''1: Help! Please.'' ''2: Help, please!''

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Jackson6612

#415577 Fri, 07 Sep 07 06:21 PM

Which version is correct and why?

1: Help! Please.

2: Help, please!

Jackson6612

Joined on Wed, Dec 27 2006

Senior Member (3,120)

NOTE: When you reply to my post, please look for mistakes in grammar, syntax or punctuation, and let me know of any suggestions you have. Thank you.

Wanwo

#415589 Fri, 07 Sep 07 07:09 PM

Both are correct but I think the second one sounds better. If you put the exclamation mark after Help then it seems strange to then add please afterwards.

Wanwo

Joined on Thu, Aug 16 2007

Location: The Internet

Full Member (101)

English is my first language. I've been speaking it for nearly 40 years. I'm currently learning Japanese and need all the help I can get!

Exclamation marks

Jackson6612

#415601 Fri, 07 Sep 07 08:02 PM

Wanwo wrote:

If you put the exclamation mark after Help then it seems strange to then add please afterwards.

I couldn't understand red part of the above sentence. Please clarify. Thanks.

Jackson6612

Exclamation marks

ScratchThat

#415617 Fri, 07 Sep 07 08:27 PM

You're using exclamation points to try to approximate the forcefulness used in someone's voice, and that is subjective. That said,

"Help! Please." does not sound natural. Why would someone yell "Help!" then say, "Please."?

So I think that either, "Help, please!" or "Help! Please!" would be preferable, depending on what kind of voice you are trying to convey.

ScratchThat

Joined on Wed, Sep 5 2007

New Member (22)