This document details the standards of punctuation for processing custom jobs. These standards may conflict with what you have been taught. Do not apply your own standards for punctuation. Do not assume that your grammar knowledge is perfectly in line with the standards in this document. To continue to be a custom scribe, you will have to adhere to the standards listed in this document. It may be best to forget what you know.

Updated 1/22/18 View Updates
Clauses

A clause is the smallest grammatical unit that can express a complete idea. A typical clause consists of a subject and a predicate. The predicate is typically a verb phrase: a verb together with any objects and other modifiers.

Types


Appositives / Direct Address

Apposition is a grammatical construction in which two elements, normally noun phrases, are placed side by side, with one element serving to identify the other. One of the elements is called the appositive, although its identification requires consideration of how the elements are used in a sentence. For example, in the two sentences below, the phrases "Sharkattack" and "his cat" are in apposition.

, his cat,


, Sharkattack,


Appositives often occur when the verbs (particularly verbs of being) in supporting clauses are eliminated to produce shorter descriptive phrases.

Restrictive Versus Nonrestrictive

A restrictive appositive provides information essential to identifying the phrase in apposition. It limits or clarifies that phrase in some crucial way, and the meaning of the sentence would change if the appositive were removed. Restrictive appositives are not set off by commas. The sentences below use restrictive appositives.


"The Simpsons."

*There are a lot of television shows, but he likes a particular one.


Tracy is renovating her house.

*Try reading the sentence without the clause in question. If the sentence is awkward or unintelligible without the clause, no commas are needed.


A nonrestrictive appositive provides information that is not critical to identifying the phrase in apposition. It provides nonessential information, and the essential meaning of the sentence would not change if the appositive were removed. Nonrestrictive appositives are set off by commas. The sentences below use nonrestrictive appositives.

, his cat,

The fact that Sharkattack was his cat is not necessary to identify the cat since it is already identified by name.

, a very angry dragon.

"a very angry dragon" restates the subject and is not necessary to the sentence.


The same phrase can be a restrictive appositive in one context and a nonrestrictive appositive in another:
- My brother Nathan is here. - Restrictive: I have many brothers, and the one named Nathan is here.
- My brother, Nathan, is here. - Non-restrictive: I have only one brother and, as an aside, his name is Nathan.
*If there is any doubt that the appositive is non-restrictive, do not use commas.



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Grammar Basics

Conjunctions

A conjunction is a part of speech that connects words, sentences, phrases or clauses.

Types

  • COORDINATING

    Coordinating conjunctions join words, main clauses or sentences of equal importance. Examples:

    • For: for
    • And: is and
    • Nor: nor
    • But: but
    • Or: is or
    • Yet: yet
    • So: so
  • CORRELATIVE

    Correlative conjunctions work in pairs to join words or clauses in a sentence. Correlative conjunctions should always remain together as one sentence. There are many different pairs of correlative conjunctions:

    • either...or: is either or
    • not only...but (also): is not only but also
    • may...but: may be alive, but
    • neither...nor: is neither alive nor dead.
    • both...and: both and
    • whether...or: whether or
    • just as...so: Just as some humans so some cats
    • the...the: The more the more
    • as...as: as dangerous as lizard humans.
    • as much...as: as much witches as cats.
    • no sooner...than: No sooner than
    • rather...than: rather be a wrestler than be in Slytherin.
  • SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS:

    Subordinating conjunctions are conjunctions that join a main clause and a dependent clause.

    • The subordinating conjunction illustrates the importance of the independent clause and provides a transition between two ideas in the same sentence by indicating a time, place or cause. Unless required by some other grammatical construction (such as an introductory clause), subordinating conjunctions do not need commas before or after.

    COMMON SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

    after
    although
    as
    as far as
    as if
    as long as     		as soon as
    as though
    because
    before
    even if
    even though     		every time
    if
    in order that
    since
    so
    so that     		than
    though
    unless
    until
    when
    whenever     		where
    whereas
    wherever
    while

I didn't think the witch cat would cast that spell since she had mewed so sweetly right before.


Preposition

Prepositions are the words that indicate location. Usually, prepositions show this location in the physical world. See this link for a list of prepositions.
Example:


is the broom.

Prepositions can also show location in time. Example:

The Undertaker's entrance, go out.


