How confident are you in your use of commas and semicolons? The article below contains 10 intentional errors that involve commas and semicolons. Note: I use the serial comma. If you don’t use it, your error count will be different.
A corrected version and a list of rules follow the test. No peeking until you are finished!
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Nurturing Your Professional Network
Your network is just like your garden. It must be nurtured, coaxed, and fed to continue to thrive and bear fruit for you. If you’ve been at a loss for ways to nurture your professional network consider these tips.
Tend your network with many thanks. Write a note of thanks promptly when a professional contact helps you, then follow up when you make progress because of that help. For example if your contact recommends a professional organization, report back on the positive experience you have had after you attend a meeting of the group.
Keep your network in the know. Whether they live in New York, New York or Walla Walla, Washington, people like to feel in the know. When new things come to light in your job search or profession, share them with your network. My friend Sarah began a job search on September 1, 2012, and ended it three months later; nevertheless, she still networks. She emailed me last week and wrote, “Kate, I made some new decisions recently, and I want to tell you about them.” I was delighted to hear from her and your contacts are likely to feel the same about you.
Cross-fertilize your network. Share information with your contacts who are in career transition, but don’t forgot those who are not. Recently I read an article I knew would interest a colleague and sent a copy to him with a brief note. I haven’t heard back from him, however, I am certain he was pleased to receive the information.
If you are in a job search be patient. The Greek philosopher Epictetus said: “No great thing is created suddenly any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you desire a fig, let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.” Plant the seeds tend your garden and new growth will gradually take place.
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Corrected version:
Nurturing Your Professional Network
Your network is just like your garden. It must be nurtured, coaxed, and fed to continue to thrive and bear fruit for you. If you’ve been at a loss for ways to nurture your professional network, consider these tips.
Tend your network with many thanks. Write a note of thanks promptly when a professional contact helps you; then follow up when you make progress because of that help. For example, if your contact recommends a professional organization, report back on the positive experience you have had after you attend a meeting of the group.
Keep your network in the know. Whether they live in New York, New York, or Walla Walla, Washington, people like to feel in the know. When new things come to light in your job search or profession, share them with your network. My friend Sarah began a job search on September 1, 2012, and ended it three months later; nevertheless, she still networks. She emailed me last week and wrote, “Kate, I made some new decisions recently, and I want to tell you about them.” I was delighted to hear from her, and your contacts are likely to feel the same about you.
Cross-fertilize your network. Share information with your contacts who are in career transition, but don’t forgot those who are not. Recently I read an article I knew would interest a colleague and sent a copy to him with a brief note. I haven’t heard back from him; however, I am certain he was pleased to receive the information.
If you are in a job search, be patient. The Greek philosopher Epictetus said: “No great thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you desire a fig, let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.” Plant the seeds, tend your garden, and new growth will gradually take place.
Rules:
- Use a comma after an introductory clause: “If you’ve been at a loss for ways to nurture your professional network, consider these tips.”
- Use a comma to separate two sentences connected with the word then: “Write a note of thanks promptly when a professional contact helps you; then follow up when you make progress because of that help.” (You might instead break the compound sentence into two sentences.)
- Use a comma after an introductory word or phrase such as however, furthermore, on the other hand, and for instance that guides the reader: “For example, if your contact recommends a professional organization, report back on the positive experience you have had after you attend a meeting of the group.”
- Use commas around the state, province, or country when a city precedes it in a sentence: “Whether they live in New York, New York, or Walla Walla, Washington, people like to feel in the know.”
- Use a comma to connect two sentences using and, or, but, nor, so, yet, or for (unless the sentences are very short): “I was delighted to hear from her, and your contacts are likely to feel the same about you.”
- Use a semicolon to connect two sentences using however. Insert a comma after however: “I haven’t heard back from him; however, I am certain he was pleased to receive the information.”
- Again, use a comma after an introductory clause: “If you are in a job search, be patient.”
- Use a comma to eliminate confusion that would result without a comma:
The Greek philosopher Epictetus said: “No great thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig.” - Use commas to separate items in a series: “Plant the seeds, tend your garden, and new growth will gradually take place.”
Which comma rules challenge you?
To make the correct punctuation choice every time, take my online course Punctuation for Professionals.
Lynn
