A-manual-for-writers-of-research-papers-theses-and-dissertations

element of more than a few words, follow it with a comma, especially if a slight pausenormally occurs in speech. A comma is not necessary after a short prepositional phraseunless the sentence could be misread without one.If the insurrection is to succeed, the army and police must stand side by side.Having accomplished her mission, she returned to headquarters.To Anthony, Blake remained an enigma.After this week the commission will be able to write its report.Two or more adjectives preceding a noun. Separate two or more adjectives preceding anoun with commas when they could, without affecting meaning, be joined by and. Do notuse a comma if the first adjective modifies the second and cannot be omitted withoutaffecting meaning.It was a large, well-placed, beautiful house.They strolled out into the warm, luminous night.She refused to be identified with a traditional political label.Clarifying comments. Words and phrases such as namely, that is, and for example usuallyintroduce a clarifying comment, so all take a comma after them, and may need a semicolonor period before them. Also, when you use or in the sense of “in other words,” put acomma before it. (These and similar expressions may also be set off by dashes orparentheses; see 21.7.2 and 21.8.1.)Many people resent accidents of fate; that is, they look on illness or bereavement as undeserved.The compass stand, or binnacle, must be visible to the helmsman.Appositives. A word or phrase is in apposition to a noun when it follows the noun and actslike a nonrestrictive clause (see 21.2.3). Such an element is set off by commas. When theappositive is necessary to identify the noun it modifies, however, commas are not used.Smith, a Reed College graduate, taught at Harvard for several years.Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, asked, “What is anxiety?”butThe Danish philosopher Kierkegaard asked, “What is anxiety?”Place-names. Use commas to set off multiple individual elements in names of places.(For commas in addresses, see 23.1.7.)Cincinnati, Ohio, is on the Ohio River.The next leg of the trip was to Florence, Italy.Interjections and conjunctive adverbs. Set off interjections, conjunctive adverbs, and thelike to suggest a break in the flow of thought or the rhythm of the sentence. But omit