* "But" is very seldom a preposition. When it is used as a preposition, "but" means the same as "except."
Example:

held the championship R-Truth.


Prepositions generally introduce prepositional phrases. Prepositional phrases look like this: PREPOSITION + OPTIONAL MODIFIER(S) + NOUN, PRONOUN, OR GERUND.
Example:

us


*Realize that some prepositions also function as subordinating conjunctions. These prepositions are "after, as, before, since and until." A subordinating conjunction will have both a subject and a verb following it.
SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTION + SUBJECT + VERB = SUBORDINATE CLAUSE.
Remember that subordinate clauses are fragments and cannot stand alone as a sentence.
Example:

fragment

Cena the championship


Equal Adjectives

Equal adjectives are two or more adjectives that modify a single noun and have the same weight. For example, a juicy, delicious steak is both a juicy steak and a delicious steak. A useful test is to try putting the word "and" between the adjectives. If you can insert the word "and," you should use a comma.
For example:

It was a cool, dark night.

Adjectives that reflect size or color have less weight, and therefore do not need commas. Note that when "old" is used to mean "familiar," it has less weight and does not need a comma.
Example:

The witch cat pulled a rabbit from an old, dusty hat.
The good old "rabbit out of the hat" trick is a classic.

If the adjectives are unequal, no comma is used to separate them.
For example:

  • Kim was horrified when she dropped the antique Oriental vase.
  • The battered electric lamp cast a weak shadow across the floor.
The word "and" would not logically fit between the two adjectives "battered" and "electric" or "antique" and "Oriental."

APOSTROPHES AND POSSESSION

OMITTED FIGURES:

The apostrophe takes the place of the omitted figure(s).

Examples:


   The class of '62.
   The Spirit of '76.
   The '20s.*

*Note that when referring to a decade, the apostrophe occurs at the beginning rather than between the number and the pluralizer.


Add to ALL SINGULAR AND PLURAL NOUNS NOT ENDING IN S to denote possession.

Examples:


   The alumni's contributions
   Women's rights
   The two deer's tracks.*
   The lone moose's antlers
   The horse's food.
   The ship's route.
   There is only one VIP's seat.

*Note how even if the noun is plural, if it doesn't end in s, it still gets .


Use only an apostrophe for ALL NOUNS ENDING IN S.

Examples:

   *One corps' location.
    *Achilles' heel
   The girls' toys.
   The horses' food.
   The ships' wake.
   States' rights.

*Note how even if the noun is a proper noun or a singular noun, if it ends in s, it only gets an apostrophe.


DO NOT use apostrophes to pluralize acronyms or proper nouns. Use regular rules for pluralization.
Example:

You'll want to avoid FDSes. You'll want to avoid FDS's.
We have reason to fear the Sarumans of the world. We have reason to fear the Saruman's of the world.

CAPITALIZATION
Always check your reference sheet first if to verify whether special content is capitalized.

Units of Measurement

Unless instructed otherwise by a Reference Sheet, units of measurement are transcribed in lower case.

Dog Breeds

Unless instructed otherwise by a Reference Sheet, follow the spelling and capitalization in Webster's New World College Dictionary. For breeds not listed in the dictionary, capitalize words derived from proper nouns and use lowercase elsewhere.

Examples:

Belgian Malinois, Saint Bernard, English mastiff, chow, pit bull terrier


Planets, Galaxies and Other Astrological Bodies

Capitalize the names of all astrological bodies. Only capitalize "earth" when it refers to the planet.

Examples:

The witch cat flew all the way from the Crab Nebula back to the Milky Way, heading to Earth.
The witch cat picked up a wet clump of earth and chucked the muddy missile at me.
"Hey, you! Come back to Earth," the angry man shouted.


Seasons

All seasons and derivatives are lowercase unless a part of a formal name.

Examples:

Last spring was when the witch cat came to our house.
It was seven summers ago, but I remember it because of Harry Potter.
The witch cat loved going to the Dartmouth Winter Carnival.


The League

Common noun equivalents of proper nouns should not be capitalized.

Examples:

Barry Sanders is the best the league has ever seen.
Barry Sanders is the best the National Football League has ever seen.



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COLON / SEMICOLON

Use a colon (:) at the end of a sentence to introduce lists.

