I have been struggling with this sentence. @Panzercrisis. Can you pleae help? How should I punctuate a sentence beginning with 'I was wondering'? For example: "My friend Bill came over. No commas are required if you have more than one little sister. But your last answer is No commas are needed if you have two (or more) older brothers. Examples: My brother Alex enjoys breaking toys. Consider "My friend, John and I went shopping". Some use it on occasion. The first example could be a use of parenthetical commas - the commas here act like parentheses (braces), so it's equivalent to, I think that most people would assume John was the friend however the commas were arranged, unless they had prior knowledge to suggest otherwise. Give a thief enough rope and he'll hang himself. "Such and such walked into a bar" jokes are very popular in the UK, and this very simple one will help you remember how to employ the passive voice and how it differs from the active voice. Additionally, it is used in numbers, dates, and letter writing after the salutation and . uses commas to separate a nonrestrictive modifier. I saw this sentence on a blog discussing conjunctive adverbs.They left out the comma before the conjunction so. Is it actually non-restrictive? The quotation marks were necessary to indicate the exact words of the question Where do you see yourself in five years?. (Although I doubt you would get much argument if you wrote, Shadam will be married in her mother, Sarahs, gold wedding band.) This sentence very similar with: my older brother Dean cant do it. He is a good, but strict, teacher. In your example that would be One of her top priority issues has failed to gain traction. Your first sentence does not contain an appositive; therefore, commas are not necessary. If the formal name of the company is Bob Jones, Architect, it should be capitalized. It gives you the option to take a soft pause on an ongoing sentence. ). Therefore, the following are correct: I said I would do it, and as you may recall, your brother heard me. I am wondering if my comma usage is correct in this sentence. What is the point of a comma? I would not assume that John was your only friend with sentence 1. [Source: Huddleston and Pullum, The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (2002), p. 482]. Example: My friend Harvey is an animal lover. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. So the first sentence:An above average student and talented musician John made his family proud. I need to win a $5 bet. There's not a day that passes by without you crossing in Should this phrase begin with while or whilst? But, what about in a possessive case? The words in blue are appositives. Its neither. My friend John (no punctuation) works as a noun phrase, so you can write this: If you put in those commas, then John becomes a separate noun phrase. Neither statement would be correct as punctuated. answer choices. Since Leena is not essential to the meaning of his wife, use commas around the appositive. Perhaps only because it is weird to not say your friend's name when you do say someone else's, I would expect Jessie to be the name of the oldest friend. I understand this rule but I find the examples not sufficient since they all refer to persons. Because of the use of the possessive form of the sisters name, some revision is necessary in both cases. A serious student, Rebecca, will graduate early from college. Here are some clues to help you decide whether the sentence element is essential: Where would the comma go in the sentences? But its not correct or Im wrong? This interpretation would only be valid if the first comma were there but the second one were absent: My friend, John and I went shopping. The story title belongs in quotation marks, but it isnt dialogue. 1. . There are many ways you might frame your sentenceWhen one reads , When people read , When I read but your sentence is grammatically correct. 2. Get BTS access and more: http://www.patreon.com/filmcow Lyrics:. He is a good but strict teacher. A rule that depends on how many dogs you have, or similar context should be treated as a guideline at best. I really did find this post very interesting; I thought most of your examples were intuitively obvious (the result, I suspect, of YEARS of steady reading), but would have been hard put to it to devise a unifying principle. My fathers friend Carlos is a well-known chef. Is this grammatically correct? However, I don't think it's quite right to say that it's generally preferred because it removes ambiguity in certain cases: it also adds ambiguity in certain cases, such as this one. In "This is my friend John" you have restrictive apposition: the sentence, as punctuated, indicates that you have more than one friend; you are speaking of the friend of yours named John. You could maybe get away with putting the possessive 's at the end of both phrases: I'm not the OP, but wanted to thank you as it helped me. What is the correct way to write this sentence? Most of the time you probably won't use a comma with "too" because your sentences will be chugging along without needing a pause. His father, Mr. Hatchet, was also a very tall man. Tags: Question 7. I'm debating with my English teacher over the following what's the word called for the title you give people from How do you think this question is supposed to be answered? (No commas if you have more than one brother.) Are those necessary? Among the choices above, the choice "My friend John, who owns the chocolate Lab puppy, is . You could add your brothers name. Your email address will not be published. The possessive appositive, Sharons, is set off by commas. In the first example, there is a comma after "thank you," but