How to Punctuate Introductory Phrases

How to Punctuate Introductory Phrases How to Punctuate Introductory Phrases How to Punctuate Introductory Phrases By Mark Nichol With a comma. Always. Except when you don’t. Perhaps I should annotate that: In the overwhelming majority of cases, follow an introductory phrase at the beginning of a sentence with a comma. Adverbial Conjunctions Eight classes of adverbial conjunctions exist, and a comma should generally follow one in every class. Each of these sentences includes an example of one such part of speech from each class: Addition: â€Å"Finally, I reached the station.† Comparison: â€Å"Similarly, chickens are omnivores.† Concession: â€Å"Naturally, you’ll want to see for yourself.† (Note, however, that however isn’t always an adverbial conjunction. In this sentence, it’s an adverb modifying important: â€Å"However important you think it is, I’m not giving him the message right now.†) Contrast: â€Å"Nevertheless, he didn’t go into detail.† Emphasis: â€Å"Of course, she’ll be there, too.† (An exception can be made for this particular phrase: There’s a subtle but distinct difference between â€Å"Of course, you’ll want to do it your way† and â€Å"Of course you’ll want to do it your way.† In the first sentence, your is stressed; in the second, course, perhaps accompanied by a sneer, is emphasized, with a secondary stress on your and likely an exclamation point to signal emotion.) Example: â€Å"For instance, the floor was swept but not mopped.† Summary: â€Å"In conclusion, I recommend that we approve the measure.† Time sequence: â€Å"At last, we saw their car approaching.† (Some writing and editing guides suggest that short introductory phrases don’t require commas; often, such brief modifying phrases involve time: â€Å"Yesterday I saw a ghost,† for example, or â€Å"In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.† I recommend, though, use of commas in such cases. Otherwise, the exception to the rule is rather arbitrary; how long does a short phrase need to be before it merits a comma? And why omit commas in some cases and include others?) Hence, Still, Then, and Thus Another class of words may or may not be followed by a comma depending on subtle differences: â€Å"Hence the name,† but â€Å"Hence, I was back where I had started.† â€Å"Still the waters raged though the rain had ceased,† but â€Å"Still, I try one more time.† â€Å"Then I tried to start the car again,† but â€Å"Then, I would have acted differently.† â€Å"Thus we are back where we started,† but â€Å"Thus, I concede the point.† Infinitive Phrases â€Å"To get there, turn right at the second intersection.† Participial Phrases â€Å"Under the circumstances, I cannot allow it.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Is Irony? (With Examples)Whenever vs. When EverTypes of Ignorance

Otodus - Fascinating Facts and Figures

Otodus - Fascinating Facts and Figures Name: Otodus (Greek for inclined teeth); pronounced OH-toe-duss Habitat: Oceans worldwide Historical Epoch: Paleocene-Eocene (60-45 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 30 feet long and 1-2 tons Diet: Marine animals Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; long, sharp, triangular teeth About Otodus Since the skeletons of sharks are composed of biodegradable cartilage rather than longer-lasting bone, often times the only fossil evidence of prehistoric species consists of teeth (sharks grow and shed thousands of teeth during their lifetimes, which is why theyre so abundant in the fossil record). Thats the case with the early Cenozoic Otodus, whose huge (three or four inches long), sharp, triangular teeth point to a full-grown adult size of up to 30 feet, though we know frustratingly little else about this prehistoric shark, other than that it likely fed on prehistoric whales, other, smaller sharks, and the abundant prehistoric fish that lived in the worlds oceans 50 million years ago. Its fossilized teeth aside, Ototodus greatest claim to fame is that it seems to have been directly ancestral to Megalodon, the 50-foot-long, 50-ton predatory behemoth that ruled the worlds oceans right until the cusp of the modern era. (This is not to diminish Otodus own place in the record books; this prehistoric shark was at least one and one-half times as big as the biggest Great White Sharks alive today.) Paleontologists have established this evolutionary link by examining the similarities between these two sharks teeth; specifically, the teeth of Otodus show early hints of the flesh-ripping serrations that would later characterize the teeth of Megalodon.