Example:

He promised this: The witch cat would have her revenge.
There were three considerations: feasibility, time and butter beer.

Note: The first example capitalizes the first word of the phrase occurring after the colon because that phrase is a complete sentence. Otherwise, do not capitalize the first word after a colon.


Use a colon in constructions that are meant to give emphasis:

Example:

His only hobby: harassing witch cats.


Semicolons will very rarely ever be used in custom work. Their only usage will be in complex lists. Please refer to the standards on Sentence Structure for more information.


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COMMAS

Common Phrases

  • All right - Generally, "All right" will be its own sentence. "All right" is a colloquialism for "It is all right." "Alright" is not an accepted spelling for our purposes.

    All right.
    Let's talk about this tomorrow.
    All right, let's talk about this tomorrow.

  • Like - For us, "Like" will generally have three usages:
    • Filler - When used as filler, "like" should be offset with commas. If you can replace "like" with "uh", "um" or a similar phrase. It is filler.

      I can't tell you how I felt. It was, like, crazy.

    • Comparatively - When a comparison is being drawn, do not use commas.

      That cat was like a tiger, really.

    • Introducing dialogue - If a phrase following like can be considered dialog, use a comma after "like" and treat the phrase as a quote.

      And then Marcia was like, "There's no way I'm going to the football game."

  • Because - Generally, "because" will not need a comma before or after it occurs in a sentence.
  • You know - "You know" is almost always used as filler. It should be offset with commas.

    You know, it was a great house.
    You know it was a great house.
    Note: To the reader, the above statement has two different meanings. The first is using you know as filler. The second reads such that the speaker is stating as a fact: You know that it was a great house.

    Well, you know, it's just that kind of thing.

  • I mean - "I mean" is almost always used as filler. It should be offset with commas.

    I mean, it's like it never even happened.



Items in a Series

Use a comma to separate discrete items in a series. In a simple series DO NOT use a comma between the penultimate item and the conjunction (Oxford comma)

I love zombies, witch cats and Harry Potter. I love zombies, witch cats, and Harry Potter.


I considered whether to run, hide or cry. I considered whether to run, hide, or cry.


Separating Similar Words

Use a comma to separate duplicated words that would otherwise be confusing. Do not use a comma if it breaks up the resulting verb structure.

A zombie door is a dangerous trap as it is easy to fall in in your own house
A zombie door is a dangerous trap, as it is easy to fall in, in your own house.
A zombie door is a dangerous trap, as it is easy to fall in in your own house.

*Note how the second "in" needs the comma. The reader naturally expects a noun or particle after a preposition, so a repeated preposition causes the reader to pause.

I thought he had had more witch cats than he let on
I thought he had had more witch cats than he let on.
I thought he had, had more witch cats than he let on.

I had Bonnie give her her witch cat's broom
I had Bonnie give her her witch cat's broom.
I had Bonnie give her, her witch cat's broom.

Note how the incorrect commas breaks up the verb structure.

Direct Address

When a noun is being addressed, it should be wrapped in commas


What's wrong, babe?
Hi, Jim.
Mother, I will be home late.
No, ma'am, I did not take it.
Where are you going, Mike?
Do you know what you're doing, man?
Hey, dude.

Indirect questions and phrases:

A comma should be used between the main clause and the indirect statement/question. Indirect questions should be punctuated with question marks


a. The question is, why hasn't the witch cat cursed us yet?
b. His only thought was, "Why haven't I been cursed yet?"
c. I tell you what, we shouldn't have kicked that zombie dog.
d. There'll be a zombie reckoning tonight, I tell you!

Separation of independent clauses:

When a sentence contains two clauses and two expressly stated subjects, use a comma. Otherwise, do not separate the clauses with a comma.

I went to Jacksonville, and my cat mewed all night.
I went to Jacksonville and mewed all night.
I went to Jacksonville, and mewed all night.

Note how in the incorrect sentence, there is no subject in the second clause. Therefore a comma is not needed.

Equal adjectives:

Use a comma to separate equal adjectives in a series. DO NOT use a comma if the adjectives are not equal. Use the rule of thumb that if the comma can be replaced by "and," without changing the meaning of the sentence, the adjectives are equal


The witch cat liked brown fur coats.
Put the ugly, stinky potion in the fridge.

