Search results for 'tag:Commas tag:Direct objects' matching tags 'Commas' and 'Direct objects'

Re: quick question

Nellisha — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:05:39 GMT

I do not think there is any comma required. "that we can..." is a noun clause which functions as direct object so it is ok without comma in front of THAT. The comma is required especially in appositives.

Re: Plz Correct me !

Cute572 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:09:19 GMT

Thanks Goodman!

Could anyone tell me, in descriptive writing what tense usually writer choose.

And Guys please reply my 2nd post last two sentenses as well. And explain we can separate verb and subject i.e mirror and curtain, by using comma for emphasis like Feebs did?

Third sentence, I have made some changes. Please check this as well.

The soft curtain hanging and swinging [I am not using comma because it will separate both curtain Subject and hanging Verb] over the rood with moving winds and touching my chair [or desk] unintentionally. [This adverb is appropriate fits?]

Or following structure seemed less congested

The soft curtain hanging over a rood, and swinging with moving [can use melodious or rythemetic or some word instead of moving?] winds; [semicolon used here or comma ?] somehow, [comma is ok here?] unintentionally touches my chair at constant intervals. [puntucation is correct ?]

And what about this similar sentence grammar?

Above window, long rood holds the curtain from the upper edge of window. Is it ok to use and we would this underline part direct object ?

I request to explain each of these three versions with punctuation i used

Thanks !

Re: Questions about "..so...as.." , commas and singular or plurar problems

Gatekeeper — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 18:24:36 GMT

(Numbered 1 through 8 according to your blue question)

1. Not following the question.. sorry.
2. I believe it is a nonessential relative clause. - But I can't come up with a reasonable answer for your question at the moment.
3 & 4: In both cases, the phrase which you are calling a "dependence clause" (which, by the way, should be dependent, instead of dependence) is not. They are two independent clauses. For example,
Stories about air travel mishaps are carefully edited out of news programs prepared for in-flight viewing. They (or Airlines) have no desire to increase the anxiety some passengers already feel about flying.
When you combine two independent clauses with a conjunction, it is customary to use a comma.
5. D is not correct. Check the book again, I believe (from a quick search on Google) that it should be E (or "His right hand and arm crippled by a...")
6. D seems like a better choice. The subject-verb matches with that option.
7. Fascination has grown a market. (subject - verb - direct object)
8. "declining values" subject; "are" verb

Re: as-as

rvw — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 21:14:06 GMT

In these different constructions, different types of things are ellipted.

1) My father bought me a cell phone which is as small as a mouse. [Which is is understood, or ellipted. Which is as small as a mouse is an adjective clause that modifies phone. Actually, is small after mouse is also ellipted-- which is as small as a mouse is small is the whole meaning.]

[2) This sentence is too awkward. Reword it.]

3) I caught as many fish as Mike caught. [The first as is an adverb modifying many. The second as is a conjunction that introduces the clause Mike caught, in which caught is ellipted.]

In analyzing numbers 4 and 5, I am taking artistic license. The indicated pauses would be acceptable in a novel, but not in a formal essay. On a grammar test, 4 and 5 are probably meant to be marked wrong.

4) I caught fish -- I caught as many as Mike caught. Or: I caught fish ... as many as Mike caught. [The pause is really too long to be indicated by a comma. Three dots or a dash indicate the pause's length better. The second clause is more like a separate sentence, but one can imagine someone saying "I caught fish," then pausing, then adding boastfully "as many as Mike caught."]

5) I spent money -- I spent as much as you spent. Or: I spent money ... as much as you spent. [This is like number 4.]

6) I spent as much money as you spent. [This can be analyzed as number 3 was.]

The noun in an as...as construction may be ellipted if the context makes it clear what is being referred to. "We went fishing. I caught as many as Mike." Since that which is normally spent is money, "I spent as much as you" by itself is acceptable.

Now to answer your questions.

In both the constuctions you asked about, the first as is an adverb and the second as is a conjunction. Both constructions sound natural.

My father bought me a cell phone [which is] as small as a mouse. Within the adjective clause, small is the subjective complement of which, the first as modifies small, and the second as introduces the ellipted clause a mouse [is small].

I caught as many fish as Mike [caught]. Fish is the direct object of caught. Many is an adjective modifying fish, and the first as is an adverb modifying many. Again, the second as is a conjunction.

I addressed your second question in my comments about numbers 4 and 5.

Re: Question on using comma (Some more questions)

Wytam — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 06:39:49 GMT

Refer to the message posted on 24 Jan, would anyone please answer the following (the content is same as 24 Jan):

Wytam wrote:

Many thanks for your help!

Some more questions in modified cases:
(1) Susan puts some nuts on the chocolate cake in strawberry sauce, which are her favourites.
1a- Is it proper English?

1b- Is "her favourites" referring to "some nuts"? Should it be more clear to the meaning? Any other possible meaning?

(2) Susan puts a cherry on the chocolate cake in strawberry sauce, which is her favourite.

2a- Recap to Clive's reply, the meaning of (2) should be unclear. Now the direct object (cherry) is singular. Could "her favourite" refer to "a cherry"?

2b- Is "her favourite" will still inclined to be 'chocolate cake in strawberry sauce' as it is the nearest words to "her favourite".

2c- Could it mean "her favourite" = "a cherry on the chocolate cake in strawberry saurce"? if not, how to present for that meaning?