MKT Unit 3 IP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MKT Unit 3 IP - Research Paper Example Organization which can adapt itself with the changing business needs and scenarios are in a greater position to remain sustainable and competitive in the long term. The rise of technology has transformed the global markets in to a single connected entity. As businesses around the world engage in cross border transactions with individuals and other business entities, the issue of security in online financial transactions has gained high importance. This project introduces a new online product, which belongs to the online transaction market. This new product will try to resolve consumer issues faced in regards to existence of high service charges as well as level of security and confidentiality provided by the online transaction service provider. Introduction The world of business today has undergone a significant amount of change as compared to the early decades. Due to the rise of technology and internet, the extent of doing business for organizations as well as individuals comprises of various markets around the world. In the context of engaging business in various markets, the individuals and organizations has to engage in online transfer of high value transactions. As of the recent times, the financial options that are available to facilitate the online money transfer has some strong drawbacks in regards to the financial cap allowed as well as the application of high service charges. ... n as well as effective integration of the various elements of the promotion mix like advertising, public relations, personal selling, direct marketing with the multiple other elements of the marketing mix of the brand like product, place and price (Shimp, 2013, p. 12). It is important to remember that in the context of integrated marketing communication, the AIDA concept holds tremendous importance. The AIDA framework talks about generating awareness, interest, desire and action from the consumers. The various elements of the communication mix like advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, public relations campaign as well as personal selling helps the marketer in implementing the AIDA concept for the purpose of value communication of their product or service. In the course of discussing the aspects of integrated marketing communications, each of the elements will be explained in details while weighing their respective pros and cons. Advertising Advertising is a paid and mediat ed form of communication which originates from a reliable and identifiable source, whose responsibility comprises of generating consumer interest or consumer action in regards to the value offered through the product or service (Shimp, 2010, p. 182). Advertising in the modern day world can happen through the traditional channels like the print and electronic media as well as through the digitized channels like the internet and online social media. Since the channels of advertising have become diversified in nature with the advancement of technology, so the advantages and disadvantages of advertising has to be evaluated in a separate case by case basis. While judging the advantage of traditional channels like the print and electronic media, the factor of geographical selection, content

Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Final Exam - Essay Example The second group was the communist nations, Soviet Union being their leader. The third world mainly consisted of the developing nations which were mostly newly independent and not aligned to any super power. These countries caused the arena for struggle and competition among the cold war super powers. The third world nations were located in Asia, Latin America and Africa. The countries were politically unstable and economically poor. This situation was mainly caused by the long periods of colonialism. The third world countries suffered lack of technology, ethnic conflicts and lack of education. The countries generally had high rates of diseases and poverty, low life expectancy and low economic development. The third world countries were unaligned hence they were seen as potential allies in the 1st and 2nd world war. Developing allies with the third world countries would mean an increase military support such as soldiers and economic support during the war. The Soviet Union and the United States tried to establish connections and form allies with these countries by offering military and economic support (Patterson 96). The connection would also enable the United States to gain strategically located alliances hence have an advantage over the Soviet Union in the war. The third world was mainly targeted for the soldiers. Forming allies with the countries would ensure military support and advantage. The most dangerous and violent moments in the conflicts were in the regions of third world because they were strategically located. Having allies in the location would unsure an advantage in the war. The Vietnam war epitomised important hall marks of the Third world intervention as it acted to save innocent lives which were in danger. 2. What did it mean that Theodore Roosevelt was comfortable seeing the United States as part of the balance of power system? Explain how World War I upset this system. Why and