Intro clauses:

If a subordinate clause (including all prepositional phrases) starts a sentence, it should marked with a comma at the end of the clause.


Introductory clause
Using the utmost skill and precision, the cat opened the door.
With a sense of flair, the cat cast a series of spells.


Regular clause
The cat opened the door using the utmost skill and precision.
The cat cast a series of spells with a sense of flair.

The conjunctions "and, but, or, yet, so" will frequently start sentences. No comma is needed after these conjunctions unless required by some other grammatical construction

And that's why zombies don't ever get full.
So there's no way you could ever eat more than a zombie at a buffet.
But, barring any disasters, you should be able to outrun one.*

*Note the comma after the "but" is to wrap the introductory clause "barring any disasters."

Essential vs nonessential clauses

Wrap nonessential clauses in commas. Do not use commas for essential clauses.


Sharkattack, his cat, was a witch cat.

Do not use commas when the information is essential to the structure or content of the sentence:


Suburban mom Tracy is renovating her house.



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DIALOGUE

General Standards

Video should be transcribed 99.9 percent verbatim.
Do not fix verbs that are in the incorrect tense.

Example:


I seen him driving.
I ain't coming round here no more.


DO NOT attempt to scribe differences in accent.

Example:

I axed him two questions.
I love grocery shopping when I have quepons.


Do transcribe stuttering unless the Reference Sheet or Job Type document indicates otherwise. Use the double dash to indicate a character stuttering.


I -- I -- I couldn't believe that you -- you would do that.


DO NOT use non-standard contractions.

Billy will ...

Billy'll ...

Y'all and ain't are acceptable to use, and are not considered non-standard.


Standard Contractions:

ain’t
anybody's
anything's
aren’t
can’t
could’ve
couldn’t
didn’t
doesn’t 		doesn’t
don’t
hasn't
haven't
he’d
he’ll
he’s
how’d
how’ll 		how’s
I’d
I’ll
I’m
I’ve
isn’t
it’d
it’ll
it’s
 mightn’t
mustn’t
needn't
nobody's
nothing's
o’clock
oughtn’t
shan’t
she’d 		she’ll
she’s
should’ve
shouldn’t
somebody’s
something’s
that’ll
that’re
that’s
you’ve 		that’d
there’d
there’s
they’d
they’ll
they’re
they’ve
'tis
'twas 		wasn’t
we’d
we’ll
we’re
we’ve
weren’t
what'd
what’ll
what’re 		what’s
when’s
where’d
where’s
where’ve
who’d
who’ll
who’s
who’ve 		why'd
why’s
won’t
would’ve
wouldn’t
y’all
you’d
you’ll
you’re

Overlapping/Unison Dialogue

All discernible overlapping dialogue should be scribed accurately, including the order of speech. Sometimes, characters will speak in unison (saying the exact same words at the same time). In these cases, only transcribe the statement once. No other indication should be used unless required by the Reference Sheet.

Unison dialogue DOES NOT include times where a character says something that is repeated shortly thereafter by another character.


Stuttering

The double dash ( -- ) should be used when a character stutters.

  • Sometimes, it will be difficult to figure out which one to use if a character is stuttering and changing ideas. In these cases, use the double dash for any repeating words or sputtering, then use the ellipsis to denote a complete change in idea


    I -- I -- I couldn't believe that you would do something like ... You're a heartless demon!

The double dash should not be used to denote a sudden change in ideas or emphatic pause, or for a series within a phrase. Instead use other appropriate punctuation (ellipsis, comma, colon, etc.).

Do not capitalize words that occur after double dashes because of stuttering, even if they are the first words of a sentence.

Example:


What -- what do you mean?


Slang/Shortenings.

You will be scribing what is said verbatim 98 percent of the time. Do not make corrections on grammar usage (such as verb agreement) or incorrect word usage (I got an ideal vs I got an idea).


Slang with no regular verb usage should be scribed verbatim.

Example:


What happened to all the salmon?
Eighty-sixed by that greedy witch cat.
That cat's going to wind up deuce-deuced if she keeps eating my food.
Careful, bro. If she hears you, you might wind up deaded.

