By Commas, Constructions

On the use of "by" and on the use of commas

Dear All,while reading the proof of a manuscript, I noticed that the journal proofreader made a few changes I do not really understand. Therefore I would be grateful if you could enlighten me on the following: 1) By using the hypotheses of this theorem, we will prove that... Is "by"...

Re: The effect of this sentence...?

I've never liked the "as per" construction, even though it's correct and you will see it used often. I much prefer "in accordance with" in a case like this.Also, "Delegates are able to register for particular conferences."

Re: A question about commas

Hi again, This is where I got the idea from: A comma before the final and, or, or nor in a list of more than two things is called a serial comma or an Oxford comma: Yes. Search the Forum for 'Oxford comma', and you'll get lots of discussion. We had milk, biscuits, and cream. It...

Re: Comma usage after however

However is really a comparative and shouldn't be used in place of "though" or "although." For example, the sentences "She was very bright. However, she wasn't as bright as she thought she was" should be constructed "She was very bright although she...

Louis MacNeice - Sunday Morning

Hi i have an essay to write on Louis Macneice's - Sunday Morning. I was wondering if anybody could help me analyse it as i have a very hard time reading and understanding poetry. Any help would be amazing - meaning, use of enjambment, causuras, repetition, aliteration, assonance, etc. Thanks...

Re: not / neither / nor

Hi Yoong Liat, Thank you kindly for keeping your promise. (I'm still struggling with trying to keep mine to Tanit.) If you note my original post at the beginning of this thread, you'll find the Beatles construction is one which my ear accepts. What I still find awkward is,...

Re: Districts won

Liveinjapan wrote: Most Republican contests are winner-take-all, but most Democratic contests are awarded proportionally, based on the number of congressional districts won. The comma should not be omitted, right? Is won a past participle refers to districts? ThanksLiJRight. Keep the...

Re: can you tell me who is he / who he is

Should't I say "Can you tell me who he is?" ?Yes, you should. However, if you make a pause when speaking (shown by the comma), you might say Can you tell me, who is he? The preferred punctuation (shown below) correctly shows this construction as two sentences: Can you tell me? Who is...

Re: Uses of "which" and "that".

Akavall wrote:I am not really sure when I should use "which" and "that". Should I use "that" in this sentence? New York is a city that attracts a lot of tourists. And should I use "which" in this sentence? New York is a city, which attracts a lot of tourists, is one of the most expensive...

Re: including, but [is] not limited to,

However, the boss doesn't get a free pass. The original construction is a comma splice: two independent clauses joined by a comma. You need to use either a period or a semi-colon between them.