the consequences of sin :: essays research papers fc

The Consequences of Sin â€Å"The theme of the stories has been variously stated as the reality of sin, the occurrence of evil, the secret sin and hypocrisy of all persons, the hypocrisy of Puritanism, the results of doubt or disbelief, the devastating effects of moral skepticism, or the demoralizing effects of the discovery that all men are sinners and hypocrites† (McKeithan 93). Although â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† and â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† both deal with the obsession with sin, Nathaniel Hawthorne illuminates the different consequences. First of all there are many similarities in â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† and â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†. One of the many similarities is that both towns seem to be corrupt with sin. Mr. Hooper knows that everyone is not perfect in his town. Although it very well shows in the end of the story when Mr. Hooper expresses himself, â€Å"I look around me, and, lo! On every visage a Black Veil (Minister 882).† Young Goodman Brown knows that he has been raised by Puritan ideals yet he sees his mentors going against everything he has taught him. Goodman Brown’s account of when he was at the witch meeting was, â€Å"The fiend worshippers were seen; the smile of welcome gleamed darkly on every visage (Young 1040).† Both Mr. Hooper and Brown also have the same ideals. They both believe in Puritan ideas and beliefs but they both have some kind of conflict with sin. â€Å"For the hardened Puritan, his humanity was sinful enough, end he wore it the way a medieval penitent would his hair shirt. Anything less than absolute perfection was absolute corruption (Morsberger 456).† Another relation that Hooper and Brown comprise of is that they both lose the girl they adore in the short stories. Hooper loses his girl, Elizabeth by not taking off the veil that everyone in town is talking about. Brown on the other hand loses his girl, Faith from the very beginning when he left her at their home. The differences in â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† and â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† are numerous as well as their similarities. One of the differences is how both characters dealt with sin. Reverend Hooper tries to deal with the sin that he may have committed by wearing a black veil that covers his face till the day he dies. â€Å"If I hide my face for sorrow, there is cause enough†¦ and if I cover it for secret sin, what mortal might not do the same (Minister 878).

What Role Should Religion Play in Government Policies?