that is because of the sentence structure, not the phrase. A subreddit for questions and discussions about grammar, language, style, conventions[,] and punctuation. My good friend Harry went to the party. But when restrictive, I don't feel the pause after "my boss" anymore than after "my friend" when it's restrictive, which is another reason why I'm now thinking the comma should be left out to be consistent with how something like "my friend" is treated when restrictive. There are two main options: To my beloved, John. Therefore, commas are used no matter how many sisters you have. Because the quote is before the tag in this case, we put the comma before the tag too. "My wife, Mona, cooks very well." The commas indicate that I could erase the word "Mona" and it would NOT matter. Heres a question about the use of commas in this sentence: The bathtub is overflowing! my youngest sister, Sheila, yelled. Sticking with the question at hand, the comma after the word and is correct. The Comma Johanneum and Cyprian. Example: Julie Minsky, CEO, will be our featured speaker. ), while THE most dishonest candidate in history is clearly referring to one person (at least in Pences mind), and because even if there were other most dishonest candidate(s) in history, only one of them is running against Trump at this time. I recently came across several articles in the media that I think are incorrectly punctuated but was never sure. Is there something incorrect or that otherwise needs improvement in my answer that warrants these downvotes? Italics? Thus, option C is correct. D. Likes to sleep in the chair. Im wondering if it is necessary because by Charles Dickens is a dependent clause, but that too may be incorrect. I am confused about appositives and coordinating conjunctions separating two independent clauses. My little sister Ella will escort you to your seat. We therefore need to separate them in the right place (after paused). You would be better off recasting the sentence; there should be no obligation to go with this awful combination of words. The phrase the performance artists show Say No More, however, includes no qualifiers and therefore requires no comma. My uncle is sick, but the highway is green. Hi, my name is John and this podcast, Me & My Friends is my attempt to learn from and elevate the voices of people who have had, are having a major impact on my life. However, if possible, we recommend recasting the sentence to something such as: costs anywhere from ten thousand dollars to thirty-five thousand dollars. Mrs. Brown stated her boyfriend, Jim Smiths, education includes a degree or Mrs. Brown stated her boyfriends, Jim Smith, education includes a degree. The subtitles wrote the apposition between commas but I feel like the apposition is necessary to know which one of her [] issues it refers to. Commas with Appositives | The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation. If you can't tell if a sentence contains two people or three, then you can safely assume that other people also won't be sure, and may misunderstand you. . "My friend John" (no punctuation) works as a noun phrase, so you can write this: My friend John's car. Ella, my little sister, will escort you to your seat. Deed from John and wife, Jane, to Bob. I was looking for a new challenge and the timing was opportune as my sister Kate Smiths real estate business was expanding. We want to marry, Dad. E.g., Anna May Wong, or Anna Can Wong, mean 2 different things depending on whether the statement refers to Annas Wonging ability, or having permission. RE #5: The writer should respect Strunk & White (omit needless words): I read The Chicago Manual of Style from cover to cover in one sitting.. 2. Does the only comma apply to this: Defendant John Ford Companys Motion to Dismiss or would it be Defendant, John Ford Companys Motion to Dismiss We usually use a relative pronoun or . By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. the performance artists debut show, Say No More. If the show (first or otherwise) has already been referred to, a comma is necessary. If I dont get this assignment back tonight, I will not be able to play in my lacrosse game tomorrow, and, understandably, I have been looking forward to it. The plural form thousands is correct in your sentence. If there are other winners of this award, you cannot describe Theeb as the winner. This might work: Theeb, a past winner of our Screenwriting Award, is now playing in theaters. Therefore, it should be preceded by a comma. (It could. Lyrics in the description! Nonrestrictive appositive (a topic): My manager created a discussion topic, What concerns do you have at work?, in my appraisal document. Regarding your version #2, apparently CGEL (one of the resources recommended by this sub) also has a similar exampleI don't own it (can't afford it) but found a part of it reproduced in https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/double-possessives-possessive-s-with-appositives.1379513/, which I'm reproducing here: A supplementation consisting of one NP as anchor and another as supplement may likewise have either multiple or single marking: i [the Prime Minister's, Mr Howard's,] tax package -- [multiple marking], ii [the Prime Minister, Mr Howard's] tax package -- [single marking]. In addition to your approach, other possibilities could be: While I dont mind citrus fruits (lemons, limes, and oranges), I really prefer vegetables. Since Jane is not essential to the meaning of wife, use commas around the appositive. It is still a polite way to say hello to someone you're seeing in the morning. 