[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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/