Political Science 1020E Professor Nigmendra Narain Term 1 Essay: What role should religion play in government policies? By Nivedita Sen Student Number: 250589199 Section – LEC 575 In today’s world, religion plays a profound part in many people’s lives and they find it important to firmly follow the guiding principles of a religion. Religion has been around for many years and although different people have their own definition of what it may be, religion is essentially a personal belief system. An individual’s belief system is the set of principles by which the individual lives his/her daily life and which direct his/her thoughts and actions. One question that arises in today’s society is: What role should religion play in government policies? This essay argues that religion should play no role in government policies because it would affect democracy of the state, influence laws on the basis of religious grounds and cause oppression of minority religions. In this essay, I first put forward 3 arguments on why religion should play no part in government policies and support these arguments with a range of scholarly articles. Next, I present two counter arguments followed by a rebuttal for each. This is followed by my conclusion, which re-states why religion should play no role in government policies. Religion is a significant factor in determining the quality of a democratic system (Braithewaite 2). Freedom of religion, or generally freedom of ethics, means that one does not need to agree with or acknowledge a religion or belief if it is against his or her wish. Furthermore, one should not be penalized if he or she wishes to follow one religion over the other or no religion at all. In a democratic system, a person's religious faith is an extremely personal subject. Everybody should have the right to follow any religion they desire as long as their religious beliefs are not imposed on others. The social impact of a religion greatly depends on whether it is supported by the majority or the minority of the population. A religion supported by the majority has a significant effect on government and on societal principles. This majority religion dominates and impacts the government considerably by either controlling the government. In order for a democracy to function, there needs to be complete separation of religion from government. Addressing the connection between religion and democracy John Adams questioned, â€Å"Can a free government possibly exist with religion† (qtd. in Braithewaite 2). Similarly, James Madison asked, â€Å"What influence in fact have ecclesiastical establishments had on civil society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of civil society†¦in no instances have they been seen the guardians of the liberties of the people† (qtd. in Braithewaite 2). If religion plays a part in influencing government policies, there will one majority religion achieving control over the government. This will result in religiously inspired policies dominating the social dimension and citizen equality being affected. According to Braithwaite, this happens because the size of the majority religious group can influence the society and create individual preferences (Braithewaite 4). This causes the establishment of particular norms and rules about conduct of behaviour on the basis of the preferences of the majority religious group. These norms discriminate against people who do not agree with the beliefs of the majority group (Braithwaite 4). As a result, the democratic system is affected with the minority groups losing trust in the government as they see the majority group’s religious beliefs improperly influencing the state. Morals are norms of behaviour that the society acknowledges. Religion sets rules and customs for its followers. These religious rules influence the legislative system. If religion plays a role in government policies, it would also influence laws. For example, religious beliefs and morals influence abortion laws in many parts of the world. It is still looked upon as morally wrong on the basis of religious ideas to undergo an abortion procedure. Phillip Montague points that â€Å"legal and political debate and decision making should be governed by standard criteria for assessing reasons and reasoning, and when religious considerations fail to satisfy such criteria, they should not be allowed to influence matters of law and public policy† (Montague 17). He further states that these matters consist of abortion, capital punishment, and euthanasia along with numerous subjects of social justice such as welfare policies. Montague claims that in comparison with secular reasons, â€Å"religious reasons fail by a wide margin to deal adequately with the complexity of such issues† (Montague 17). For instance, a person who argues that homosexuality is morally wrong for the reason that it opposes the divine law would be referring to religious grounds to support his argument and not secular. Individuals should not be arguing for restrictive laws or policies if they do not have secular grounds to support them. They should only put across views that are based on secular reasons (Rosenblum 23). The results from Braithewaite and Bramsen’s study which examined the effects of SRAS on democracy showed that when the laws in a state are extremely sectarian and not secular in nature, the state is likely to be less democratic (Braithewaite and Bramsen 244). When religion is mixed with state, the outcome is societal norms created on the basis of religious beliefs of the majority religion and laws that are in some way influenced by it. As Nancy N. Rosenblum points, partisan faith may forbid certain practices such as consumption of alcohol, abortion, setting up some foreign policy goals et cetera on the basis of religious reasons. (Rosenblum 21). These norms of behaviour and religiously influenced laws are also imposed upon citizens who do not adhere to the majority religion and take away their freedom of faith. Some minority groups have experienced disadvantages inflicted by the state when they were not exempted from laws that called for conduct which did not agree with their beliefs, or which inflicted additional costs on them for observing their beliefs. They argue that enforcing such laws causes them to be penalized on the basis of their religion and prohibit them from fair membership in the society (Smithey 89). Therefore religion should be kept separate from the state or government. Another issue arising from the interference of religion in government policies is that religious minority groups may face oppression from the religious majority groups, resulting