Sentences are grammatical units that express an independent statement, question, request, command, or exclamation. A typical sentence contains two parts – subject and predicate.
Lumbar puncture is a routine emergency department procedure used to diagnose potentially life-threatening conditions like meningitis and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Proper preparation, technique, and communication between patient and provider can reduce complications significantly.
Punctuation marks
Punctuation marks are an integral component of reading and writing. These symbols illustrate how parts of sentences relate to one another as well as to the overall meaning of the text, as well as influencing syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic levels in sentence structure – for instance, a good conductor cannot orchestrate complex musical sounds without using gestures like pointer fingers for conducting complex movements without them!
Punctuation marks are crucial tools in understanding how sentences function by signaling where sentences end when to pause for breath or breathe more deeply, and how best to organize information. English offers 16 punctuation marks: period, question mark, exclamation point, comma, semicolon, en dash, em dash hyphen, parentheses brackets, apostrophe, and double quotation marks, each serving their specific function within sentences while conveying certain tones or context.
Full stops or periods are perhaps the most widely recognized punctuation marks, signaling both the end of declarative sentences and signifying that new ones will soon follow. Furthermore, full stops indicate abbreviations or acronyms.
Commas can be invaluable tools for breaking up sentences, connecting two clauses, and signaling when it is appropriate to pause. But they must be used correctly so as not to confuse readers; incorrect usage could result in a comma splice – where two independent clauses are joined together using just one comma, something which would never be acceptable in formal writing.
Semi-colons can help simplify long and complex sentences to make reading them more straightforward, as well as listing items. For instance, “She placed beer, fruit, vegetables, toilet rolls, and cereals into her trolley.”
Ellipses are used to indicate missing words or short pauses; they can also add emphasis to phrases; for instance: She stumbled out of her paper bag carrying eggs, bread, cheese and an abundance of oranges.”
Punctuation is essential in showing readers how a writer intended for sentences to flow, so learning the names and uses of each punctuation mark is vital to using them correctly when writing. As a University of Reading student, there are plenty of resources available to you for developing these skills, such as tutoring services and courses in academic writing.
Sentences
A sentence is a group of words used to express complete thoughts in written form. It consists of a subject and predicate, along with connecting words called coordinating conjunctions that join separate clauses – either independent or subordinate clauses. A simple sentence contains one issue with one verb; for instance, Tom drove fast and erratically on the highway. A compound sentence includes two subjects, each having multiple verbs (for example, Tom walked to the store together while Mary joined him) before finally connecting several clauses by means of coordinating conjunctions – for instance, The bagels smell fresh when freshness was first encountered!
Punctuation marks are used at the end of a sentence to define its meaning. A full stop, for instance, denotes assertive sentences and imperative clauses, while question marks signify interrogative or exclamatory phrases. A period is used at the conclusion of declarative statements, while some languages allow ending with commas instead of full stops.
Sentences vary in length and complexity, often including multiple independent clauses. A simple sentence has one separate subject and verb, while complex sentences contain multiple clauses connected by coordinating conjunctions; when compounded-compound sentences are composed with relative clauses interspersed among them to join main clauses more easily, compound-compound penalties add one final relative clause between main clauses to form one cohesive unit.
There are also other methods of joining independent clauses besides using coordinating conjunctions. A colon or semicolon can be used to separate two independent clauses; however, these must be combined with coordinating conjunctions in order to form compound-compound sentences.
Some incomplete sentences lack an independent clause and thus are known as fragments; they’re typically frowned upon in formal or expository writing; however, when used sparingly to achieve specific effects, they can be helpful, for instance, to emphasize points or make special remarks – for instance “I love the smell of coffee in the morning” might make a compelling personal essay example.
Paragraphs
Paragraphs form the core of any written work, helping authors organize their ideas in an ideal progression and making reading more accessible for readers. They’re usually indicated with one of three markers: blank lines, indentation marks, or the letter P and used for various purposes such as introducing ideas, character descriptions or narrative events narrated, comparison and classification activities, etc. Paragraphs have the same structure regardless of their content: topic sentences followed by supporting sentences, then finally, the concluding one, which brings everything together at the end.
Paragraph conclusion sentences must make clear points about both the theme of a paragraph and its relation to other parts of the text. Avoid repeating topics in this stage – this could come across as padding; instead, end each section with one last support sentence that emphasizes what came before.
Paragraph structures vary between writers, but one general guideline to keep in mind is that each paragraph should center around one idea and be supported by multiple sentences. Too many thoughts in one paragraph can cause the reader to become confused and lose focus; similarly, if a topic is too broad, various sections should be written for better digestion of information.
Idealistically, each paragraph should clearly relate to the thesis of your paper. A well-crafted section will follow a logical order and develop each point systematically while using examples to support each argument – helping the reader comprehend both its meaning and relation to other parts of the paper as a whole.
A strong paragraph should begin with an engaging topic sentence that provides the overall focus for the section, followed by several sentences to explain more deeply the concept being covered. Adding a brief overview at the start can give readers a quick sense of the topic being covered.
Quotes
Writing a paper requires using quotes to substantiate your arguments. This technique is especially crucial in literature classes, where you must demonstrate an understanding of the language and linguistic techniques employed by sources. Citing sources correctly also allows readers to follow your research trail and confirm the legitimacy of your claims.
Not all punctuation marks operate the same in every language. For instance, American English requires that non-quoted material, such as commas and periods, be placed inside quotation marks, while British English calls for them to go outside them. Semicolons and dashes work differently across languages, while some don’t appear at all in specific versions.
Quotes can be an effective way to illustrate and add color to the text, yet overuse of quotations could weaken your argument and damage its effectiveness. When using them for literary courses, however, only use passages related directly to your topic and ideas that quote famous writers whose academic skills and authority you wish to display.
For instance, when discussing the poetic style of a writer in your essay, using an excerpt from that author would help readers better comprehend your point and make it more engaging. This applies equally well when writing essays on history or social sciences.
In specific languages, the quotation mark and dash can be combined to form an angle quote or guillemet, most frequently found in French and other European languages; sometimes used in English too, though James Joyce preferred using full stops instead of this technique for his works. Unicode standard introduced a separate character U+2015 — HORIZONTAL BAR which could serve as a quotation dash but is sometimes confused with an em-dash; some software will insert a line break after an em-dash but not after an angle quote dash.
