The comma is a punctuation character that is placed on the baseline and looks similar to a single quotation mark.
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3answers
162 views
Breaking comma rules to emphasize a pause in a character quote or elsewhere
My wife is writing a book, and just got a draft back from an editor.
The editor noted extra commas in numerous sentences like this:
He looked at her closely, but all she said was, "I am truly ...
3
votes
1answer
203 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. ...
3
votes
2answers
264 views
Punctuation with block-quotes
How do I properly place a comma after a big block-quote? Let's say I have a sentence like this:
The author states: < a big quote goes here. >, therefore...
Since my sentence continues after ...
3
votes
2answers
209 views
Larry Trask seems to be violating rules about commas as mentioned in his own guide
I was reading Larry Trask's guide on how to use the comma. His node11.html mentions that we should not use a joining comma before any word other than and, or, but, while and yet.
But in node13.html, ...
3
votes
4answers
235 views
Comma use: “from the ground up” or “from the ground, up”?
Is it appropriate to use a comma in the expression: ..."from the ground, up" or should there be no comma?
Without a comma, the expression seems strange to me. I've been criticized by a non-native ...
3
votes
3answers
200 views
Is “ .. the war on drugs has not, and cannot, be won.” correctly punctuated?
The quote in the title of this post is an extract from the official report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy, authored among others by Kofi Annan. To me the comma is clearly misplaced. But is ...
3
votes
1answer
709 views
Does a comma have to be used before 'because'?
I have a big house because my parents are rich.
I have a big house, because my parents are rich.
Are there are some exceptions as well?
3
votes
1answer
977 views
Comma before “and”
I read this sentence on an educational website:
Now times have changed and you are ready for situations involving forces in two dimensions.
Shouldn't there be a comma before and, since the ...
3
votes
1answer
374 views
Use of a comma within a descriptive phrase
In the sentence "Their work involves commercial solar heating systems," should there be a comma after the word "commercial"? These are solar heating systems for commercial use as opposed to private ...
3
votes
1answer
219 views
Confused as to whether I should use commas or not
I am getting some gifts engraved for my wedding party and I can't decide whether to use commas or not. Should it be:
Thank you Neil
for being our Usher
or:
Thank you, Neil,
for being our ...
3
votes
3answers
128 views
How to join two phrases sharing a common ending
One of my professors asked me if I would be working on an assignment alone or in a group. I responded by saying:
I was looking at the assignment and I feel that I am capable of, and therefore ...
3
votes
1answer
262 views
Comma — a punctuation error?
Consider:
This book provides a solid psychological understanding of these experiments, and adds a few expansions and conclusions of its own. It also provides …
My question regards the comma. I ...
3
votes
1answer
210 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.
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votes
2answers
173 views
Is this a correct use for semicolons?
Is this sentence punctuated correctly?
Not only am I a wife, but a mother; not only a daughter, but a sister; not only a coworker, but a friend.
3
votes
2answers
120 views
What is the preferred way to write this type of sentence?
Sally (the mayors daughter) donated to the Salvation Army yesterday.
or
Sally, the mayors daughter, donated to the Salvation Army yesterday.
3
votes
2answers
889 views
Can I use an ellipsis before a comma?
On a particular piece of dialogue and I wasn't sure if this was correct or just a matter of style.
"[...] your shield, you don’t deserve..., nor how can I put into the line?”
My question is the ...
3
votes
3answers
240 views
What is a correct punctuation for a sentence starting with “One more thing”?
In the following sentence what would be the correct punctuation
One more thing don't tell anyone about our conversation.
Should "One more thing" be separated by comma, dash or colon? Or perhaps ...
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 ...
3
votes
1answer
45 views
Punctuation for a Shakespeare quote
I am putting a quote on a plaque, but am uncertain how to punctuate it. Any help would be appreciated.
This above all: to thine own self be true
Do I put in a comma (which is in the original ...
3
votes
2answers
179 views
Too many “and”s? Is it grammatically correct?
A friend of mine (a non-native speaker of English) has asked me to check her CV and I'm afraid / ashamed to say, I'm having trouble.
Are there too many "and"s in the given sentence? It seems OK to ...
3
votes
1answer
110 views
Where shall I put the comma in this sentence?
I'm not sure whether I should write like this:
Try A or, a more famous one, B.
Or like this
Try A, or a more famous one, B.
Or try other forms to avoid expression like this.
Does anyone ...
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
2answers
112 views
Will the comma suffice to indicate whether the subject or the object is being modified?
