Commas with conjunctions
Conjunctions usually require commas to help the reader distinguish the different parts of a sentence. Here are some examples from Human Rights reports with the… Read More »Commas with conjunctions
Writing tip: Punctuation
Conjunctions with punctuation rules and journalistic usage
Where to put punctuation with conjunctions is often confusing. See this explanation given by Grammarly: Subordinating conjunctions Because, although, since, unless, while, if Examples from… Read More »Conjunctions with punctuation rules and journalistic usage
Test your editing skills
Proofread and correct these examples from United Nations writings. The United Nations and most international organizations in the UN system use the Editorial Manual online.… Read More »Test your editing skills
That or which? UK or US usage?
The United Nations style allows both UK and US grammar usage. However, editors may have their own ideas about what is acceptable or not. Consistency… Read More »That or which? UK or US usage?
The “possessive” apostrophe
We normally use the possessive apostrophe for people and animals; but not for objects. Examples The president’s visit to DavosThe visit of the president… Read More »The “possessive” apostrophe
Brackets (uses and misuses)
Brackets are useful The third use should be in moderation. Overuse makes you look indecisive or as though you are giving irrelevant information. It can… Read More »Brackets (uses and misuses)
Commas and when to use them
As sentences get shorter and shorter in today’s world of mass communications, commas are disappearing. Where we used to use them, they often seem to… Read More »Commas and when to use them
How do I form the possessive of nouns?
We generally form the possessive of singular nouns by adding an apostrophe and an “s”. And we put the apostrophe after the plural “s”. Examples:… Read More »How do I form the possessive of nouns?
Avoid overusing brackets (UK) or parentheses (USA)
Clearly, we use brackets for in-text citations and for abbreviations, but apart from that, they are better removed. These ( ) are called parentheses in… Read More »Avoid overusing brackets (UK) or parentheses (USA)
When you have a relative clause starting with “which” or “that”, do you put commas?
Example The project which received financial support from the World Bank consists of the extraction of oil from three oil fields. “which received financial support… Read More »When you have a relative clause starting with “which” or “that”, do you put commas?