DO adjust slang and shortenings to their proper grammatical form. DO adjust slurred and poorly enunciated words. Use the following rules of thumb guidance:


I'm going to fix you good!
You're out of here!
What you got for me, Pauly?
Come here.


I'ma gonna fix you good!
You're outta here!
Whatcha got for me, Pauly?
C'mere.

Novel Utterances and Incorrect Word Usage

Novel utterances are frequent in colorful speech. Novel utterances do not include incomprehensible babbling, yelling, ululation, mumbling, etc. They are, instead, times when a character creates a new word either in whole or in part.

  • Use a dash (-) to indicate an insertion.

    • No way, cat. I'm not trying your cat nip. I'm into sob-freaking-reity.

  • Except for "lengthwise," all constructions with "wise" should be scribed -wise.

    • Weather-wise, it's been brutal.
    You're generally a good wizard, spell-wise.

  • Novel utterances that are affixed with -y to make an adjectival should be scribed with -y.

    • No. Those girls didn't like you because you were being all Draco Malfoy-y.
    I like this house because it's more wilderness-y.

    If the word already exists and appears in Merriam-Webster, no hyphen should be used.

    That was a very cheesy pizza.

    Novel utterances are not the same thing as words that are slurred or mumbled.


  • Scribe incorrect word usage verbatim.

    • Don't correct me when I'm puntifercating! I'm pronunciating proper!

    I just can't decide between chocolate and vanilla. I don't know why I'm so ambitious about it.

Word Play/Puns

In general, use traditional spellings for any plays on word or puns. However, if the meaning is lost or unclear, use your best judgment on the spelling.

  • My friend used to hit me with stringed instruments. I wish I had known about her history of violins.
  • I'll ecsta-see you later.


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ELLIPSIS

An ellipsis should be written as three consecutive periods with a space on either side ( ... ).

NEVER use an ellipsis when a character pauses mid-sentence or for dramatic pauses.

Example:


   I lost my train of thought, and before I knew it … Hey, what are you eating?


   I was just about to eat my … an airplane.

Note: The first example capitalizes the first word of the phrase occurring after the ellipsis because that phrase is a complete sentence. Otherwise, do not capitalize the first word after an ellipsis.


Ellipsis should be used whenever a character is interrupted or changes thoughts mid-sentence.

Examples:


Look, my cat is ... Well, let's just say she's very clever.
Example (1 speaker)          Example (2 speakers)            
*Sometimes, when I think about my cat ... *I told you not to feed ...
No, you didn't!

* Do place an ellipsis at the beginning of the completing line.
When a speaker is interrupted by another speaker, place the ellipsis at the end of the line of the character being interrupted, and start a new line for the interrupting speaker, as shown above.

Speaker 1: Together, we hunt and pick ...
Speaker 2: Oh, he's so cute.
Speaker 1: ... buy and sell ...
Speaker 2: So, what is that?
Speaker 1 ... to turn the science of strange into a business.

In many cases where a speaker is simply agreeing with the ongoing speaker with single-word responses like "Uh-huh," "Right," "Okay," etc., place the single-word responses as their own sentence after the original sentence is completed. In cases where the responses are completely overlapped by the original sentence, you can omit the responses altogether.

Speaker 1: So I know we had a lot of back and forth deciding on what the right house would be, but I think we came to a pretty good decision.
Speaker 2:                                                                                                                                                                             Right.

So I know we had a lot of back and forth deciding on what the right house would be, but I think we came to a pretty good decision.
Right.

Speaker 1: So I know we had a lot of back and forth deciding on what the right house would be, but I think we came to a pretty good decision.
Speaker 2:                                                                                        Right.

So I know we had a lot of back and forth deciding on what the right house would be, but I think we came to a pretty good decision.

So I know we had a lot of back and forth deciding on what the right house would be, but I think we came to a pretty good decision.
Right.

Speaker 1: So I know we had a lot of back and forth deciding on what the right ...
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 1: ... house would be, but I think we came to a pretty good decision.


DO include a character's response if it is contextually important.

Speaker 1: After everything, would you say we made the right choice?
Speaker 2: Uh-huh.

Speaker 1: After everything, would you say we made the right choice?


The ellipsis trumps and replaces any other punctuation that might be used.

Example:

Do you think I ...
Do you think I ...?