There are two separate meanings I'm trying to convey with the following two sentences:
1) "I painted my brother sitting against the wall."
2) "I painted my brother, sitting against the ...
3
votes
2answers
153 views
How to use AP Style commas after dates
I was wondering how you are supposed to use commas after full dates in AP style.
I've been told to always put a comma after the year, like in the sentence:
On April 4th, 2012, I found a cat.
...
3
votes
1answer
154 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 ...
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votes
0answers
32 views
References to words in comma separated clause
Is this sentence grammatically correct?
It seems to me that, since many of the speakers are in high-demand, some of them may not stay for the entire conference.
As I understand it, if we remove ...
3
votes
0answers
125 views
Usage of 'and' with commas [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Comma before last item in a list
I grew up learning British English rules and we were taught that while using commas to list or enumerate items, there should never be a ...
2
votes
5answers
6k views
When does a comma change the meaning of a sentence?
Match the two sentences with their meaning:
1) I had a discussion with a friend and a programmer.
2) I had a discussion with a friend, and a programmer.
Meanings:
a) I talked to a ...
2
votes
6answers
291 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
4answers
367 views
Are commas properly used in “He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.”?
George Bernard Shaw said, "He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches." Are commas properly used in these sentences? In my mind, the comma in each sentence improperly separates the noun ("he") from the ...
2
votes
3answers
1k views
Comma placement: “Hi, my name is Joe and I work in a button factory.”
Will someone please tell me where commas should go in the following sentence:
Hi, my name is Joe and I work in a button factory.
2
votes
4answers
680 views
Punctuation around the word “OK” at the end of a sentence
If a sentence ends in "OK", and the sentence is a request, usually there is a comma before the OK and a question mark after it.
The comma signifies a pause, correct? What if there was no pause, then ...
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 ...
2
votes
5answers
228 views
Should there be a comma or a colon here?
His latest album is Foo featuring his band, Bar.
His latest album is Foo featuring his band: Bar.
Which is the more appropriate way to punctuate the sentence?
2
votes
2answers
290 views
Can “;” be used to replace the word “but”?
Are these two sentences both correct and equivalent?
People say stuff like "all lawyers are
liars", but it's not true.
People say stuff like "all lawyers are
liars"; it's not true.
Is ...
2
votes
2answers
141 views
Usage of a comma in a dedication
Does the dedication "To my beloved John" need a comma after "beloved"?
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votes
2answers
470 views
Should the title of a short story have a comma after it if it is the subject of a sentence?
A friend of mine was asking me this question. She used the following sentence in her essay for her English class:
"Harrison Bergeron" is a laughable read.
However, her English professor marked this ...
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 ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
Sincerely [comma?] name [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should you use a comma/period after “Thanks”/“Regards” in email signatures?
I see answers on how to end a letter putting a comma after for example sincerely, like:
...
2
votes
1answer
400 views
Punctuation after valediction [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should you use a comma/period after “Thanks”/“Regards” in email signatures?
When writing a letter, do we put a comma or a period after the ...
2
votes
2answers
977 views
…Capital letter after period(s)?
Excuse my terrible English knowledge, but I have been wondering this for some time already:
What is correct for the next phrase?:
And he was there. alone. sad. and crying...
or
And he was ...
2
votes
2answers
143 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.
2
votes
4answers
579 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 ...
2
votes
2answers
206 views
checking parts of speech pattern of this sentence
I wonder if the following sentence is grammatically correct.
Foobar is a novel, set in a scenic landscape of farmland and ancient woodland on the banks of the River Foo.
I suppose the word "set" ...
2
votes
3answers
152 views
How do you punctuate around parentheses?
Which of these punctuation examples is more correct?
On December 7, 1941, ("a date which will live in infamy") Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.
On December 7, 1941 ("a date which will live in ...
2
votes
2answers
5k views
Comma before quote marks around article title?
I'm thinking about making a headline. I know you would use a comma here:
Professor Bill Bick then told me, "There will be more jobs when the
economy recovers."
What about here?
Read ...
2
votes
3answers
785 views
Commas after Conjunctions
So we've already discussed at length whether it's okay to start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction, and it's pretty clear that it is (and I've already done it in this sentence). But (there we ...
2
votes
2answers
113 views
Should I use a comma in written instructions?
I'm writing a technical user guide for a piece of software and am not sure whether I should be using a comma or not when giving instructions. Which of the following is correct?
To add a new item ...
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 ...
