When is a comma used? 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. Example: CEO Julie Minsky will be our featured speaker. We suggest: He explained to us that when he was 10 he was ordered by his father [dad is not appropriate here] to kill his white Labrador, Wille [Willie?]. Vera: However, some editors may prefer the second sentence. Unless John is a polygamist, the word wife is a precise identifier. Your example is basically invalid because of that. Would it go inside or after the quotation marks around release? For many writers, how to punctuate appositives is problematic. Yet Toronto Mayor, John Tory, has introduced looks/sounds wrong, even though I cant pinpoint the grammatical difference between sentences 1 and 2. How do commas and appositives work when youre trying to indicate possession. In the short story, The Tell-Tale Heart, Poe explores the physical manifestation of guilt. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. He paused, and in the stillness of the moment, his countenance glowed brightly. What a shame). "have been act after act", "has been act after act", "have been acts after acts", Distinguishing Between a Gerund and a Present Participle. Why is 51.8 inclination standard for Soyuz? But I didnt agree with it and my logic, that John is essential appositive and thats why we shouldnt put comma before it. Therefore, its fine to bend the rule in this case. Explanation: Julie Minsky is necessary to help identify CEO, so no commas are used. Most of the time you probably won't use a comma with "too" because your sentences will be chugging along without needing a pause. Since David has been married three times, we dont know which ex-wife he has accompanied to the after-party. If youre editing such a sentence, and you dont have details, its best to omit commas. When the noun preceding the appositive provides sufficient identification on its own, use commas around the appositive. In your first sentence, Mt. 1. uses commas to separate a nonrestrictive modifier. 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. Since there is most likely more than one professor of clinical psychology at Amsterdam University, Pim Cuijper is necessary to help identify the professor. A potentially less awkward treatment would be: Mrs. Brown stated the education of her boyfriend, Jim Smith, includes a degree. Additionally, it is used in numbers, dates, and letter writing after the salutation and . (I have several older brothers). 2. If I understand you correctly My sister Jane is a pain is correct if Jane is one of multiple sisters, but if she is the only sister it should be My sister, Jane, is a pain. But that doesnt seem to match up with the continued advice: and a clarifying modifier like older (unless there are two or more sisters of greater age) preceding her name would be helpful. If Jane is my only sister, what is the point of the clarifying modifier? (She had three sisters). Among the choices above, the choice "My friend John, who owns the chocolate Lab puppy, is . For example, The dessert is made of bananaberry, a patented blended of bananas and blueberries and features a dollop of whipped cream.. I am trying to write the sentence in an email regarding tuition for my only son: I am certain I owe a large amount for my son, Blaises, participation. If Blaise is the appositive and I only have one son, I believe I should use the commas. Thank you for pointing this out. Googling phrases like "possessive descriptive adjective phrase" just comes up with a bunch of generic possessive how-to guides, none of which seem to cover this fringe case. Thank you for pointing out these punctuation errors. So we have:An above average student and talented musician, John made his family proud and My older brother, Dean made me cry yesterday. The comma makes it non-restrictive. The correct punctuation is without commas, as in your second example. King Olafs homeland, Norway, is in northern Europe. Would the following sentences be correct? Im having problems understanding appositives. You will improve your English, guaranteed. We hope this helps. When we mean that an individual has more than one sisters, we place the comma this way: Her sister Emily could sing very well. What if the appositive is the title of a short story? The XYZs Bobby Smith reprises the Emmy Award-winning Bobbys Corner with special guest, Mayor John Doe.. 2. They want to know what you're all about and what you need. The correct treatment would be: Mrs. Brown stated her boyfriends, Jim Smiths, education includes a degree. Only when theyre nonessential? Does the rules listed above also apply to title? My fathers friend Carlos is a well-known chef. If not, this sisters name should be set off by commas, and a clarifying modifier like older (unless there are two or more sisters of greater age) preceding her name would be helpful. Use one comma before to indicate the beginning of the pause and one at the end to indicate the end of the pause. A. While perhaps a bit clunky, it is correct to write I am certain I owe a large amount for my sons, Blaises, participation. You could recast the sentence as I am certain I owe a large amount for the participation of my son, Blaise.. Explanation: My friend is not a precise identifier because one may have numerous friends. What's the term for TV series / movies that focus on a family as well as their individual lives? Hato Island, and its 223 residents, was striked by a tornado. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, Lets eat, Grandma! versus Lets eat Grandma!. Yes, both sentences are punctuated correctly. 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. The politicians, Senator Reids, bill was passed by the House. I think #1 is correct. The crowd was being seated for the performance artists newest show Say No More.. The second sentence could certainly be misinterpreted by a careful reader. In the second sentence, the commas indicate that the noun preceding the appositive (sister) provides sufficient identification on its own. Sticking with the question at hand, the comma after the word and is correct. My friend Bob is a teacher. The that clause identifies a specific book. Therefore, the names should be surrounded by commas. Nor would you likely write Martin the captain wore his dress uniform, but Lewis the captain was attired in his combat fatigues. Captain Martin wore . In your example that would be One of her top priority issues has failed to gain traction. What's the grammar rule for "article before appositive noun"? or While I dont mind citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, and oranges, I really prefer vegetables. B. Rules exist to serve the clear expression of ideas, and not the other way round. Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following. If Squiggly owns a car, you say, "This is Squiggly's car.". Finally she did, and my friend, John, and I went shopping. Can Appositive Clauses (Noun Complements) Be Set Off With Commas? Perhaps this should be a comment rather than an answer. . The punishment, called release, is brutal. Please settle an argument. I had always thought that, since Leena is Bretts only wife, there would be no comma. Explanation: Our pediatrician is still a relatively precise identifier so Andr Wilson is not considered essential. Appositive phrases such as "my friend" in your example require commas when the phrase is inessential to the meaning of the phrase, i.e., it can be removed without losing meaning. No commas are needed if you have two (or more) older brothers. In accordance with our Rule 2 of Colons, the colon is not needed. You must log in or register to reply here. Press J to jump to the feed. 1 Answer Sorted by: 2 The comma makes it non-restrictive. But it's not much of a rule anyway. (It could. 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. Book titles should be italicized. My brother needs his beach ball. When an appositive is essential to the meaning of the noun it belongs to, dont use commas. Therefore, the appositive is essential, and commas are not necessary. How many people are in the sentence "My friend, John, and I went shopping"? If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page. a Northern Inuit dog, which is a breed with a wolf-like appearance, Comma usage with Provided or Provided that. Mt. My little sister Ella will escort you to your seat. 1. Example: It is critical that you not put a comma in this sentence. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Here are three possibilities (you can probably construct more): 1. The FratellisHere We Stand 2008 Universal Island Records Ltd. A Universal Music Company.Release. could you please to tell me if the following is grammatically and stylistically correct? How to automatically classify a sentence or text based on its context? To me, the quotation marks are part of the appositive and the commas should fully enclose the appositive. Example: My sister, who received a scholarship, will attend Harvard. 1) There was a call about a man whos sick named Paul. A subreddit for questions and discussions about grammar, language, style, conventions[,] and punctuation. ), 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. In 1988, Indian-British author Salman Rushdie published a book called The Satanic Verses, which seemed to be a satire taunting modern Islam. There was a young man, Michael, walking through the forest. 1 That house in fact belongs to my grandfather. 3 The teacher said I am not giving any homework. 4 My brother Jerry told us some very interesting stories. Exercise 2: Put commas in the text. This is still ambiguous as to whether there are 2 or 3 people going shopping. (accordingly the same logic). @thumbtackthief why is it wrong? When the noun preceding the appositive provides sufficient identification on its own, use commas around the appositive. If Shadam only refers to one person as mother (i.e., no stepmother, adoptive mother, etc. So in my example My older brother Dean cant do it we need to put comma after my older brother? Therefore, Paul has only one sister. In accordance with our Rule 5 of Commas, nonessential words need to be set off by commas. This is very helpful. Is it proper to set off an appositive describing a question with commas, too? Incorrect: He yelled to the driver, "This isn't my Uber"! Wherein could also be replaced by in which, or even just where, if a less formal tone were the goal. Thank you (and apologies for dull sentence). "My friend Tom" is restrictive, so don't use a comma; "My boss, Mr. Andrews" is non-restrictive, so use a comma. My Friend John: Directed by Henry Arroyo. or Give me that pen please, Sue. John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, has introduced. The absence of comma indicates that I have more than one sister. Can you pleae help? 3. "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. The flow and syntax of I still grieve my dear wife Helens death sounds natural to the ear. Should this be wife, Lily or wife Lily? My wife wants me to have an affair with her best friend. I think it should be either a or b, but Im not sure. Why is water leaking from this hole under the sink? What a shame). (Originally, parentheses were used instead of an appositive.). Congratulations, Michael! In that example, said Dorothy is the tag. See our post Capitalization of Job Titles for more information. Brett lives in Denver with his three sons and his wife, Leena. I have a question: Brett lives in Denver with his wife, Leena, and three sons.. Do you agree with the comma punctuation in the following two sentences? Rather than either sentence, we recommend Please give me that pen, Sue. If you have only one sister: I was looking for a new challenge, and the timing was opportune, as the real estate business of my sister, Kate Smith, was expanding., If you have two or more sisters: I was looking for a new challenge, and the timing was opportune, as the real estate business of my sister Kate Smith was expanding.. 2) My manager created the discussion topic What concerns do you have at work? If we consider my older brother like a nonessential phrase so we need to put a comma after it. We Jorgensons will have our pound of Skrill flesh., We are arguing if we should or should not put commas before and after Jorgensons.. 