What follows is an extract from the University Times Manual of Style, compiled by editor Robert Donohoe.
Comma
Commas structure sentences, but they also offer latitude for rhetorical nuances. For a full explanation on the comma see 5.3 Oxford Style Manual.
Use a comma when the same word occurs twice in succession:
- All the books I have, have been in storage.
- We all wanted to help out, out of compassion.
Use a comma to indicate that a word or phrase has been omitted because the context makes it tacitly clear:
- In the Sumer they wear flip-flops; in the winter, snowshoes.
- To err is human; to forgive, divine.
Use commas to separate numbers into units of three starting from the right:
- 2,897,089,908
- €2,890
- $4,899.50
Use a comma to separate the day from the date:
- Wednesday, 1 April 2009
Oxford Comma
Use commas in place of conjunctions to separate the elements in a list of three or more items. The presence or omission of a comma before and or or has become the subject of consistent rules by the Oxford University Press hence, it has become known as the ‘Oxford comma’.
If the last item in a list has equal emphasis to the previous ones then it gets a comma:
- mad, bad, and dangerous
- consult a solicitor, trade union official, or a member of staff
The presence of the comma resolves ambiguity, particularly when any of the listed items are compounded terms joined by a conjunction:
- Touch the smooth grey of the beech stem, the silky texture of the birch, and the rugged pine.
If the comma after birch were omitted then the rugged pine would also have a silky texture.
The absence of the comma before the and or or can also be used to clarify things:
- He was not tall, clean and well behaved
the lack of a comma after clean indicates that the not only applies to the first element in the list not to all three.
Apostrophe
The apostrophe has two main functions in English: to indicate possession and to mark contractions.
Possession
Use -‘s after singular nouns and indefinite pronouns that do not end is -s:
- boy’s job
- the bee’s knees
- the BBC’s policy
- one’s car
- nobody’s fault
- the court’s decision
After plural nouns that do not end in -s:
- children’s games
- people’s opinion
No single rule applies to the possessive form of singular nouns that end in -s. It is preferred to follow the -s with an apostrophe:
- the scissors’ point
- the miss’ hat
Use an apostrophe after plural nouns ending in -s:
- three weeks’ time
- our neighbours’ children
- the MPs’ salary
- all octopuses’ tentacles
In compound and of phrases use -‘s after the last noun when it is singular:
- my sister-in-law’s car
- the King of Spain’s daughter
but use the apostrophe alone when it is plural:
- the Queen of the Netherlands’ appeal
Use ‘s after the last of a set of linked nouns sharing possession:
- Auden and Isherwood’s collaborations
but repeat the ‘s after each noun where possession is not shared:
- Auden’s and Isherwood’s temperaments
- Shakespeare’s and Marlow’s plays
Do not use the apostrophe in the possessive pronouns hers, its, ours, yours, theirs.
Plurals
Do not use the apostrophe when creating plurals. This includes names, abbreviations (with or without full points), numbers, and words not usually used as nouns:
- the Joneses
- the 1990s
- two wet Februarys
- M.Litt.s
- SCs
- SOSs
- ins and outs
- tos and fros
- whys and the wherefores
Semicolon
Use the semicolon to punctuate two or more main clauses that are closely related and could have been joined by a coordinating conjunction—such as and, or, for, nor, or but—or could be treated as separate sentences:
- The road runs through the beautiful valley; the railway follows it closely.
- I know the city well; I’ve lived there all my life.
Semicolons can be used to clauses that complement each other:
- Truth ennobles man; learning adorns him.
- If youth knew; if age could.
In a sentence that is already subdivided by commas, use the semicolon to indicate stronger division.
In a list where the elements contain commas, use a semicolon to indicate the divisions:
- They pointed out, in support of their claim, that they had used the materials stipulated in the contract; that they had taken every reasonable precaution, including some that were not mentioned in the code; and that they had employed only qualified workers.
