This question is Not Answered
|
|
|
|
|
|
maj
+
3436
Mon, 04 Aug 03 06:39 PM
Could somebody post the most basic punctuation rules, the ones that we should all respect?
Joined on
Mon, Mar 31 2003
Senior Member
4,756
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
hitchhiker
+
3498
Tue, 05 Aug 03 02:41 AM
I was always told to "keep punctuation to a minimum!". Apparently native English speakers use too much in their writing.
Joined on
Mon, Nov 18 2002
Richmond, UK
Senior Member
3,551
"They obstinately persisted in their absence." —HGTG
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
kitkattail
+
4053
Tue, 12 Aug 03 09:37 AM
As far as I'm concerned, the most important punctuation rule is that the comma splice should be avoided. It is an evil, evil, evil, evil thing. It is the bane of my existence.
Joined on
Tue, Aug 12 2003
Toronto
Full Member
400
|
|
|
|
|
maj,
5 yr 328 days ago
"You have to be cruel to be kind"
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jacko
+
4112
Tue, 12 Aug 03 07:55 PM
"It is an evil, evil, evil, evil thing."
This is not a comma splice. I don't know what it's called, but I certainly don't see two independent clauses here. Also, in writing, this (evil, evil, evil, evil) can easily be avoided because writing this way makes writing carry a conversational tone. However, I guess this is acceptable if you can (try hard to) weave it to create a good stylistic effect on paper.
Joined on
Fri, Jun 20 2003
Full Member
215
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
kitkattail
+
4127
Wed, 13 Aug 03 12:07 AM
Oh, yes yes, I know. I wasn't trying to be witty by committing my own error; I was merely expressing my hatred of the comma splice. (Note the semicolon in the previous sentence... you see? ![Wink [;)]](/emoticons/emotion-5.gif) )
The evil, evil, etc. thing is not technically wrong, merely redundant and kind of stupid. As you said, it's a conversational thing, and that's how I was using it. I find it sort of quaint.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jacko
+
4191
Wed, 13 Aug 03 10:15 AM
Do you know what it's called though? I would really like to know because learning new stuff is fun (haha, the geeky side in me is kicking again lol)! I used some stupid techniques when I write my essay, such as purposely making two sentences redundant side by side. I guess it's nice to break those stupid grammar rules every once in a while.
BTW, I hope you didn't take my post in a negative way because it's really hard to convey emotions by reading ASCII characters.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
kitkattail
+
4214
Wed, 13 Aug 03 03:59 PM
Oh, no worries. I'm not as snivelly as all that.
I don't think it has a name. As I said, it's not a grammatical error, really, but merely a stylistic error. I would just call it redundancy, myself.
|
|
|
|
|
|