1. Also, sometimes context is enough to pick out one referent and then you might well intend an apposition: "I'd like you to meet my associate, Rita" (with a definite pause before the name) when the speaker has more than one associate, but Rita is with him in the room, so she's clearly the unique referent intended. 11 reviews. So you have more than one close friend, and you mean the one whose name is John. Brett lives in Denver with his wife, three sons, and his cousin Leena. I believe we need to wrap our friend's name in commas (first sentence example), but wouldn't that make it three people? The answer is either two or three, depending on grammatical ambiguity. I simplified the sentence. Im leaning towards the last one. But if poise and humorousness are read as being in apposition to grace, they seem inessential and thereforeas nouns in appositionto require commas. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Please help. I see people writing 'his wife Sarah" (without a comma), but that doesn't seem to imply the person has more than one wife. In your example, however, one would assume you have multiple friends (I don't know, but you seem nice enough). My colleague has put a one comma before the name John, explaining that an above average student and talented musician is a nonessential appositive and should be separated by comma. Today, I called my friend, John. He was Jack, the big ape, who got his job because of his mother. Print length. Therefore, you have only one close friend. Which would be the correct way to write this? Brett lives in Denver with his wife, Leena, and three sons. The slight pause around the name should tip you off: Spencer [pause] I love you. For a definite noun phrase, that means it has a unique referent. @EmmaDash if friend, John and "I" are all dogs, then it would be zero ;). In the second sentence, father is a precise identifier (as long as there is only one person he calls his father). A friend recently wrote to me about the KJV reading of 1 John 5:7-8. Thank you for this information. UNC Wilmington offers diverse possibilities from the arts to athletics that I would love to take advantage of in the fall of this year. Grammar explanation. c. He is a good but strict teacher. I still grieve my dear wifes, Helen, death. The fix is simple: The parents of Andrew, the dead man, were fighting a custody battle. eg. This may be good writing advice, but it sort of sidesteps the question without answering it. Regarding comma usage, the sentence is incorrect. When the noun preceding the appositive provides sufficient identification on its own, use commas around the appositive. If not, dont use any commas. Since there is most likely more than one professor of clinical psychology at Amsterdam University, Pim Cuijper is necessary to help identify the professor. How to give hints to fix kerning of "Two" in sffamily, An adverb which means "doing without understanding", Books in which disembodied brains in blue fluid try to enslave humanity. Also, the sentence is awkward. Material created by Jane Straus and GrammarBook.com. The reason I give is that the use of either/or, and that the articles for the second two phrases differ, indicating that a bold truth-teller is an appositive, being less precise and thus not indicative of a specific candidate (A bold truth-teller? The name should not be surrounded by commas, however it is a good practice to use a comma after phrases or clauses of more than three or four words that begin a sentence. He is a very smart, handsome, and kind person, and he always manages to find some time for me. Her teacher handed back the papers on time. There was a young man, Michael, walking through the forest. The song "My Friends" from John McCain and his Vegetable Friends. 1) My manager created the discussion topic, What concerns do you have at work?, in my appraisal document. Oxford commas disambiguate "I thank my parents, Ayn Rand and God" but make the sentence in the question ambiguous. 9. e.g. He knew what people said about him. (Basically Dog-people), Looking to protect enchantment in Mono Black, is this blue one called 'threshold? We will make the change to this grammar tip. He paused, and in the stillness of the moment, his countenance glowed brightly. The writer should specify, then, that it is the artists first show: . Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content. Our Rule 3b of Commas says, In sentences where two independent clauses are joined by connectors such as and, or, but, etc., put a comma at the end of the first clause. Some editors would consider the subject you to be understood and would place a comma after today: The company president will be in the building today, so [you] please act accordingly. The bar was walked into by the passive voice. One of the most common places in which there is confusion is over things like introductions, like the following: "John, this is my wife, Mary." In this case, "Mary" is an apposite phrase and must be set off with a comma. Nobody knows Harold can dance because he refuses to dance in public. A friend is somebody who is there for you when they can be, but also sets boundaries when they need to. However, complicating this sentence is the possessive noun followed by an appositive, such that some may ask should the sentence be written as, Shadam will be married in her mothers, Sarahs, gold wedding band? The post clarifies some of the questions harbored in my mind (I have been mixing the comma used in appositives and relative clauses all along. The comma makes it non-restrictive. could you please tell me whether the following sentence is correct? What does "you better" mean in this context of conversation? Get A Copy Amazon Stores Libraries Paperback, 32 pages Question about comma placement in the following sentence: He paused and in the stillness of the moment his countenance glowed brightly.. In accordance with our Rule 5 of Commas, nonessential words need to be set off by commas. Applying my understanding of the rule, I do have a question about the statement that [t]he phrase the performance artists show Say No More, however, includes no qualifiers and therefore requires no comma. A lady, along with her friends, is having dinner with the mayor. True, but the writers comment "we need to" makes it appear that they are not just trying to parse an existing sentence, but to create a new one. 7.Excuse me, Tamera, for bumping into you. Book titles should be italicized. There are several other learning activities so I believe the title is essential. Does the s after Shinjuku, Japan negate the need for an additional comma? 