Introducing Miss Pembroke

Good morning, Lords, Ladies, and Gentlemen.

Welcome to Miss Pembroke’s Fine Finishing School for Writers and Others of Extraordinary Intelligence. Come right in. Once everyone has found their seats, we’ll get started.

*hand waving in the air*

Yes, Miss-

The name’s Flora, Miss Pembroke.

Yes, Flora. What did you wish to say?

What’er you gonna learn us about?

You mean, “What will we learn in this class?”

That’s what I said, ain’t it? 

Not quite. But you have asked a good question. In this class we will be learning about that finest of all the Arts: Grammar.

*hand waving in the air*

Yes, Flora?

I already know my grammar. And my gramper, too.

Class, stop laughing. We don’t want to encourage such low humor.

*clears throat*

Now, what do we know about commas? Yes, Flora?

I know all about commas, you know, like, first of all, what commas are, and how to use them, you know, correctly. 

I have a feeling you need to brush up on your comma usage.

Hunh? Whadyasay???

Look at the sentence you just said. How many commas are in it?

I know all about commas, (one) you know, (two) like, (three) first of all, (four) what commas are, (five) and how to use them, (six) you know, (seven) correctly.

There were only seven.

Tell us how you decided to use seven commas in that one sentence?

I just stick ‘em in when they sound good. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.

I suppose when you are speaking you can use them as often as you wish. But when you are writing you need to keep your reader’s comfort in mind.

Horny toads. Why would I want to do that?

Because readers are our friends.

Humph.

Because we want readers to read our books.

Them readers again. Tykes yer hats off to ‘em. Next thing you’ll be tellin’ me is that without them there’d be no books.

That is correct.

Humph. Okay, okay. I know you’re stewin’ somethin’ fierce. Go ahead and spill the beans. Tell us what YOU know about commas. *aside to the class* Like she knows anything!

All right. Listen carefully, everyone. The comma indicates the smallest break in a sentence. There are many ways to use commas correctly, depending on the context. In formal prose, logical considerations are paramount. In fiction, the ease of reading is the biggest consideration.

Hoity-toity. What’s it means?

If we use too many commas, the sentence becomes clogged and reading becomes difficult. Too many commas slow the reader down.

You’re talkin’ nonsense now. Slow down the reader? How’s anyone suppose ta figure out what’s the right way and what’s the wrong way?

It does help to have a style or grammar manual. Writers should ask their publisher if they have a style manual for their publishing house. Otherwise, they should choose one school of thought and stick with it. I use the Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition) but I do make changes according to how my publisher prefers it. Those kinds of details are often taken care of during the editing stage, before your book goes to print.

Another way is to learn is to practice, like in our little classroom here at Seekerville.

Cain’t do it.

Why is that, Flora?

All them… *glares at the class*…they’s smarter n me. Tykes a bunch o’ courage to spout off in front o’ the likes o’ them.

Now, now. We are all friends here. No one will think less of you if you happen to get an answer wrong. After all, that is how we learn!

Speaking of learning, where did you learn your accent, Flora?

Accent? I ain’t got no accent.

*smiling* It seems you waver between West Texas and London’s East Side.

*nose in the air* I have no idea what yer talkin’ about.

All right, everyone. Let’s get started. First of all, let’s see if we can rewrite Flora’s sentence without so many commas, shall we?

Here’s the original sentence:

"I know all about commas, you know, like, first of all, what commas are, and how to use them, you know, correctly."

Whew! Not only did she use an excess of commas, she also used an excess of words.

Here is a corrected form after I have cleaned it up a bit:

I know all about commas, what they are, and how to use them correctly.

*waving hand in the air* 

*sigh* Yes, Flora. What is it now?

Did you use one of them fancy Oxford commas in that sentence, or just the regular loafing kind?

Loafing?

You know, like shoes. If they ain’t oxfords, then they’re loafers. 

*face palm* I used the Oxford comma in that sentence, as the Chicago Manual of Style and one of my publishers prefers. We may cover Oxford commas verses the non-Oxford comma in a future lesson.

*clears throat again*

Let’s do an exercise. Class, I’m going to write a few incorrect sample sentences below. Comment by placing the commas correctly in one or more of the sentences. You can copy and paste the sentence or sentences you choose into the comment section of the blog and then place your commas in the proper places.

The names of all the participants will be entered in a drawing to win a prize!

Oh, and a word of warning: there is a tricky sentence included!

