Search results for 'tag:Commas tag:Negations' matching tags 'Commas' and 'Negations'

Adverbs of frequency

Kooyeen — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 23:54:56 GMT

Hi,
this has been asked more than once I guess, but I decided to put it neatly this way:
Consider: usually, often, rarely, sometimes.
Where is it possible to place them in a sentence? I wrote my choices in blue.

I do it. <--- this is an affirmative sentence.
At the beginning: often (with or without comma), rarely (with comma), sometimes (with or without comma), usually (with or without comma)
Before the main verb: all of them
At the end: usually (with comma), often (with or without comma), rarely (with or without comma), sometimes (with or without comma)

I don't do it. <---- this is a negative sentence.
At the beginning: often (with or without comma), rarely (with comma) sometimes (with or without comma), usually (with comma)
Before the negation: all of them
After the negation: usually, often
At the end: all of them (with or without comma) Note: the comma changes the meaning and the stress in the sentence

Other note: I am aware that the position of adverbs in negative questions influences the meaning.

Thanks in advance.

Re: Negation/punctuation

khoff — Sun, 29 May 2005 01:42:46 GMT

"She didn't like him because he was rich."

Here's another possibility that hasn't been mentioned:

"She didn't like him just because he was rich."

This one is also ambiguous, but I think it would be more likely to be interpreted as "she liked him, but not solely because of his wealth.

If you add a comma ("She didn't like him, just because he was rich.") then it flips back to the other meaning. (She disliked him solely because of his wealth."

Luckily, we have the word "dislike" available to eliminate the ambiguity.

Re: Negation/punctuation

paco2004 — Sun, 29 May 2005 00:51:18 GMT

Hello Amandine

Thank you for the information. It's really helpful. Yes, I agree we had better front an adverbial clause, especially in speaking, to avoid the ambiguity of negation scope; "Because he was rich, she didn't like him" rather than "She didn't like him because he was rich." But I often come across to sentences written in a way like "She didn't like him, because he was rich". I think this way of writing is not so bad if a comma inserted between two clauses, because I feel people might often put an adverbial clause after the main clause as an additional information/thought. I am wondering if I were wrong.

paco

Re: Negation/punctuation

Amandine — Sat, 28 May 2005 15:26:34 GMT

Hi Paco

I hadn't known either the importance of punctuction until I took a grammar class a couple of months ago.
here is something that can be useful to remember:
when a adverb clause precedes an independant clause ,a comma is used to separate the clauses. When the adverb clause follows, usually no comma is used.
which means, in your example, you should write
she didn't like him because he was rich or
because he was rich, she didn't like him
hope that helps!

Re: Negation/punctuation

paco2004 — Sat, 28 May 2005 09:06:33 GMT

Hello Teachers

Thank you for your replies.

It seems a comma plays an important role in determining the scope of negation.
I should be careful in using a comma when making a complex sentence.

paco

Re: Negation/punctuation

Mister Micawber — Sat, 28 May 2005 07:26:46 GMT

And, without the comma, I would presume #1-- a clear proof of ambiguity.