2. Her hero is Michelle Kwan a, skating superstar. Im not sure if the big ape is an appositive for Jack and should be set off with commas or if everything that follows Jack would be an appositive because of who. (I think the second sentence is correct.) Also, our Rule 10 of Commas says, When starting a sentence with a dependent clause, use a comma after it. Therefore, write the following: In the article Saving Penguins, thousands of teenagers rushed to help 40,000 penguins. Do you know all your brothers and sisters names?. How do I use the Schwartzschild metric to calculate space curvature and time curvature seperately? e.g. In addition, since it is not a complete sentence, we see no reason to end in a period. I said I would do it and, as you may recall, your brother heard me. "My friend Tom" is restrictive, so don't use a comma; "My boss, Mr. Andrews" is non-restrictive, so use a comma. Explanation: Harvey is a precise identifier. Is the grammar here right? A compound sentence comprises two independent clauses. Example: It is critical that you not put a comma in this sentence. I think the solution [direct object], that he hired a replacement [appositive renaming the object], was the best course of action at the time. The woman who lives next door works in a bank. The absence of comma indicates that I have more than one sister. My wife wants me to have an affair with her best friend. She didnt know. I had two siblings: Jim and Mary. Martin the Captain: does it mean there are more than one captain?. Thank you for clarifying. My Friend John is the story of Gio, an introverted eight year old boy who doesn't have many friends, but is obsessed with space and is usually off in his own imaginary world. The politician Senator Reids bill was passed by the House. 3) My manager created the What concerns do you have at work? Money is a good servant, but a bad master. Thank you. 1. So begins the heartwarming story of two young boys who together experience fun times, sad times, happy times, hard times, secret times, and all the in-between . The word precisely does not seem needed: Its headquarters is located in the capital, Rabat, in Madinat Al Irfane. lingobingo Senior Member London English - England Dec 5, 2022 #2 I need to put a comma after the subordinate clause. The lion tiger and zebra are my favorite animals at the zoo. "Dear" isn't the same as "hi." Dear is a modifier, and you don't use a comma to separate modifiers from the things they modify "lazy, cat." They work as a unit: "lazy cat." Second, a comma after Dear John makes more sense than a comma after Hi, June. Am I just wrong in my feelings that it is restrictive? I think #1 is correct. Its a script of a show were working on. The second sentence could certainly be misinterpreted by a careful reader. 1) COMMA (,) The comma is used to indicate a short pause. I am questioning the use of the word or and the comma together. Hato Island and its 223 residents were struck by a tornado. English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. (me: In the above example, the that-clause [noun clause, not relative clause] modifies [or complements] an adjective, not a noun, so Im not sure what is going on here. You use possessives to indicate who owns what. Last week, I decided to visit my best friend, John. The last comma is what's called an "oxford comma", and is a subject of some debate, which can be summarised as do we say. Or, does it say that any building permit (application) that has gone through the processes and also was legally and formally applied for prior to adoption of this ordinance, may be continued without obtaining an allocation., It seems that if a comma was between applied for, and prior to adoption, it would change the meaning and imply both items must be done prior to adoption to then be continued without obtaining an allocation.. Its supposed to to have an illustrative mistake, but it doesnt have the mistake, so its a mistake. Thanks in advanced! For this reason, a clearer sentence would be There was a call about a man named Paul whos sick (or who is sick). Can you define this is singular or plural sentence? In speech, however, it is the single-marking version that is usually heard. Hint: You have two younger sisters. I think the solution, that he hired a replacement, was the best course of action at the time. Especially given that the answer above, which is nearly identical, is getting upvoted? In addition to writing music, the composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, worked as a musician and conductor. 