The comma is a punctuation character that is placed on the baseline and looks similar to a single quotation mark.
2
votes
1answer
152 views
Does this sentence contain an introductory clause? [closed]
I could do this myself, but I suggest you follow the manual.
In the above sentence, does "I could do this myself" count as an introductory clause? Or does the conjunction modify it?
Also, is it ...
2
votes
2answers
171 views
Do these sentences contain comma splices? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is a comma splice?
My girlfriend wants me to correct her fan-fiction, and to me it looks fine stylistically, but I wonder if some of the sentences are technically ...
5
votes
2answers
713 views
“Oh, dear!” vs. “Oh dear!”
Which is correct, "Oh, dear!" or "Oh dear!"?
My understanding is that the word oh is an interjection, and should thus be followed by a comma. However, is the second usage the correct one because the ...
2
votes
2answers
142 views
Should I place a comma in “I live in London where I work at a coffeeshop”
Should I put a comma between "London" and "where" in the following sentence, or is it acceptable not to include it?
I live in London where I work at a coffeeshop brewing delicious coffee.
3
votes
1answer
209 views
Use of comma following prepositional phrase
Is a comma required after the date (year only or day of week only) that is in a prepositional phrase before the subject of the sentence? For example:
In 1966 I began college.
0
votes
0answers
78 views
“between __ and __ and between __ and __”: commas? unnecessary “between”? [closed]
In this sentence,
The contrast between the paradoxical associations she makes between earthly matters and ethereality and between heaven and solidity serves as a memorable way to convey to the ...
12
votes
1answer
550 views
Really nice, Mat
I see a lot of people saying things such as
Nice work, Nick
Or
Thanks, Mat
Is the comma really needed? I'm not 100% sure because my spelling and grammar is not great, but I think it reads ...
0
votes
2answers
83 views
Who does “who” apply to in this example?
His governors, some of them incompetent and tactless, quarrelled bitterly with the people, who were constantly demanding greater political control.
In this sentence, who are demanding greater ...
5
votes
2answers
509 views
Using a comma before with “with”
I am trying to document some code and this sentence sounds confusing.
Replaces the existing item associated with the provided key
with newItem.
I am tempted to put a comma here but I am not ...
0
votes
2answers
282 views
Have I used too many commas for this sentence?
Here is what we are trying to say:
Before you hit any of the URLs below, please, make sure you have logged into the application first using your default browser.
Are the commas correctly placed? ...
0
votes
2answers
85 views
How to rigorously define independent clauses? [closed]
Consider the following sentence:
The independent filmmaker Ira Sachs’s drama “Keep the Lights On,”
which opened on Friday, is neither an especially good movie nor an
especially bad one, but ...
4
votes
2answers
103 views
Is this a comma splice: <Independent clause>, I know
Examples:
It's cold, I know.
She's awesome, I know.
Are these comma splices? If not, what is the name of the I know clause?
Is there a name for the whole structure?
3
votes
2answers
133 views
Is a comma in this sentence required? [closed]
In the sentence below, is the comma optional or should it (not) be there? I can hear it there when this is spoken, but I am not convinced it needs to be there in written form.
In order to pass ...
3
votes
1answer
197 views
Salutation punctuation: is “Hi!,” okay? [closed]
A friend of mine uses both an exclamation mark and a comma in his letter salutations, like so:
Hi George!,
I have never seen this before, and was wondering if it's grammatically kosher. ...
2
votes
2answers
666 views
If “whenever possible” is in the middle of a sentence, does it need to be preceded by a comma? [closed]
The sentence in question is "We believe that the best way to think about the mentor-mentee realtionship is to remember that whenever possible, all adults in a child's life should act as a team.
It ...
-1
votes
2answers
311 views
When listing just a last name would it be “Name, Jr.” or “Name Jr”? [closed]
When listing names by just a last name, which is correct:
Surname, Jr.
Surname Jr.
