The comma is a punctuation character that is placed on the baseline and looks similar to a single quotation mark.
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In the sentence “You, too.”, is the comma acceptable?
I tend to think it is, as "too" serves the role of a referential phrase, repeating the verb-phrase of a preceding sentence, and "you" acts simply as a subject pronoun. But, I've heard an argument to ...
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2answers
49 views
Comma usage in a letter opening [duplicate]
My colleague and I disagree on how to open a letter; he believes you should separate the salutation from the name, like so:
"Hi, John"
I think this is nonsense and that the comma should go at the ...
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0answers
29 views
Usage of comma before “and” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should I put a comma before the last item in a list?
Which is correct?
Three attributes are considered in this talk: response time, availability, and throughput.
...
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161 views
Should I use the so-called Oxford comma, or not? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should I put a comma before the last item in a list?
Until relatively recent times, I always concluded a series in this manner, eg.: "while walking through the park ...
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76 views
How to use commas in greetings [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Where should the comma be placed in the salutation of a letter?
I've noticed that most of Americans I interact with online have a tendency to begin their emails like ...
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0answers
121 views
comma question: (one, two, and three) vs. (one, two and three) [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Comma before last item in a list
When listing items in a sentence, is it more acceptable to omit the comma between the penultimate and last item? (assume there will ...
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0answers
609 views
Do I need to place a comma before an address? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Where should the comma be placed in the salutation of a letter?
I am not sure if the way I have formulated the title of my question is correct, so if you know better, ...
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3answers
199 views
Is comma needed before “and” in two connecting clauses?
I have the fallowing sentence (I've changed the content to keep it fairly understandable, the relations between the parts are the same).
However, it states in the literature that green people love ...
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3answers
124 views
Does inserting a comma change what is modified?
My question pertains to the usage of comma after a list of clauses of the form
"X, Y, and Z (,) to/in order to <do something>"
Example:
Apply Equation 1, use Lemma 2, and exploit Theorem ...
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2answers
284 views
Using a comma — or other punctuation — at the start of a line
I was always told that, when writing on a page, you should always make sure never to start a new line with a comma.
E.g.
The man was tired
, so he went to bed.
Is this an actual rule, or ...
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3answers
186 views
Comma in “Is milk without coffee, considered latte?”
Is the presence of the comma in, "Is milk without coffee, considered latte?", acceptable usage?
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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 ...
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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 ...
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3answers
171 views
Are semicolons mandatory in a non-bulleted list after a colon?
Are semicolons required (rather than commas) in a list after a colon when the list is not bulleted? I was told that it was a rule, but I can find no authoritative prescriptive source.
Consider the ...
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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? ...
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4answers
270 views
The difference between using a comma or a full stop
What's the difference between "I see, I see" and "I see. I see"? Can one use a comma in between?
The first sentence could be used in formal writing, right?
What about this one: "My house, my rules" ...
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1answer
141 views
Grammar nuances of the following sentence
My lovely idea.
Does this sentence express the idea belonging to me or just the fact that I love the idea (which is not necessary mine)?
I think this exact phrasing and grammar only expresses me ...
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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 ...
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3answers
4k views
How to write a bulleted list? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
Question about Capitalization for a Bullet List
Periods for bullet point items
Should each item be in uppercase or not? I've seen both forms:
Yada, yada, yada, ...
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1answer
19 views
Is it okay to omit the space after a comma in square bracket references, e.g. “[45,46,47,64]” in a research paper
Should you still apply the rule that there is a space after the comma, or is it an accepted practice to omit the space in this case?
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2answers
48 views
Overview of comma and interpunctuation rules
Is there any good summary of comma and interpunctuation rules? I know that English spelling traditionally requires fewer commas than, for example, German, however I am often unsure whether to use a ...
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2answers
90 views
Can “both” be used in this way as an appositive?
Although not a preferred style, in the following example, is it incorrect to treat "both" as an appositive, and therefore to insert commas around it?
Thank you, both, for helping.
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2answers
199 views
Do I need one or more commas in this sentence?
May I suggest that you keep on searching Asda or better yet go back to Primark.
It looks as if at least one comma is needed here. I was thinking:
May I suggest that you keep on searching Asda ...
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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 ...
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2answers
1k views
Does a comma have to be used before a quotation?
If before the quote the word "saying" or "said" is used, does a comma always have to be used before it? When does a comma not have to be used?
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1answer
48 views
Comma usage after the words well done
Do I need to put a comma after done in the sentence
Well done indeed!
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1answer
37 views
Pluralization rules for descriptions
Consider a sentence of the following form:
X, and the Y which comes with it, is good.
Assume X and Y are nouns, and X is singular. Should "is" be replaced with "are"? Is there some other ...
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2answers
66 views
Is a comma appended to an ellipsis in the middle of a quotation?