Use an ellipsis when an expletive is edited out of the sound but there is no audible beep.


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HYPHENS

DO NOT use a dash to stand for "to" in a numerical range.
Example:

There's a six to seven percent chance that you won't become a zombie if you're bitten by one.
There's a six-seven percent chance that you won't become a zombie if you're bitten by one.



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NUMBER FORMATTING
  • With dollar amounts and percentages, always match the audio to the best of your ability. Use the $ sign for “grand/dollars/bucks.” Do not abbreviate millions, billions or trillions with M, B or T.
    • He had over $1 million.
    • He was 50 percent vested.
    • That’s a $1 million car.
    • five thousand dollars/five grand/five kay -> $5,000
    • That's a five or six thousand dollar wand -> That's a $5,000 or $6,000 wand!
  • Spell out numbers at the start of a sentence. However, years (as in the date) will be kept as figures.
    • Forty years was a long time to wait.
    • Fifteen to 20 cars were involved in the accident.
    • 1992 was a great year.
  • In general, spell out one through nine.
    • The Yankees have two great closers.
    • There have only ever been nine witch cats in recorded history.
    • "Margaritaville" sold more than one million copies.
  • Use figures for 10 or above and units of measure or referring to ages of people, animals, events or things. Units of time are considered units of measure.
    • There were 11 people gathered.
    • We have 4 feet of lumber and three zombies to smash in 2 hours.
    • You can't have 12 million toes.
  • For number shortenings and series that are not real numbers, scribe out what is said verbatim
    • We'll pay two twenty-nine nine for that house and not a penny more.
      "Two twenty-nine nine" is not a real number.
    • The witch cat has like five hundred twenty-nine thirty thousand hundred dollars stashed under the kitty litter!
    • Mayday, mayday. This is flight 451, vector two niner, niner five, going down.
    • I'll pay a buck fiddy.
      I'll pay $1.50.
  • With ages, always use figures.
    • The girl is 15 years old.
    • She's as cute as a 2-month-old cat.
  • Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun.
    • He's a 5-year-old boy, but the boy is 5 years old.
    • The boy, 7, has a sister, 10.
  • For fractions, spell out if less than one. Use figures if greater than 1.

    Note: See rules on measurements below for fractions used as a measurement.

    My cat is two-thirds witch cat.
    Well, that's half your problem.
  • For measurements, use figures.
    • Let's make a 4-by-6-inch wand for giants.*
    • I have a 2 2/3-inch issue with my pants.*
    • I'm a 7-4 giant with hands 3 feet wide.
    • I'm a 7-foot-4 giant with hands 3 feet wide.
      I'm a 2-foot-1-inch non-giant with hands an inch long.
    • If I was 1/4-inch taller, I'd be dead.

    *Note: Hyphens should only be used for measurement constructions used as adjectives.
    Any construction in which the words "feet" and/or "inches" are implied should get a hyphen.

    EXCEPTION: two-by-four. Spell out the word that refers to the block of lumber.

    Hand me them two-by-fours over there.

  • For times of day, use figures. Use a.m./p.m./o'clock as appropriate. Only use the colon if minutes are dictated

    The witch cat had a meeting at three pm. There's no way the cat can make it at three oclock.
    The witch cat had a meeting a 3 p.m.
    There's no way the cat can make it at 3 o'clock.

    Note that it is 3, instead of 3:00.

    Let's all thrash some zombies at 9:15.

  • For numbers in a series, apply the standards to each element in the series.

    I have 9 inches, six cats, 2 1/2 bedrooms and 12 closets to work with.



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SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Sentence Structure

A sentence requires a subject and a verb (and some verbs require objects). Avoid sentence fragments. SUBJECT + VERB-(OBJECT) = SENTENCE.
Examples:

have

loves to eat

The important point to remember is that every sentence must have at least one main clause. Otherwise, you have a fragment, a major error. Here are a couple rules of thumb for creating complete sentences

  • Subordinate clauses can never stand alone as complete sentences. To complete the thought, you must attach each subordinate clause to a main clause.
    Examples:

    SentenceFragment
    His cat loves to eat human food.

    *Notice how the subordinate clause is attached in the middle of the main clause.

    		 His cat which is actually a witch cat

    *Here there is no main clause because the main verb is missing. The "is" occurs in the subordinate clause.

