Commas and Punctuations
Question: Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
A) It's time to eat, Grandma!
B) Its, time to eat, Grandma!
C) Its time, to eat Grandma!
D) It's, time to eat Grandma!
Answer: A
Explanation: "It's" is the correct contraction for "it is," and commas are correctly placed to clarify the meaning.
What does “etc.” stand for?
Et cetera
Abraham Lincoln was widely quoted as saying, “Let them eat cake,” though historians now agree that there’s no evidence he ever said it.
This is incorrect, the correct answer is Marie Antoinette.
Affect vs. Effect
Affect = verb, Effect = noun (don't mess it up champ!)
Do we ever use Oxford commas?
NOOOOOOOOOO NEVER DO IT DIVA!!!!!!!!!!
Do you place a comma before the conjunction in a list?
No, unless clarity demands it.
What is the rule about ellipses when omitting part of a direct quote in journalism?
Use three periods with spaces: “ … ”. Four if bridging two sentences.
Verifying quotes, names, dates, and facts for accuracy.
What is fact checking?
They're / There / Their — which is the possessive one?
Their
(It’s possessive — like your ex.)
Fix this headline:
Girl Crashes Out Over Final Project At Stan State
Girl crashes out over final project at Stan State
No capitals in a headline, unless it's the beginning of the sentence or name of someone/something
Comma in a compound sentence goes where?
Before the conjunction (and, but, or... you know the drill).
What does © mean?
Copyright. Don’t steal stuff, please.
What is a “sic” used for in quotations?
To indicate an error was in the original quote, not a mistake by the writer.
Then vs. Than — difference?
Then = time. Than = comparison.
Easy peasy.
Can I use bulleted lists in the Westside Express?
Nope. Use full, beautiful, flowing sentences.
We’re classy.
Commas after intros — yes or no?
YES. Always after intro words, phrases, or clauses. No debates.
What is the difference between an abbreviation and an acronym?
Abbreviation= shortened form of a word or a phrase
Acronym: first letters of each word in a phrase combined to form a pronounceable word
Fix this quote:
"I got lost in the school parking lot".
"I got lost in the school parking lot."
Keep your punctuations inside the quotations!!
Find the problem: “Your going to love this.”
“Your” should be “You’re.” Fix it before the grammar police show up.
Format this: Marcus Lee, Freshman, Journalism
Marcus Lee (Freshman, Journalism)
What’s a comma splice? How do you fix it?
Two full sentences joined by just a comma. Fix with a semicolon, conjunction, or period.
Boom
See whiteboard for example
Means: start a new paragraph
Combine your fact checking and quotation skills. What's wrong here?:
"I have a dream", said Harry Styles
1. Fact check: It was Martin Luther King Jr. who actually said this
2. Comma goes inside
What’s wrong here: “I saw the car peeking through the window.”
Cars don’t peek. Try: “Peeking through the window, I saw the car.”
For the Signal, should you ever say: "Click this link for more information?"
No! Hyperlink to existing phrases or reword!