So?

[Jennie Ann]

I am confused about the usage of commas with "so." This is another topic that may be better addressed in Marla's punctuation sub-forum, but I think this topic may be helpful to a lot of folks. So I'm putting it in the Main Discussion category.

I do not insert a comma after the word "so" every single time it appears at the beginning of a sentence, but I have a good friend of mine, 80 years young, who does.

Example A. So it was time to buy apples.
Example B. So, it was time to buy apples.

In the above example, I do it like Example A. Since I see the word "so" handled in so many different ways, I would love to learn from the collective minds of this forum.

When do you place a comma after "so" at the beginning of a sentence? If you have a rule of thumb that is easy to remember for my inquiring mind, would you please share? Again, as in my previous comma thread, I would love to hear from veteran reporters, scopists, proofreaders, transcriptionists, and students. For the students, do they cover these topics in school?

I have seen the comma used so many different ways with "so." I need a refresher course.

So what say you? So, what say you? Believe it or not, they used to call me "Comma Girl" in another life. LOL

[Jennie Ann]

That reads much nicer than mine, Mary Ann, the way you have it.

What is confusing to me is that there is a noun and a verb before and after the proverbial "and." So wouldn't there be a comma before "and" since it is joining two so-called "complete sentences"?

Please help me understand this, so I can apply it correctly. This is another area where I am confused with the comma placement. I see it so many different ways in various transcripts.

Example: "I do put a comma after 'so' at the beginning of a sentence when there is a prepositional phrase after it, and, like M.A., I tend to put a comma before...."

I do agree with you to start a new sentence with "But" if it is a long sentence as illustrated above.

[Mary Jo Cochran]

After this comment, I'm done - mainly because this discussion could end up being New Year's night discussion.

A LOT OF TIMES, it's not the word that makes the difference (like: so, and, but, in essence, BUT IT'S THE ACTUAL SENTENCE!!!

Example A. I went to the store to buy apples, so now I can stay healthy.
Example B. I went to the store to buy apples so now I can stay healthy.
Example C. I went to the store to buy apples. So now I can stay healthy.
All three of the above examples look okay to my eye, but I lean towards A and C

A is GOOD because it could actually be two sentences. (the word so (or and) connects them as one, but it is really the comma that does the work. B is a runon sentence. C is poor. The second sencence is a little fragmented.

[Janet]

I, personally, would go with Example A. I don't even like breaking up sentences and starting with And. I worked with a scopist that would not only break up the sentence, but would start a new paragraph with And. That really goes against the way I've always done things. I will start a new sentence with And if it goes on and on, but I still don't like it.

[Jennie Ann]

I like A the best too, Janet.

One thing I am discovering with this thread is that there, indeed, seems to be a variety of ways that "so" can be handled. I agree with the others that how the words are spoken make a difference on how to punctuate.

I have noticed a glaring omission of commas in recent times. At first, I thought it might be due to texting habits, but then I thought it might be due to a changing trend. I just don't want to get stuck with my old-school ways and not move with the times.

That said, I love my commas, and I think I'd rather fight than switch. LOL

[Keith Rowan II]

Morson’s has rules governing these situations that I agree with (I don’t always).

Morson’s rule 57 – put a comma after introductory words, usually adverbs, like accordingly, moreover, eventually, etc. Do not set off hence, so, thus, or yet.

Ex.
Accordingly, I went to the store.
So I went to the store.
Thus I went to the store.

(While Morson’s doesn’t give a reason, I believe it's because these words are so short and so common, and the comma is unnecessary and looks poor)

Rule 65 – Put a comma before a nonessential adverbial clause, but do not put a comma before a necessary one. These usually start with as, because, if, since, so, unless. If the word is used like “therefore,” put a comma because it is extra information. If it tells why, then it’s essential and no comma.

Ex.

He needed the money so he could attend school (to attend school is why he needed the money)
She never asked me, so I never told her (therefore, I never told her)
I did it because you asked me to
Forget you ever saw the money, because you know money can't buy happiness
You will remember if you try
Please do it, if you don’t mind

So on the example that was given about buying apples at the store, Morson’s and I would have to disagree with the previous posts. There should be no comma. To stay healthy is why she went to the store and bought apples. She bought apples so she can stay healthy. If you leave out the last part, the sentence is incomplete and would leave out essential information (that she needs the apples to stay healthy). It's just like the example above: He needed the money so he could attend school.

[Jennie Ann]

Keith,

Thanks so much for taking the time to share that little nugget.

I just printed out your reply and pasted it to my bulletin board. That is a good way to remember the usage of commas with "so." I am still a wee bit confused, but, hopefully, I will get a better understanding with this rule pinned to my bulletin board.

Thanks so much for sharing that.

BTW, should there be a comma after "but" and before "hopefully" in the above sentence according to Morson? If there should be, then, by George, I think I've got it! :-)

[Keith Rowan II]

YW, Jennie. I think you've got it. I don't particularly like the three commas in a row with that "hopefully," but technically it's correct, at least according to Morson's and any other source with which I am familiar.

[Mary Jo Cochran]

Here is a recent reply I received from him about punctuation:

"Punctuation is your tool to help make the reader understand the document on the first go-through. Many times I have to re-read sentences because of lack of punctuation. That is the test for me, when I read a sentence and have to go back to punctuate it because reading it out loud, though in my mind, I didn’t understand and had to double back. So, it’s always a judgment call, but it’s about readability mostly, I think.

This is perfect. When someone is reading, it should come out as it is being spoken. (We all speak in good English, don't we?)

As for the "So,", he did it because if HE WAS SPEAKING, you would have heard the pause between the So and it's.

[Janiece Young]

I have a question about "so".
How do you punctuate if a witness ends a sentence with the word "so"?

Example: I was driving down the street and I hit a the car in front of me, so --

How do you punctuate that? I find that a lot of witnesses talk that way.
Thanks,
Janiece

[Rachel Gard]

I do it like this: hit the car in front of me, so ...

I use the ellipsis if they trail off as opposed to dashes when being interrupted.

Rachel

[Jennie Ann]

Janiece,

That is a tricky one. I remember reading about it on this forum a short time ago, and it's another one of those style preferences. I am not sure if there is a right or wrong way to handle it.

Me personally, I do it EXACTLY the way you do, with "so" at the end, a space, and then the double hyphen, but here is how others handle it.

Example A. I was driving down the street, and I hit the car in front of me, so... [no space before ellipsis]
Example B. I was driving down the street, and I hit the car in front of me, so ... [space before ellipsis]
Example C. I was driving down the street, and I hit the car in front of me, so . . . [spaces between each period in ellipsis]
Example D. I was driving down the street, and I hit the car in front of me, so. [period at the end]
Example E. I was driving down the street, and I hit the car in front of me, so-- [no space before double hyphen]

Janiece, I am curious about the first sentence in your post. Were you taught that the quotation mark goes inside the period? I have seen this style before with others too. I put the quotation mark outside the period. I guess it is how we were all taught to do it. There's another style preference, I guess. I would do it EXACTLY like you have it, if I was doing one of your jobs, Janiece. :-)

I think it was Marla of this forum who said that she follows only one reference, which is Merriam-Webster for her transcripts. I like Keith's Morson's reference book too.

These punctuation conundrums are what slows me down when I'm banging pages. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

[Keith Rowan II]

I also use the dashes for this and don't like the ellipses in transcripts, but I am a lowly student. Most of the people that have replied to the earlier discussions use the ellipses. I haven't converted to the dark side, yet at least. We'll see what happens when I am producing the TRIPTS. Either way, I would have a space before.