  • Like subordinate clauses, relative clauses cannot stand alone as complete sentences. You must connect them to main clauses to finish the thought.

    RELATIVE PRONOUN OR ADVERB + SUBJECT + VERB = FRAGMENT.

    RELATIVE PRONOUN AS SUBJECT + VERB = FRAGMENT.
    Examples:

    Sentence Fragment
    The zombie kept moving.

    *Notice how the relative clause is started with the relative pronoun "that." The relative clause is attached in the middle of the main clause.

    		 that clobbered

    *Here there is no main clause. Even though there is a subject and a verb, they occur in the relative clause. RELATIVE PRONOUN OR ADVERB + SUBJECT + VERB = FRAGMENT.

    Whoever is truly a blessed human.

    *Notice how the relative clause is started with the relative subject pronoun "whoever." The relative clause is attached in the middle of the main clause and becomes the subject of the main clause.

    		whoever

    *Here there is no main clause. Even though there is a subject and a verb, they occur in the relative clause. RELATIVE PRONOUN AS SUBJECT + VERB = FRAGMENT.



  • Prepositional phrases cannot stand alone as complete sentences. To complete the thought, you must attach each prepositional phrase to a main clause it modifies.
    Examples:

    Sentence Fragment
    His cat jumped and flew away.

    *Notice how the prepositional phrase is actually modifying the verb. In this case, it's acting as an adverb.

    		 His cat jumped. Onto the broomstick and flew away*.

    *Here there is no main clause because the main subject is missing. The subject has been separated from the coordinate verb.

Custom Standards on Where to Split Sentences

Custom transcription involves capturing precisely what is said. Because the way the people use informal language is varied and nuanced, you must pay attention to context at all times. The context will often determine what punctuation to use, capitalization, formatting, etc. Developing the skill of having contextual awareness while watching what you are typing (instead of watching the video) is one of the most crucial steps in becoming a good custom scribe.

  • Break up complete sentences. Sentences contain at least a subject and a verb.

  • Do not punctuate according to speech patterns and cadences. Do not add punctuation whenever a character pauses or takes a breath.
  • Avoid sentence fragments. Sentences need a subject and a verb.

    a dragon crawled into that cave (pause) a very angry dragon
    A dragon crawled into that cave, a very angry dragon.
    A dragon crawled into that cave. A very angry dragon.

    "A very angry dragon" is not a complete sentence. Even if the speaker paused before "A very angry dragon," you would not scribe a period in this situation.

    • Avoid using subordinate clauses of any kind as sentences.
    • Avoid splitting up correlative conjunctions.
    • Avoid splitting a nonrestrictive appositive from the subject its modifying.
    • Avoid hanging prepositional phrases. A prepositional phrase is not a sentence by itself.
      • a very angry dragon was crawling (pause) into that cave that leaks
      A very angry dragon was crawling into that cave that leaks.
      A very angry dragon was crawling. Into that cave that leaks.

  • Be wary of starting statements with "which" "because" or "since." Aside from the rare introductory clause, because and since clauses should not start sentences, and they should hardly ever be sentences on their own.

    he said his cat was actually a powerful witch which was somehow reassuring
    He said his cat was actually a powerful witch, which was somehow reassuring.
    He said his cat was actually a powerful witch. Which was somehow reassuring.


  • Let sentences continue, rather than starting a new sentence, when an independent clause starts with “and,” “but,” or “so,” when the two clauses are directly related to each other, and when the speaker does not take a pronounced pause before the next clause.

    It rained for two days solid so we weren’t able to start work on the house until Wednesday
    It rained for two days solid, so we weren't able to start work on the house until Wednesday.
    It rained for two days solid. So we weren’t able to start work on the house until Wednesday.



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SPELLING

Common Misspellings

  • Its is ALWAYS possessive. It's is ALWAYS short for "it is"
    • It's never okay to use a bear's tongue to wipe its paws.
  • Nowhere is one word.

    We're going nowhere fast.