2d- If "her favourite" is just "the cherry", then "Susan puts a cherry, which is her favourite, on the chocolate cake in strawberry sauce." Right?

2e- If "her favourite" is just "the cake", then "Susan puts a cherry on the chocolate cake, which is her favourite, in strawberry sauce." Right?

2f- In general specking, is it not proper to make such an unclear sentence? Any exception?

3.1) She put the card into a big envelope with a red sign. i.e. the sign would be probably on the envelope.

3.2)She put the card into a big envelop, with a red sign. i.e. the sign would be in the envelope.

Is it proper to make such sentences as 3.1 or 3.2? If they are proper sentences, how to distinguish the meaning in oral English as a comma is just a short pause in conversation.

Re: Question on using comma (Some more questions)

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 18:52:53 GMT

Some other questions:

1) We must develop all the natural substances in our country which can make us rich.
- is it grammatically correct?

- "our country" is the nearest to "which" but it doesn't sound like.

- Should "which" refer to the natural substance as it is the direct object? Is it because "our country" is just adverb?

- any other possible meaning?

2) We must develop all the natural substances in our country, which can make us rich.

- is it grammatically correct?

- Should "which" refer to "develop all the natural substances in our country"?

- any other possible meaning?

Re: Question on using comma (Some more questions)

Wytam — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 18:30:19 GMT

Many thanks for your help!

Some more questions in modified cases:
(1) Susan puts some nuts on the chocolate cake in strawberry sauce, which are her favourites.
1a- Is it proper English?

1b- Is "her favourites" referring to "some nuts"? Should it be more clear to the meaning? Any other possible meaning?

(2) Susan puts a cherry on the chocolate cake in strawberry sauce, which is her favourite.

2a- Recap to Clive's reply, the meaning of (2) should be unclear. Now the direct object (cherry) is singular. Could "her favourite" refer to "a cherry"?

2b- Is "her favourite" will still inclined to be 'chocolate cake in strawberry sauce' as it is the nearest words to "her favourite".

2c- Could it mean "her favourite" = "a cherry on the chocolate cake in strawberry saurce"? if not, how to present for that meaning?

2d- If "her favourite" is just "the cherry", then "Susan puts a cherry, which is her favourite, on the chocolate cake in strawberry sauce." Right?

2e- If "her favourite" is just "the cake", then "Susan puts a cherry on the chocolate cake, which is her favourite, in strawberry sauce." Right?

2f- In general specking, is it not proper to make such an unclear sentence? Any exception?

3.1) She put the card into a big envelope with a red sign. i.e. the sign would be probably on the envelope.

3.2)She put the card into a big envelop, with a red sign. i.e. the sign would be in the envelope.

Is it proper to make such sentences as 3.1 or 3.2? If they are proper sentences, how to distinguish the meaning in oral English as a comma is just a short pause in conversation.

Re: Question in using comma

Clive — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 23:25:30 GMT

Hi,

I've corrected a few small errors in your examples.

1) Susan puts some nuts on the chocolate cake in strawberry sauce which is her favourite.
-- What is her favour? Nuts (direct object), chocolate cake (indirect object) or strawberry saurce (adverb?)? It can't be nuts, because the verb 'is' is singular. It's not a well-written sentence without the comma after sauce. The meaning is unclear, it could be either 'cake' or 'sauce', but I'd be inclined to think of 'chocolate cake in strawberry sauce' as a unit, as the name of a 'thing', and that 'hting' is her favourite.

if there is a commor after saurce, i.e. "May puts some nuts on the chocolate cake in strawberry saurce, which is her favour."
That means her favour = some nuts on the chocolate cake in strawberry saurce. right? No, I'd really make the same comment as I did above.

2) She put the card into a big envelope with a red sign.
-- Where is the red sign? the card (direct object), envelope (in-direct object? adverb?) It's unclear. I'd thing it's probably on the envelope.

-- If the red sign is on the envelope, would the sentence be:
She put the card, into a big envelop with a red sign. No. This is just wrong. Did you mean to put the comma aafter envelope? hat way, I think the sign would be in the envelope.

-- If the red sign is on the card, would the sentence be:
She put the card, with a red sign, into a big envelop. No. You need to omit the comma after 'card'. And you shouldn't put a comma after sign, either.

3) Any book suggestion for building complex sentance? No, sorry. there are lots of good grammar books around, just choose one. Then read a lot, and practice a lot.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: can you please help me?!?!

Voxxi — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 17:33:54 GMT

Originally:

We get fringe benefits not French benefits.

Is 'not French benefits' a second clause, or is it just a part of a direct object?

Me:

There is one clause, I believe. "not French benefits" could be either an appositional phrase OR a second part of the direct object, depending on whether, respectively, a comma or a coordinating conjunction, an "and" or -- better, maybe -- a "but", is placed between "benefits" and "not." Either way is OK, I think. It is possible to re-state something in negative terms. For example, one can define a "cow" as "not a bull" when the context makes misunderstandings unlikely.

My own preference is for the second alternative --> compound direct object.

Re: can you please help me?!?!

Philip — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 15:51:29 GMT

Katkica wrote:

How would you analyse this one:

We get fringe benefits not French benefits.

Is 'not French benefits' a second clause, or is it just a part of a direct object?

Please, you will save my life

The addition of a simple comma will make the last part an appositive: We get fringe benefits, not French benefits.