Notes Codes for Major Paper Logs

Grrrr

Colons, Semicolons, and Dashes

colon

dash

difference between the colon and the dash

     Whereas the colon and dash imply a continuation of the same idea, the semicolon makes better readers expect a contrast:
          He went swimming; she did the dishes.
          The Knicks play zone defense; the Pacers prefer one-on-one.
The semicolon also invites readers to consider the reasons or circumstances for the differences. In the first example, good readers will recognize not just two statements of opposing facts, but also an implication that (as usual?) the man is having fun while the woman is stuck doing the work. The second example invites the reader to consider the differences in players, coaches, and/or strategy which would account for the different preferences. Depending on his or her purpose, the writer may or may not go on to explain the differences. In some cases, for example, part of the fun of reading and writing is that the experienced reader catches with implications of the statement without being specifically told. In other cases, the sentence acts as a topic sentence for a discussion of the differences

Diction

predicted

Numbers

A standard convention has been to write out numbers that consist of one word ("one," four," twenty," etc.) Numbers that require more than one word are usually written as numbers ("21," "125," etc.) If you violate this convention, you may be viewed by some educated people as being uneducated.
Referring to the Text of a Play

In citing or otherwise referring to the text of a play, do not cite page numbers. Instead simply include the Act and Scene in the parentheses, i.e. (Act II, Sc. 3).

Titles

How many times do students have to be told the rules for punctuating titles?

"Who," "which," and "that"

A point of usage: Many people feel that it is impolite to use "which" or "that" to refer to people. They believe that "which" and "that" should be used to refer to things, whereas people should be referred to by using "who" or "whom." If you do not follow this rule, you may insult some readers.