I'd like to know if the comma is required in this context or not.
2
votes
4answers
572 views
Comma placement following a coordinating connector
Is there a de jure standard in print media for comma placement following a coordinating connector?
The situation is perilous, but if we are prepared to act promptly, there is still one chance of ...
-1
votes
1answer
529 views
Is there a comma after and/or before though in a sentence?
Is there a comma after and/or before "though" in a sentence?
For example, I am talking about a method that is very slow. At the end of the paragraph I say:
We will see in the following sections ...
0
votes
1answer
68 views
Is this comma splice? [closed]
Running outdoors burns about five percent more calories than running on a tread mill, in part because there is greater wind resistance outdoors.
Apparently this is correct and there is no comma ...
1
vote
1answer
169 views
Do I need a comma after “when in (%time)”?
The company had just started to make money when in 1914 the World War put an end to its aspirations.
OR:
The company had just started to make money when in 1914, the World War put an end to ...
-1
votes
3answers
97 views
Use of comma after “accidentally” [closed]
Is a comma required after accidentally?
I accidentally sent you the wrong number.
1
vote
4answers
879 views
How do I deal with quotation marks, parenthesis and period all at the end of a sentence? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Where does the period go when using parentheses?
I have never seen this particular issue addressed; I looked around and couldn't see anything that specifically addresses ...
4
votes
2answers
159 views
Proper punctuation of “John’s last words were ‘———’ ” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How should I punctuate around quotes?
When attributing a quote to someone, you put a comma before the quote:
John said, "———"
But is the comma still used in the ...
1
vote
1answer
95 views
“What happens to the comma after an inquiring/exclaiming quotation?”, he wondered, as he posted to StackExchange [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How should I punctuate around quotes?
Forgive me for the creative title, because I'm not sure how else to ask this.
If you have a sentence like this...
"What's ...
0
votes
2answers
160 views
Comma comes before the full subject
I am trying to teach my students about commas and one of them asked if generally, not all the time, a comma comes before the full subject. I believe this is 90% of the time the case. I was wondering ...
2
votes
0answers
30 views
“Please” and comma [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
In what cases should I use a comma after “please”?
Do I have to use comma after "please" in the beginning of the sentence?
E.g.
"Please, specify the ...
2
votes
6answers
290 views
Are these commas placed correctly?
This is the sentence from a newspaper:
Gu Kailai, wife of a Chinese politician at the centre of a major scandal, did not deny murdering a British man during her one-day trial that ended on ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Punctuation in “or in other words”
In a Math.SE question, I used the sentence:
“some two of these propositions are true and the third one is false”, or in other words, “exactly 2 of 3 propositions are true”
Here I used “or in ...
0
votes
2answers
3k views
“Especially” and commas
I'm curious about the correct usage of commas in the following sentence:
"Secondary electron emission from metallic and especially dielectric surfaces is a fundamental process of great technological ...
7
votes
3answers
490 views
Is a comma necessary in “What’s funny, is …”?
In the sentence
What’s funny is Cat’s dry humour.
Wouldn’t it be better to put a comma after “funny”:
What’s funny, is Cat’s dry humour.
This question entails a (at the time of writing) ...
2
votes
5answers
1k views
Semicolons at the end of list items
In school, we were taught to end each list item with a semicolon. But I have never actually seen this. Can somebody please confirm this? Should we end each list item with anything at all?
I've seen ...
6
votes
3answers
375 views
Should the beginner's program read "Hello, World? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Where should the comma be placed in the salutation of a letter?
I was thinking today about comma usage and the typical first output for a beginning programmer. In the ...
1
vote
2answers
198 views
Comma in “more than $6 billion to settle a long-running lawsuit, in a pact that also permits”
Visa Inc., MasterCard Inc. and some large banks agreed to pay scores of retailers—from giant Publix Supermarkets Inc. to an interior-design store in Minnesota—more than $6 billion to settle a ...