in tension between the two groups. As stated in the Canadian Charter, â€Å"policies that privilege the religious beliefs of some and not those of others pose equality problems ecause of the potential for creating in-groups and out-groups on the basis of religion† (Smithey 88). This may lead to things such rebellion by minority groups, conflicts and violence. Arabs form a minority group in Israel and one cause for Israel banning Kach (religious party in Israel), whose policy was forcing the â€Å"transfer† of Arabs from Israel, was creating social violence. Arabs were described by Meier Kahane as â€Å"cancer in the midst of us†¦ Let me become defense minister for two months and you will not have a single cockroach around here! I promise you a clean Eretz Yisrael† (Rosenblum 39). A study conducted by Jonathan Fox describes separation of religion and state (SRAS) as no government support for religion and no government intervention in the religious observations of the religions in a state, whether they be a minority religion or a majority religion (Fox 3). The results from Braithewaite and Bramsen’s study which examined the effects of SRAS on democracy showed that a state that gives preference a particular religion is likely to be less democratic (Braithewaite and Bramsen 244). It also indicated that creating a state religion and putting constraints on religious minorities also decreases democracy in a state (Braithewaite and Bramsen 244). If the level of democracy in a state is less, it would automatically lead to conflicts between religious groups, with the minority getting oppressed by the majority because of their large population. Religious tyranny may result in the minority groups expressing their frustration by rebelling and means of violence. Therefore, religion should not play any part in government policies. Many people may argue that religion should play a part in government policies and church and state should not be separated because any organised religion is comprised of a code of conduct or a set of acceptable principles to live by forms the moral foundation of a society and helps to guide people. However, every religion has a different code of conduct. What may be acceptable by one religion might not be acceptable by another religion. If the state decides to follow the principles and morals of the majority religion, the minorities will not accept it. This will cause clashes of beliefs and conflicts among religions, leading to a decrease in the level of democracy in the state. Also, there might be people who believe that they should follow their own set of morals and not be over shadowed by an organised religion. According to Ates Altinordu’s study of Turkish Islam in the post 1970 time period, Turkey’s leading social and political groups recognized Islamic activities as a threat to their identities and happiness (Altinordu 521). Olivier Roy firmly states that under such situations, Muslim activists possibly might face circumstances similar to that faced by a religious minority in spite of living in a society where the majority religion was Islam (qtd. In Altinordu 521) People might also argue that if religion plays a part in government policies, it will bring about unification of all the people in the state under one religion. However, this will again bring about inequality among the different religions within the state as the majority religion will dominate other religions. The minority will not have a say as they will be overshadowed by the majority. Government cannot mandate a religion over its citizens. For example, a Turkish woman’s application against banning of the Islamic headscarf was rejected by the European Court of Human Rights (Somer 13). A person has should have the freedom to practice his/her religion and wear a headscarf. Therefore, religion should be kept away from politics and should playa absolutely no role whatsoever in government policies. This essay addressed the question: What role should religion play in government policies? It argued that religion should play no role in government policies. It proved this by showing that if religion played a part in government policies, it would affect the democracy of the state, influence laws on the basis of religious grounds and cause oppression of minority religions. It is evident from this essay that mixing religion with government policies only causes conflicts. A person’s religion should strictly be a personal matter and should not be inflict or forced upon other people. More research should be done and surveys should be conducted throughout different counties with different cultural backgrounds to see how interference of religion in government policies adversely affects the democracy of the country and its citizens. Ideally, all countries would be secular. Although complete secularism is difficult to achieve, the separation of church and state will bring about some form of secularism. This situation would be beneficial to all the citizens and no one will face injustice. Works Cited Alt? nordu, Ates. â€Å"The Politicization of Religion: Political Catholicism and Political Islam in Comparative Perspective. † Politics ; Society 38. 4 (2010): 517-51. Web. Brathwaite, R. , and A. Bramsen. â€Å"Reconceptualizing Church and State: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Separation of Religion and State on Democracy. † Politics and Religion 1. 1 (2011): 1-35. Web. Brathwaite, Robert. Measuring Church and State: Religion, Culture, and the Impact on Democracy. † SSRN eLibrary (2010)Web. Fox, Jonathan. â€Å"World Separation of Religion and State into the 21st Century. † Comparative Political Studies 39. 5 (2006): 537-69. Web. Montague, Phillip. â€Å"Religious Reasons and Political Debate. † Social Theory and Practice 30. 3 (2004; 2004): 327-349. Web. Rosenblum, Nancy L. â€Å"Banning Parties: Religious and Ethnic Partisans hip in Multicultural Democracies. † Law & Ethics of Human Rights 1. 1 (2007): 3-61. Web. Rosenblum, Nancy L. Religious Parties, Religious Political Identity, and the Cold Shoulder of Liberal Democratic Thought. † Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 6. 1 (2003): 23-53. Web. Smithey, Shannon Ishiyama. â€Å"Religious Freedom and Equality Concerns Under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. † Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue Canadienne de Science Politique 34. 1 (2001): 85-107. Web. Somer, Murat. â€Å"Moderate Islam and Secularist Opposition in Turkey: Implications for the World,Muslims and Secular Democracy. † Third World Quarterly 28. 7 (2007): pp. 1271-1289. Web.

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