[log in to unmask] wrote:
>
> Would you please let me know if you think the following are punctuated
> correctly.
>
> 1.  We went shopping in Memphis last week and bought several things for our
> new home.
>
> (Note that there is no comma because there are not two independent clauses;
> however, my students tend to put a comma before *and* whether the sentence
> is compound or complex).

Correct.
>
> 2.  While driving to work this morning, I stopped to buy gasoline.
>
> 3.  I stopped to buy gasoline while driving to work this morning.
>
> (is it *generally* correct that a dependent clause at the beginning of the
> sentence is followed by a comma, but a dependent clause at the end of the
> sentence is NOT preceded by a comma?)

Both are correct. And the 'rule of thumb' you cite is common advice.
>
> 4.  Since the programmers will be here soon, we are setting up the
> computers; and we are hoping to have the network online before noon.
>
> (Is it correct to use a semicolon before *and* since a comma is already used
> elsewhere in the sentence?)

My old Warriner's says your usage is ok; an equally-old Harbrace college
handbook also lists this as an exception to the rule to avoid using ;
before coordinating conjunctions. St. Martins' 1997 'The Everyday
Writer' agrees. It looks funny to me, though. I would just put a period
there and eliminate the 'and'. But this is apparently my stylistic preference.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Johanna Rubba   Assistant Professor, Linguistics
English Department, California Polytechnic State University
One Grand Avenue  • San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Tel. (805)-756-2184  •  Fax: (805)-756-6374 • Dept. Phone.  756-259
• E-mail: [log in to unmask] •  Home page: http://www.cla.calpoly.edu/~jrubba
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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