  • Anymore is one word IF it's being used as a unit of time. Otherwise it is any more
    • If you don't have any more apples, I won't be coming here anymore.
    • You don't have any more sense than a numb end of a dipstick
    • I'm scared. I don't want to do this anymore.
  • Everyday means common or plain as one word. Otherwise every day should be used to describe a daily activity.
    • Every day, somewhere in the English speaking world, someone misuses common, everyday grammatical constructions.
    • Every day the witch groomed meticulously.
    • Witch cats are different from everyday cats.
  • Anytime is equivalent to "whenever." It's the most common usage.
    • I'll take you on anytime, anyplace.
    • Anytime I feed that witch cat salmon, she gets terrible gas.
    Any time is far less common and is used to reference possession or availability of time:
    • Oh, I'm sorry! You don't have any time left!
    • I never have any time now that the witch cat moved in.
  • AVOID COMMON MISSPELLINGS: READ THIS

Common Misspellings/Misuses

Incorrect Correct
Alright, let's do it All right. Let's do it.
Oh my god. Oh, my god.
Yea Yeah
Where are you going Mike? Mike where are you going? Where are you going, Mike? Mike, where are you going?
Hey, Rachel, how are you? Hey, Rachel. How are you?

Interjections

In grammar, an interjection is a word used to express an emotion or sentiment on the part of the speaker. Interjections are always followed by a comma or other punctuation as appropriate. Below is a list of some common interjections.

A-ha Ta-da
Ha-ha* Mm-hmm
Un-uh Uh-huh
Ew Whoa
Ahem Psst
Aw Hmph
Shh Ah
Phew Whew
Hmm Eek
Wow Huh
Uh Ow
Woo Woo-hoo
Jeez Oh
Holy moly Mm-kay
Well

*Ha-ha is NOT used for any case of laughing. It is only used in instances where the character explicitly says "ha-ha."


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QUOTATION MARKS

Show titles always go in quotes when they are directly referenced as the title of the show, but not when used for other purposes.


Correct*
You're watching "Mythbusters."
Who are the Mythbusters?

We're back with more "Legendary Motorsport."
Now we're headed to the Legendary Motorsport garage.

When "Monsters Inside Me" returns ...
They take over our immune systems, and for those infected, they are the monsters inside me

Even if a title placard is being shown on screen at the same time as a word play based on the composition title, the reference should be lowercase.

Use quotations for any dialogue that is a quote.


Correct* Incorrect
I was like, "No way!"
He said, "Bob, you don't know what you're talking about." 		I was like no way.
He said, Bob you don't know what you're talking about.
And I was thinking to myself, "I'm pretty sure that zombie sees you." And I was thinking to myself I'm pretty sure that zombie sees you.

Periods and commas ALWAYS go inside quotation marks. All other punctuation goes inside the quotation marks ONLY if it's related to the quoted material. Otherwise place the punctuation outside of the quotations.


Correct* Incorrect
He asked, "Is that true?" He asked, "Is that true"?
He said, "Bob, you don't know what you're talking about." He said, "Bob you don't know what you're talking about".
And I was thinking to myself, "I'm pretty sure that zombie sees you," and then it definitely saw me. And I was thinking to myself, "I'm pretty sure that zombie sees you", and then it definitely saw me

Multi-sentence quotations go on one line. Do not break them up onto individual lines.


Correct* Incorrect
So he said, "I went to the store. I got eggs and bacon. That's all my cat eats for breakfast." So he said, "I went to the store."
"I got eggs and bacon."
"That's all my cat eats for breakfast."


  • Put quotation marks around any direct reference to a segment that is a regularly occurring part of a show. Use title case capitalization.

    And now it's time for the "Tip of the Week," brought to you by Yeti Coolers, "Wildly stronger. Keep ice longer."
    "One More Thing" is brought to you by Key West, "Come and stay awhile."

  • Put quotation marks around slogans and catch phrases associated with a product or business.

    • This episode of "Sex Sent Me to the ER" is brought to you by ...
    I.C.Hot, "When it's hot, it's hot. It's icy when it's not."
    Cambell's Soups and Sausages, "Ready, hot and creamy in an instant."
    And Em&Em's Candy, "Melts in your mouth and in your hands because it's made from real chocolate."

  • Put quotation marks around the names of all works of art and published work except the Bible and books that are primarily reference, including almanacs, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, gazetteers, handbooks and similar publications.

       "The Star-Spangled Banner"
       "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich"
       "Gone With the Wind"
       "Of Mice and Men"



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