Punctuation
In English academic writing, about a dozen punctuation rules make up the relatively rigid basics. An academic text written without using them can appear ungrammatical no matter how well it adheres to the rules of the English sentence structure. In all languages, punctuation rules are largely based on convention; for this reason, they may seem somewhat random and haphazard to L2 writers who were not exposed to them from the time they began reading. One of the outcomes of this view can be L2 writers' tendency to ignore punctuation rules altogether, with the exception of capitalization and periods, on which most writing teachers insist.
It is important to emphasize that the purpose of punctuation (and the punctuation rules) is to make the sentence easy to ead by visually dividing it into component parts. The basic punctuation rules outlined next represent the bare bones of the punctuation system in English. These rules must be learned and used in the production of academic writing.
Subordinators, transitions and complex prepositions can help a writer maintain flow and establish clear relationships between ideas. In the table below you can find some of the more common linking words and phrases, arranged according to their function and grammatical use.
Subordinators, transitions & complex prepositions |
|||
| SUBORDINATORS (introduce a dependent clause that must be joined to a complete sentence) |
TRANSITIONS (introduce a complete sentence) |
COMPLEX PREPOSITIONS (introduce a noun phrase) |
|
| addition | furthermore, in addition, moreover |
in addition to | |
|
adversativity opposition |
although, even though, (as) much as, though |
despite the fact, however, nevertheless | despite, in spite of |
| cause - effect | as, because, in order that, now that, since, so (that) |
therefore, as a result, consequently, hence, thus | because of, due to, as a result |
| clarification | in other words, that is (i.e.) | ||
| condition | as long as, even if, if, in case (that), only if, provided (that), providing, supposing, unless, whether or not |
||
| contrast - intensification |
while, whereas | as a matter of fact, in contrast, however, in fact, on the contrary, on the other hand, conversely | unlike |
| illustration | for example, for instance | ||
| time - place |
after, as long as, as soon as, before, until, whenever, where, wherever, while | afterwards, then |
during |
Subordinators, transitions and complex prepositions raise a small, but important issue: punctuation. The discussion listed here is limited to a few key points regarding semicolons (;), colons (:), dashes (-) and commas (,).
Subordinate constructions
A modifying word, phrase, or clause that introduces a sentence is usually set off from the rest of the sentence with a comma.
When the bank failed, many reporters investigated.
However, a subordinating structure that interrupts or concludes a main clause is not set off with punctuation when it is essential to the meaning of a word or words in the clause:
The article that won the prize appeared in the local newspaper.
The reporter wrote the article because the bank failure affected many residents of the town.
When an interrupting or concluding modifier is not essential to meaning, but simply adds information to the sentence, it is set off with punctuation, usually a comma or commas.
Some customers of the bank never recovered all their money, though most of them tried to do so.
Sentence Transitions
Transition, the rest of the sentence
However, ...
For this reason, ...
In light of this information, ...
Sentence transitions in the middle of a sentence are separated by commas on both sides
The beginning of the sentence, transition, the rest of the sentence.
Hill's research, however, emphasizes the importance of...
The American democracy, on the other hand, ...
If short sentences in a compound construction are conjoined by a transition, the transition generally is set of from the first subclause by either a full stop or semicolon, and from the second subclause by a comma.
Sentence 1; transition, sentence 2
Soil depletion is very costly; however, it can be prevented;
Factories concentrate in cities; additionally, distribution networks center around major water ways.
Prepositional Phrases
Prepositional phrases [preposition + phrase], adverbials of all types (time, place, and evaluation), and infinitives at the beginnings of sentences often play the role of sentence connectives and transitions. When they are placed at the beginnings of sentence, all elements that supply preliminary information and/or that have connective functions have to be separated by commas.
Prepositional phrase/connective/adverbial, the rest of the sentence.
In 2002, ...
In the state capital, ...
At the start of the 20th century, ...
In the view of the author, ...
In light of the study findings, ...
In spite of the rain, ...
Usually, ...
Perhaps, ...
Fortunately, ...
To begin / conclude / summarize, ...
The industrial revolution began in England in the mid-1700s. Mass production techniques emerged after World War I and formed the basis of advanced industrial societies.