4
votes
2answers
145 views
Including a comma to exclude all other people
I am Investigator Ace Sleuth, from the Fuji Apple Sheriff's Department.
I am Investigator Ace Sleuth from the Fuji Apple Sheriff's Department.
The comma in the first sentence implies that ...
3
votes
8answers
382 views
Commas around “and”
I'm at a loss as to how I should title this. I have this sentence:
We have the option to provide notifications via
telephone, and, possibly, email.
I am trying to express several things:
...
5
votes
1answer
851 views
Punctuation of direct speech, edge cases
I recently learned that I have developed a consistent, but entirely wrong approach to punctuating direct speech in fiction. I am in the unenviable position of trying to relearn.
Previously I wrote ...
5
votes
1answer
263 views
What is the name for punctuation marks such as commas and periods that separate things like clauses or sentences?
When I'm editing people's writing, I recently started writing the comment "put an article here" rather than "put a 'the' or 'a' here".
Similarly, right now I have to put, "you need a comma or period ...
-2
votes
2answers
123 views
Can I omit a colon and use a comma instead in this sentence to dramatize?
original sentence -> The purpose is to disclose some information
new sentence -> the purpose: to disclose some information
last version(I'm asking about) -> The purpose, to disclose information
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Usage of “and” and comma when writing numbers UK style
I am trying to understand the rules for writing numbers in words under the UK rules (with "and"). I understand how to write small numbers (up to a few thousands), but I am not sure when to use "and" ...
3
votes
1answer
152 views
Parenthetical commas and foreign English
I advise a friend on her writing, despite not quite knowing an adverb from a proverb (kidding (kinda)).
Invariably, parenthetical commas such as the following:
Jane, my assistant, opened the ...
1
vote
3answers
2k views
Either and vs. Either or
(1) In this question on math.SE a question about the meaning of 'either' before a list which ends with 'and'. The meaning of
either a, b, c, or d
is from this answer sort of clear in that it means ...
3
votes
1answer
93 views
When writing user stories, should there be a comma after “As a User”, and before “I want”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Comma after introductory phrases
Agile software development often encourages people to write up user stories using a given formula. The formula is: "As a User I want to ...
5
votes
2answers
369 views
“Don't worry, …”
"Don't worry, it won't hurt much."
Is the comma the correct punctuation mark to use after "Don't worry"? This seems to be the norm, but I feel like there almost two sentences there and that ...
1
vote
1answer
134 views
Adjective clause with 'so'
I can't find any grammar reference to the correct usage of a specifying adjective clause. Consider an example:
The physical activity, so vital for the developing body, is often overlooked by the ...
1
vote
2answers
201 views
How do I punctuate the phrase “final final exam”?
What is the correct punctuation for a final "final exam" that has been taken?
Should the sentence read:
'That my was my final, final exam!'
or
'That was my final final exam!'
1
vote
1answer
105 views
Use of commas in a subordinate clause
I was about to correct a line like "Townville located in east Blaze County has grown rapidly since 2000 and continues to do so." to "Townville, located in east Blaze County, has grown rapidly since ...
-2
votes
1answer
225 views
Commas and “but”
I was always taught that one of the primary uses of a comma is for when you're divvying up unnecessary parts of sentences (I'll just go ahead and assume that was right). So, when I'm constructing ...
1
vote
1answer
259 views
Should a comma be here or not?
In that eternal moment it sounded like thunder, reminding him that today time isn't on his side.
versus
In that eternal moment it sounded like thunder, reminding him that today, time isn't on ...
-1
votes
0answers
32 views
proper way to use a comma separating 3 (or more) words in a sentence [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should I put a comma before the last item in a list?
Proper English writing is not my strong point so I thought I'd post a question here.
Using the following as an ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
Is “not only… but as well…” grammatical?
I was given a text to read by my teacher which contains the following sentence:
Speaking a foreign language one can not only read the papers, magazines and original books by outstanding writers, ...