Digging through every ELU question I can find on the matter, I still can’t locate a specific answer to this question of punctuation. Which of these is correct?
“Maybe...” I said, injecting an ...
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3answers
106 views
Is the last comma in “A, B, and C, do X” correct? [duplicate]
Does the following sentence require a comma after the word "meal?"
Quizzing the waiter, complaining about the menu, and criticizing the meal, detract from your advocacy.
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1answer
63 views
Comma with explanatory insertions?
I wonder if there should be commas in this sentence:
Method A translates votes into seats such that, for each
constituency, fixed seat-contingents are met.
Method A translates votes into seats such ...
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3answers
115 views
Punctuation and word choice in one particular sentence
I'm wondering, what is the correct punctuation in this sentence:
In OOP, each object contains data and a set of methods, which operate
on the data.
I read the rules about restrictive and ...
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1answer
436 views
Is there a comma after “As of today”?
As of today(?) I'm a student of a prestigious university.
Should there be a comma after "As of today"?
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1answer
282 views
Is “at least” a parenthetical expression requiring commas?
Is this sentence punctuated correctly with no commas surrounding "at least," or does it need them?
Why or why not?
Adverbial phrase? Essential or nonessential?
I have been looking at it too long and ...
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2answers
230 views
Comma use in “I am passionate about X, whether it be …”
I have trouble telling when I’m overusing commas. My question is if the comma between undertake and whether is needed:
I am passionate about the quality of work I undertake, whether it be school ...
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2answers
105 views
How can this sentence be written correctly? [closed]
Our interactive products are fun to use on desktop, mobile and touchscreen devices, just look awesome and are driven by the latest technology.
The commas don't seem right to me. Shouldn't there ...
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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 ...
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1answer
42 views
Comma placement in “Another, just as important, aspect”
Is the comma placement correct in
Another, just as important, aspect is. . . .
or should they rather be omitted?
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1answer
87 views
Comma Rules: Conflicting Rules Concerning the Setting Off of Commas
I've got a sentence where the independent clause is in the front, a contrasting phrase follows, and then a simile is made to modify or elaborate the contrasting phrase. I am wondering where commas ...
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3answers
120 views
The usage of quotation marks
I'm discussing and comparing two books and I want to know if I'm using quotation marks correctly:
Both books are known for being existential and the reader is bombarded with questions throughout ...
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1answer
91 views
Comma or Semicolon
I'm wondering if the comma placed after event is being used appropriately or if it should be replaced with a semicolon. This is part of a resume so I am trying to keep this information to one ...
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1answer
108 views
Comma usage after a direct quote? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Punctuation of direct speech, edge cases
Schwimmer promised Ciccaroni “nothing would happen to any teacher of mine under my watch,” and told him not to bring any ...
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1answer
880 views
“—” vs. “;” vs. “,” vs. “()” — what's the difference? [closed]
All of these punctuation marks seem to have the same purpose.
Is there any general guideline for picking one for each use case?
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2answers
317 views
Repeating “to” in a list of verbs connected by “and”
"This group’s main duties are to carry out information systems audits in Colombian banks and to make research and develop new regulations on information technologies and systems in the banking ...
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2answers
263 views
How to join the conclusion to the sentence?
I am in the process of creating a post on one of the other Stackexchange sites, and I came across something I've been wanting to ask for a while:
When I VPN to work from my Windows desktop, I ...
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1answer
76 views
Do you have to capitalize a question that is after a comma?
Do you have to capitalize a question that is after a comma?
Example:
I'm not hungry, why do I have to eat?
EDIT
The sentence are formed by dependent clauses with the next structure:
...
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3answers
90 views
Comma or full stop after ''come on''?
I’ve always wondered whether you should put a full stop or a comma after come on.
Come on, it’s just over there!
Come on. It’s just over there!
Which one is right?
0
votes
1answer
164 views
Where do I put a comma when I have quotes around a short story, and the sentence structure needs a comma? [duplicate]
Where do I put a comma when I have quotes around a short story, and the sentence structure needs a comma? I know that, generally, commas go inside of quotes, but what if the quotes are marking a short ...
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0answers
15 views
specific usage of a comma question [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Comma in “Before I go I will return the book”
I'm wondering about the following sentence - is the comma required, optional, or unnecessary?
"Until I get my laptop I have ...
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0answers
32 views
Only phrase is always inverted? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Inversion in "only [adverb] have they"
Subject-auxiliary inversions not associated with questions
Reason for subject-verb inversion: "Only in cases where A is B, shall the ...
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0answers
25 views
Should there be a comma before ‘and’ with respect to different nouns? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should I put a comma before the last item in a list?
What is the difference between tomato puree, paste, and sauce?
OR
What is the difference between tomato ...