2 No I have never seen him before. In accordance with our Rule 2 of Colons, the colon is not needed. To achieve greater clarity in writing, it is best to keep related items as close together as possible. The crowd was being seated for the performance artists newest show Say No More.. How could one outsmart a tracking implant? Therefore, the ex-wifes name is essential: David had come to the after-party with his ex-wife Lily. Defining relative clauses give us essential information - information that tells us who or what we are talking about. His name is Michael. King Olafs homeland, Norway, is in northern Europe. Cannot understand how the DML works in this code. Your sentence begins with the dependent phrase An above-average student and talented musician. The scarf, given to Shadam by her father, Richard, will also be used. In the second sentence, the phrase given to Shadam by her father is essential to the word scarf since it identifies that particular scarf. (Note that mayor is not capitalized.). For example: Martin, the Captain: does it mean there is only one captain? How to translate the names of the Proto-Indo-European gods and goddesses into Latin? My cousin, Chris, is a genius when it comes to math. You could use commas in that case. Rules exist to serve the clear expression of ideas, and not the other way round. Therefore, only the comma after Jack is necessary. How would I correct this sentence, if it needs to be using commas? In the short story, The Tell-Tale Heart, Poe explores the physical manifestation of guilt. Thanks. We recommend avoiding the double possessive. Dear John, Unlike Hi, June, that is fine. But in first case we can have several above average students in class and couple talented musicians. (2) Our Senators, Jorge Torres first bill was for tax reductions. Therefore, Paul has only one sister. Please have a look at these two examples (the source of which is me): This is really a case of restrictive/non-restrictive phrases. Martin the captain is logical only if theres more than one Martin: Martin the captain wore his dress uniform, while Martin the lieutenant was still in his combat fatigues. But its more likely that in such a case, youd use each Martins job title before his name. What a shame). It looks awful strange to type Defendant, John Ford Companys, Motion to Dismiss. Football the greatest sport ever invented is played during the fall months. Thank you. No commas are needed if you have two (or more) older brothers. Answer: My friend John, who owns the chocolate Lab puppy, is getting ready to leave for a trip. The phrase not otherwise specifically defined can only modify other similar uses since the sentence makes no sense if and other similar uses is removed. What is the difference of these two sentences with the comma separation? My little sister Ella will escort you to your seat. What's the grammar rule for "article before appositive noun"? The correct punctuation is without commas, as in your second example. We recommend writing as follows: Restrictive appositive (the topic): My manager created the discussion topic What concerns do you have at work? in my appraisal document. In addition, book titles are italicized. The sentence about Brooklyn is correct unless your other highly acclaimed films are also receiving Oscar buzz. We're sorry. @Apollyon Very good observation. 1. Punctuate within full-sentence parentheses. Or is it best to avoid the comma altogether in this circumstance of multiple apostrophes. ), the word Sarah is not essential to her mother, therefore use commas around the appositive. eg John and I waited for ages for my friend to turn up. The one you saw is my close friend, John. Press J to jump to the feed. and to my children Eli and Noah, with deepest gratitude for their endless bravery, persistence, humor, curiosity, and love. Kindly look at this example. Thanks! The syntactical situation Im talking about is identifier-name. Wherein could also be replaced by in which, or even just where, if a less formal tone were the goal. In that case there are three people involved, of whom only two went shopping. Shadam will be married in her mother Sarahs gold wedding band. 2. Although some writers would follow the question mark with a comma in your sentence, most editors would drop the comma and go with just the question mark. A phrase that people use when they've actually forgotten your name. my teacher told me I should drop the commna before precisely. . The comma is there to separate the quote from the tagthe phrase that tells us who's being quoted. If I read the rule above correctly however, then there should be commas. The plural verb were should be used. Our senator is surrounded by commas because Jorge Torres is a precise identifier. Who is right in this case? Thank you for pointing this out. That clauses after nouns are always essential. It may not display this or other websites correctly. They are simply nouns or noun phrases that rename another noun. How many people are in the sentence "My friend, John, and I went shopping"? Joe is my friend. My best friend, Amelia, can speak four languages. In the article Saving Penguins thousands of teenagers rushed to help 40,000 penguins. Everest provides sufficient identification on its own; therefore, the commas around the non-essential appositive the worlds highest peak are correct. Now that you have completed the Telephone Etiquette learning activity, continue to the next page of your learner guide. We have a relationship with Mr. Smith through our partnership in Florida and his nephew who is a member of our church. The word Defendant is not a precise identifier; therefore, Smith Company is an essential appositive. What is the origin and basis of stare decisis? I have a feeling it is not fluent enough. Is a comma required after special guest in the following sentence? What about this example? 1. Therefore, Paul must have more than one sister. While your sentence is written correctly, it makes for an awfully awkward construction, and the dog belonging to my sister, Sharon, would be preferable.

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