So, let’s get started. Here are your sample sentences:



1. Hiking and sightseeing are two favorite activities in Rapid City South Dakota for the many tourists who visit the area each year.



2. I prefer to share the road with drivers who pay attention to traffic rather than their phone.



3. I don’t think I’ll ever forget my trip to Germany which happened in 1979 because the weather was so beautiful.



4. That dog is a cute funny playful furry corgi.



5. “I feel faint” she said.

He replied “I can understand why.”



6. The compass stand or binnacle must be situated within the helmsman’s field of vision.



Did you have fun playing? The answers will be posted at the end of this blog on Tuesday afternoon, September 10th, 2019. Until then I or one of the wonderful Seekers will be able to give feedback to your comments throughout the day!

Have fun!

(KEEP SCROLLING FOR THE ANSWER KEY!)

Oh! And the prize? One participant in the exercise will receive a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card! Of course, Miss Pembroke recommends that you put that amount toward a grammar style book of your own!

Miss Pembroke would also like to thank her friend and alter-ego, Jan Drexler, for donating the prize. Be sure to check out Jan's new books that are coming out this fall!

An Amish Christmas Kitchen is available now...

Order from Amazon!

As the weather grows cold and the nights grow long, the cheer and warmth of the Christmas season is one thing all readers can find comfort in. This collection from bestselling Amish fiction novelists Leslie Gould, Jan Drexler, and Kate Lloyd finds the beating heart at the center of the holiday and offers three novellas that celebrate family, faith, and especially the sights and smells of a bustling holiday kitchen.

Leslie Gould tells the story of how, in the wake of a heartbreaking loss, a young Amish woman finds unexpected comfort and hope in a yearly baking tradition surrounding the local Lancaster Christmas market. Jan Drexler offers a sweet tale of a shy Amish woman who decides to use her gift for sweets to woo a local Amish boy with her beloved Christmas cookies. And Kate Lloyd offers a heartwarming tale of a woman's unexpected discovery about the truth of her past, and the warm and welcoming Amish family table she finds herself invited to on Christmas.

The Roll of the Drums will be released on October 3, 2019!

Pre-order from Amazon here!

Ruby Weaver's curly red hair isn't the only thing that sets her apart from her Amish community in 1863. Twenty-eight and single, Ruby doesn't believe a woman needs to be married in order to be happy. Her ailing friend Lovinia Fischer, however, has other ideas and wants Ruby to promise to marry her husband after she dies. Never imagining she'd have to fulfill that vow, Ruby agrees. And she's not the only one. Lovinia has extracted a similar promise from her husband, Gideon.

With both Ruby and Gideon reluctant to keep their promises, a compromise must be reached. Ruby will spend her days with Gideon's family--helping to raise the children and keep the house--but her nights will be spent at her sister's neighboring house. But this arrangement raises eyebrows in their conservative Amish community, and it soon becomes clear that Ruby must make a decision--marry Gideon or turn her back on her friend, the children she's grown to love . . . and their father.

ANSWER KEY!



1. Hiking and sightseeing are two favorite activities in Rapid City, South Dakota, for the many tourists who visit the area each year. (Whenever a comma is used to set off an element, a second comma is required if the phrase of sentence continues beyond the element being set off.)

2. I prefer to share the road with drivers who pay attention to traffic rather than their phone. (This is a restrictive relative clause, which is usually introduced by that, rather than, who/whom/whose, and does not require a comma. A quick way to tell if it’s a restrictive relative clause is if the sentence is nonsense without it, i.e., it’s necessary to the meaning of the sentence.)


3. I don’t think I’ll ever forget my trip to Germany, which happened in 1979, because the weather was so beautiful. (This is a nonrestrictive clause, which is often introduced by the word which or who/whom/whose. A quick way to tell if it is a nonrestrictive clause is if the sentence is complete without it.)


4. That dog is a cute, funny, playful, furry corgi. (Commas with coordinating adjectives preceding a noun. If there are two or more adjectives and the meaning of the sentence will not be changed if you substitute the word and for the commas, you use a comma to separate the adjectives.)

5. “I feel faint,” she said.

He replied, “I can understand why.” (A quote in dialogue requires a comma before or after the attribution.)


6. The compass stand, or binnacle, must be situated within the helmsman’s field of vision. (When or is used to mean “in other words” or “that is,” the phrase it introduces is set off by commas.)