ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: commas...

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:43:15 GMT

Mister Micawber

Why don't you place them, and we'll correct them? ... And check your spelling.

This novel a best seller has no real literary meritt.

Re: Help commas commas and more commas...

Clive — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:07:05 GMT

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

I need help with a comma sentence that I have, I cannot figure out as to which comma rule the following sentence would fall under~~ If anyone knows please help me. Here is the sentence: "Therewere 40,000 people at the last concert."

I'd simply say 'A comma is normally used to make large numbers more readable, by indicating thousands (and millions, etc.)'.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Help commas commas and more commas...

Camie — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:45:08 GMT

Re: commas...

Grammar Geek — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:08:44 GMT

Wade Urban and, I believe, Mike Krzyzewski were two of the guys running along side me.

The "I believe" is the parenthetical comment - the part that can come out and not affect the grammatical flow of the sentence - so it should be set off iwth commas.

Re: commas...

Petej — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:25:57 GMT

Can you help with the correct punctuation of the sentences below? I am leaning toward the third sentence as the correct answer.

Wade Urban and, I believe, Mike Krzyzewski were two of the guys running along side me.

Wade Urban and, I believe Mike Krzyzewski, were two of the guys running along side me.

Wade Urban and I believe Mike Krzyzewski were two of the guys running along side me.

I would appreciate the help.

Re: Help commas commas and more commas...

Marius Hancu — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 22:53:29 GMT

Clive wrote:

What's the rule for Canadian provinces? e.g., Do you find Toronto, Ontario, to be very cold in the winter? It's hard for me to say. In writing, I'd put the comma.

Me too.

Re: Help commas commas and more commas...

Marius Hancu — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 22:51:55 GMT

Grammar Geek wrote:
Perhaps this is another American thing, but here you always put a comma before AND after the state name when a city name is also included.

That is my understanding too, and I feel it's justified.

Re: Help commas commas and more commas...

Seloc@n — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 22:32:56 GMT

thanks to you all for explanations

Re: Help commas commas and more commas...

Grammar Geek — Fri, 12 May 2006 18:23:14 GMT

Oh sorry! Blueline is the final proof from the printer before your product is printed (or "goes to press"). Once you're "at blueline" in a print production schedule, the press is ready to roll and you're doing the final, final check. In the days before digitial priting, a change at blueline was very expensive, because they would have to redo the plates. Now, it's not so much, but you'll still incur additional charges for making changes at that point. So when I say "I'd make the change at blueline" it means I feel strongly enough about it that I'd take on the extra charge for making the change because I really think it needs to be there.

What about England? Do you write "First we go to Harrogate, Yorkshire, and then on to York"?

Re: Help commas commas and more commas...

Clive — Fri, 12 May 2006 05:34:44 GMT

Hi,

What's the rule for Canadian provinces? e.g., Do you find Toronto, Ontario, to be very cold in the winter? It's hard for me to say. In writing, I'd put the comma. In speaking, I know I probably should, but I don't feel I always pause at that point. In addition, we live in times of increasingly minimized commas.

What does blueline refer to? Is it the border line between states that are politically red and blue?

Clive

Re: Help commas commas and more commas...

Grammar Geek — Fri, 12 May 2006 04:07:44 GMT

I'm biting my tongue - if my own father weren't from Arkansas, I'd make a snide comment about literacy and Arkansas... As you probably know, it has a less-than-stellar reputation for that. But it wouldn't be kind to do so and not at all fair to generalize. I'd add a comma after a state even at blueline.

What's the rule for Canadian provinces? e.g., Do you find Toronto, Ontario, to be very cold in the winter?

Re: Help commas commas and more commas...

Clive — Fri, 12 May 2006 03:39:29 GMT

Hi GG,

I took a quick look via google, and I'd hesitate to say always a comma after Arkansas.

eg from the Little Rock tourist site at www.littlerock.com -

A dynamic state capital, Little Rock, Arkansas offers exciting nightlife, a vibrant downtown convention and entertainment district, a wealth of unique sightseeing, [etc. etc.]

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Help commas commas and more commas...

Grammar Geek — Fri, 12 May 2006 01:41:01 GMT

Perhaps this is another American thing, but here you always put a comma before AND after the state name when a city name is also included.

A comment on Miriam's post on the restrictive vs. non-restrictive - if you don't use the comma and want to use the phrase to differentiate which machine, then you would use "that" instead of "which."

Edited: Apparently the difference between that and which with the former being used only for restrictive and the latter for non-restrictive is not universal. One site I just looked at says in particular that BrE doesn't differentiate this way, although AmE does.

Re: Help commas commas and more commas...

Clive — Thu, 11 May 2006 23:49:34 GMT

Hi,

1. They became ill during the long, severe winter. OK

2. No, he hasn't called on us either, this month or last month. With the comma after 'either', the meaning is 'During this month or last month, he hasn't called on you and he hasn't called on us either'.

On the other hand, if you move the comma from after 'either' to before it, the meaning becomes 'He has called on us neither this month nor last month'.

3. After he began the meeting, he said, "I'm going home." I don't feel the comma after 'meeting' is absolutely necessary. Other people may disagree.

4. Little Rock, Arkansas was the scene of tragedy and strife. Again, I don't feel a comma after Arkansas is really necessary.

5. The new machine, which I haven't ever learned to operate, is out of order.

6. Did the novelist Ernest Hemingway once live here? (I don't think a comma is needed) The question seems to be whther to put commas both before and after 'Ernest Hemingway'. I wouldn't. The phrase ' the novelist Ernest Hemingway ' seems like a single unit, because Hemingway is so well known as a novelist. However, if the novelist were unknown, I'd be more inclined to write commas before and after his name.

As I said, other people may offer you other opinions.

{I just noticed that this is a rehash of a pretty old query.}

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Help commas commas and more commas...

Anonymous — Thu, 11 May 2006 23:02:36 GMT

Need2Know wrote:
I'm trying to correct my exercise.
Place the comma where it belongs.

1. They became ill during the long, severe winter.

2. No he hasn't called on us either, this month or last month.

3. After he began the metting he said, "I'm going home."

4. Little Rock, Arkansas was the scene of tragedy and strife.

5. The new machine, which I haven't ever learned to operate is out of order.

6. Did the novelist Ernest Hemingway once live here? (I don't think a comma is needed)

Your help is appreciated.

(I've added the comma where I believe it should placed.