
Chemistry
03. Commas and run-on sentences
Commas area very necessary form of punctuation. Using them wrongly has three damaging consequences:
- it makes text hard for a reader to understand
- it allows ambiguities to creep in
- it results in 'run-on' sentences, i.e. where commas are used instead of full stops, one sentence is created from what should be three or four sentences, tripping the reader up
A run-on sentence might look like this:
- Nicotine replacement treatments (NRTs) are not entirely effective because it takes some time for nicotine to be absorbed by the system, the smoker feels the lack of any manual or oral stimulation and there are lower levels of nicotine in an NRT than in a cigarette, therefore new variations of current methods are being researched including fast-releasing nicotine gym and a high-dose patch, and new ideas also include a high-dose transdermal patch, a lollipop and a nicotine straw which can be used with a drink to allow a full dose of nicotine as well as providing the manual and oral stimulation a smoker misses.
If you read the sentence out loud, you'll feel that it runs on well beyond a length that's comfortable to read. Here are two ways to divide it, changing the text slightly for ease of reading:
- Nicotine replacement treatments (NRTs) are not entirely effective because it takes some time for nicotine to be absorbed by the system. In addition, the smoker feels the lack of any manual or oral stimulation and there are lower levels of nicotine in an NRT than in a cigarette. New variations of current methods are being researched, for example fast-releasing nicotine gum and a high-dose patch. New ideas also include a high-dose transdermal patch, a lollipop, and a nicotine straw which can be used with a drink. The straw would allow a full dose of nicotine as well as providing the manual and oral stimulation a smoker misses.
- Nicotine replacement treatments (NRTs) are not entirely effective: it takes some time for nicotine to be absorbed by the system; the smoker feels the lack of any manual or oral stimulation; and there are lower levels of nicotine in an NRT than in a cigarette. New variations of current methods are being researched. Included in these variations are a fast-releasing nicotine gum; a high-dose transdermal patch; a lollipop; and a nicotine straw which can be used with a drink to allow a full dose of nicotine as well as providing the manual and oral stimulation a smoker misses.
A tip: read your text aloud and listen to the flow. If a comma trips you up, it's in the wrong place. If you find yourself puzzled by the sense of your sentence, you may need to replace some commas with full stops. Remember that you're trying to convey information as clearly as possible. Wrongly placed commas do not clarify, they muddle.
In addition to that all-important tip, here are some basic uses for commas:
1. To separate items in a list:
- Included in these variations are a nicotine gum; a transdermal patch; a lollipop; and a nicotine straw.
N.B. If the list is long and complicated, it's sometimes also helpful to put a comma before the last item. This is known as a serial comma.
- Included in these variations are a fast-releasing nicotine gum; a high-dose transdermal patch; a lollipop; and a nicotine straw which can be used with a drink to allow a full dose of nicotine as well as providing the manual and oral stimulation a smoker misses.
2. To join two related sentences the second of which begins with and, or, but, yet or while, if this makes the text easier to understand:
- Phase III trials have been completed, but the side effects are not yet documented.
3. To enclose a subordinate clause (a clause within a sentence that adds information):
- The first, a three step procedure designed by Suzuki et al., gave an overall yield of 51% (scheme 9).
- However, there are several problems with this theory.
- In conclusion, research into HCAC inhibitors is in its early stages.
- First, their level of stereoselectivity is not on the same scale as that of the metallocenes.
- It was then, however, that the reaction began.
- It is important, furthermore, to recrystallise to improve purity.
Task | Task Type | Difficulty |
---|---|---|
Task 1 | Multiple choice | Easier |
Task 2 | Free text | Moderate |
Task 3 | Free text | Easier |
Task 4 | Free text | Moderate |
Task 5 | Free text | Easier |
Task 6 | Free text | Moderate |
Task 7 | Free text | Moderate |
Task 8 | Free text | Moderate |