S.J.Budd

Parenthetical expressions sound terribly complicated but are really easy to understand and are very commonly used. So what is a parenthetical expression? These are expressions, or phrases often found in the middle of a sentence, that disrupts the flow of thought. They do not deal directly with the topic in hand. They are usually offset by commas, parentheses and dashes. The clauses that precede and follow a parenthetical expression can independently form a complete sentence without the parenthetical expression. A parenthetical expression is not essential to a sentence. Let's have a look at some examples: The cat woke up early that morning, he had mice to catch. He had mice to catch, the cat woke up early that morning. A parenthetical phrase can appear at the end or beginning of a sentence.  

How to use a comma? Most people wrongly assume that the comma is a simple piece of punctuation. The comma is extraordinarily complex.  This is because it has many different functions which have been listed below. The biggest misuse of comma is that many writers believe that a comma should be inserted in every pause and tend to overuse commas in their work. Don't get caught out. Writers wrongly assume a comma is just a pause. It is so much more than that. What are the main functions of a comma? To separate adjectives within a sentence To separate introductory elements within a sentence To separate contrasting clauses within a sentence To separate dates and years, towns and counties within a sentence To separate parenthetical elements within a sentence To separate direct speech or quote elements within a sentence To separate a list of three or more items within a sentence To separate two independent clauses within a sentence How to use...