a sentence.

 

4. You must highlight the element you are asked to showcase. I have bolded the element in my examples. You are asked to highlight it.

COMMAS

1. Comma is used when FANBOYS comes between two complete ideas (independent clauses).

Example – “The current marketing campaign has been effective, but we plan to build on that success with a new look.”

 

Punctuation Patterns

Commas – 4 patterns

Semicolons – 1 pattern

Commas and semicolons with introductory adverbs – 3 patterns

Dashes – 2 patterns

Colons – 2 patterns

 

COMMAS

5. Comma is used when FANBOYS comes between two complete ideas (independent clauses).

• FANBOYS – For, and, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
• Pattern – Complete idea, FANBOYS complete idea
• Example – “The current marketing campaign has been effective, but we plan to build on that success with a new look.”

 

6. Comma is used after an incomplete idea (or dependent clause) when a complete idea (or independent clause) follows that incomplete idea.

• Pattern – Incomplete idea, complete idea
• Example – As a retailer that is dependent upon consumer discretionary spending, our results of operations are sensitive to changes in macro-economic conditions.

 

7. Comma is used both before and after intervening information that breaks up a complete idea (or independent clause)

• Comp, intervening information, plete.
• Example – “Our Whole Trade Guarantee label, a buying initiative that expands our social responsibility to bring together a set of criteria for products sourced through developing countries, grew to over 1,350 items, with sales increasing 72% to $765 million.” (Whole Foods Market letter to shareholders – Mackey, 2009)

 

8. Comma is used to separate a list of three or more words or phrases within a sentence.

• Pattern – “Word(s), word(s), and word(s)” or “phrase, phrase, and phrase”
• Example – “Finally, a warm thank you to our talented management team, designers, merchants, and our thousands of hardworking associates worldwide for their continued dedication – it is because of you that The Jones Group is the industry leader it is today.” (Jones Group Annual Report 2010)

 

Semicolons

Rule – semicolons and periods are interchangeable.

• Decision is a matter of style.
• If you believe you need to link two complete thoughts (or independent clauses) for some rhetorical reason, you should a semicolon. Otherwise, use a period.
• Example – “Our practice is to ship our products promptly upon receipt of purchase orders from customers; consequently, backlog is not significant.” (Microsoft Corporation’s annual report 2011).

 

Commas and semicolons with introductory adverbs

Three patterns when adverbs like “however” or “therefore” appear in a sentence.

1. Adverb is at the start of a complete idea (or independent clause) and is followed by a comma.

• Pattern – Adverb, complete idea.
• Example – “Partially offsetting the positive factors contributing to the overall increase in net sales was a decrease in iPod net sales of $821 million or 10% during 2011 compared to 2010. Similarly, iPod unit sales decreased by 15% in 2011 compared to 2010. However, net sales per iPod unit sold increased during 2011 compared to 2010 due primarily to a shift in iPod product mix toward iPod touch.” (Apple Incorporated’s United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Form 10-K Annual Report filing (Apple Inc., 2011) p. 31)

 

2. A complete idea (or independent clause) precedes an introductory adverb tied to its own complete idea (or independent clause).

• Pattern – Complete idea; adverb, complete idea.
• Example – “The Company generally does not require collateral from its customers; however, the Company will require collateral in certain instances to limit credit risk” (Apple’s 2011 SEC filing, p. 58).

 

3. If the adverb is moveable within a sentence, commas are required on both sides of the adverb.

• Pattern – “Com, adverb, plete idea.
• Example – “There is, however, no assurance that the necessary licenses could be obtained on acceptable terms or at all” (Apple’s 2011 SEC filing, p. 12).
• Notice that the “however” is moveable to other positions within the sentence as the following revision shows: “There is no assurance, however, that the necessary licenses could be obtained on acceptable terms or at all.” Because the “however” is moveable, the third pattern that requires commas on both sides of the adverb applies.

Dashes

Used when you want to call attention to information that comes after the dash.

1. A complete idea (or independent clause) precedes either another complete idea (or independent clause), a phrase, items in a series, or a single word.

• Pattern – “Complete idea—complete idea, phrase, series, or word.
• Example – “2011 was a watershed for Boeing—a pivotal year in which we delivered strong operating results and made substantial progress on the business and product strategies critical to our future and our customers’ success” (Boeing’s Letter to Shareholders in its annual report (2011) p. 2).

 

2. The complete idea (or independent clause) starts on one side of the dash and finishes on the other side.

• “Comp—intervening information—plete idea.”
• Example – “Our people are embracing teamwork more than ever and are using the size and scope of our company—with its vast knowledge and capabilities—to solve problems more quickly and compete more effectively” (Boeing’s Letter to Shareholders in its annual report (2011) p. 6).

 

Colons

Use colons when you want to emphasize the information that comes after a colon.

1. Traditional paragraph. The information appearing before a colon needs to be a complete idea (or independent clause). The information that comes after can be another complete idea (or independent clause), a phrase, a series, or a word.

• Example – “The new Open Internet rules, which became effective on November 20, 2011, are based on three basic principles: transparency, no blocking, and no unreasonable discrimination, and are applicable to fixed and wireless broadband Internet access providers to different extents” (Time Warner Cable’s annual report (2011) p. 23).

 

2. Bulleted lists. The information in front of the colon needs to be a complete idea (or independent clause) followed by the bulleted list.

• Pattern –

Complete idea (or independent clause):

• Word(s), phrase, sentence, or short paragraph
• Word(s), phrase, sentence, or short paragraph
• Word(s), phrase, sentence, or short paragraph
• Example –

I’ll have more to say about where we are headed soon, but I can tell you two things:

• I am committed to following through on the initiatives that Best Buy announced in March, 2012.
• We intend to do more—much more. I believe bold action is required, as are tough decisions. To reach our full potential, we need to make Best Buy more nimble, more strategic about how we use data and technology and more relevant to our customers. (Best Buy’s annual report (2012) p. 1)

 

3. Bulleted lists. The bullets that follow the colon need to complete the thought.

• Pattern –

Fragment:

• Completed here with either a word or phrase
• Completed here with either a word or phrase
• Completed here with either a word or phrase

 

• Example –

To continue to be a leading technology company and one of the “100 Best Companies to Work for in America,” we need great talent from all sources. To do this, we focus on recruiting and retaining the best through:

• Associate talent
• Recruiting strategy
• Diversity awareness training
• Diversity and work/life benefits. (W. L. Gore’s (2012) website. para. 2)

 

Sentence Patterns

1. A “subject-verb pattern” with the complete idea (or independent clause) at the start of the sentence followed by incomplete information such as a dependent clause.

Example:  My firm manages $10 billion for institutions and high-net-worth individuals.

 

2. Incomplete information such as a dependent clause introduces a complete idea (or independent clause) that follows.

Example:  As CEO of Savvy investments, I currently write the “Portfolio Strategy” column for our local newspaper.

3. The pattern interrupts the complete idea (or independent clause) with an incomplete, or inserted, thought.

Example: My firm – which manages more than $25 for institutions and high-net-worth individuals – has developed several proprietary investment strategies that I’d like to share with you.