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. You use possessives to indicate who owns what. JavaScript is disabled. This book is dedicated to my mother, Ellen, who inspires and guides me in all things, and who instilled in me a deep disregard for the notion of impossible, and to my children, Eli and Noah, with deepest gratitude for their endless bravery, persistence, humor, curiosity, and love. Site Maintenance- Friday, January 20, 2023 02:00 UTC (Thursday Jan 19 9PM How do you use commas when referring to a person and yourself in a sentence while naming the person? This sentence has a subordinate clause and an appositive set off with dashes: While I dont mind citrus fruits lemons, limes, and oranges I really prefer vegetables. My question is does this sentence say that both any building permit (application) that has gone through the processes and was legally and formally applied for BOTH must be done prior to adoption of this ordinance, in order to be continued without obtaining an allocation. Select the answer choice that corrects the punctuation errors: Although he works hard, math is difficult for Jared. The number one seed, Tampa Bay Rays, played the eight seed, Toronto Blue Jays. Are these commas correct? My friend, Sara, came with me to the store. quote: 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 Certainly, the book is extraneous in this example. Is it redundant to repeat a word inside em-dashes? I work for a law firm. OR We have a relationship with Mr. Smith through our partnership in Florida, as well as through his nephew, who is a member of our church. These compound sentence examples come from everyday sayings and proverbs in the English language. "My wife, Mona, cooks very well." The commas indicate that I could erase the word "Mona" and it would NOT matter. Relative clauses give us information about the person or thing mentioned. Example: Her dog, Bruno, loves to eat macaroni and cheese. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sign up to receive the FREE weekly GrammarBook.com E-Newsletter. I need to win a $5 bet. 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. Gone with the Wind now a movie classic will be on television tonight. 32 pages. Also remember to use words carefully. Does this sentence need commas around the name of the cookbook? my teacher told me I should drop the commna before precisely. Example: My friend Harvey is an animal lover. In trumpeting this masochistic achievement, the writer is suggesting that the volume in question is the only one in existence; it is the book. But bibliophiles have other options, so the writer should respect that fortunate fact by omitting both commas from this sentence. @EmmaDash if friend, John and "I" are all dogs, then it would be zero ;). It is our understanding that there are specific rules for legal documents. And, essentially, everyone argues that the system they were brought up with is better. Thank you for this information. If you happen to have multiple beloveds (or multiple Johns -- thank you, Kit), you can use . It doesn't seem like it. Im pretty certain #1 and #3 are correct, but #2 gives me pause. 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. Everest, the worlds highest peak, is 29,028. Sometimes it's referred to as the Oxford comma or the Harvard comma. rev2023.1.17.43168. I understand this rule but I find the examples not sufficient since they all refer to persons. 3) My manager created the What concerns do you have at work? A phrase that people use when they're not actually your friend. Qualifying that my friend is John ends up giving identical output to making an Oxford comma list including a third person known only as 'my friend'. As the post states, When an appositive is essential to the meaning of the noun it belongs to, dont use commas. Because Poe had written more than one short story, the title is essential to the meaning of the noun story. Therefore, no commas are necessary. Where do you see yourself in five years?, the first question on the application, made her panic. Current Visitors: 226 (1 member, 225 guests). For many writers, how to punctuate appositives is problematic. There's not a day that passes by without you crossing in Should this phrase begin with while or whilst? (Traditionally, father or mother would imply that the person in question is in a class all by himself or herself, necessitating commas, but its possible to have more than one of each.). How many people are in the sentence My friend, John, and I went shopping? 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. Is this grammatically correct? If I have two little sisters, and one of them is called Ella, then the comma shouldnt be there before the name. There are a number of ways you could write it. Titles of Books, Plays, Articles, etc. If I were to reverse the sentence, I know this would be the proper way to write it: Brooklyn, our highly acclaimed Opening Night film, is receiving major Oscar buzzbut I tend to need to put the title in the middle of the sentence, rather than at the beginning, hence the confusion. Where should the commas be in the following sentences, and why? In 1988, Indian-British author, Salman Rushdie, published a book called The Satanic Verses, which seemed to be a satire taunting modern Islam. Instead of parenthetical commas, we now interpret the commas as separating items on a list. When you use "thank you" in this way, you don't need to place a comma after it. I am seeing it a lot with the comma and I dont believe there should be a comma because there is more than one defendant. For example: Jackie, are you leaving so soon? Examples: Mrs. Torres, my teacher, was at the music program. I will refer back to this post when I use appositives. Which would be the correct way to write this? Toronto Mayor John Tory has introduced 3. Im so confused because of it. (I just decided to "throw" in her name to give you some extra information.) The syntactical situation Im talking about is identifier-name. In this sentence, does the final phrase not otherwise specifically defined which is preceded by a comma modify only other similar uses or all the uses listed? So today thought Ill check with the experts. The first sentence is fine. Can state or city police officers enforce the FCC regulations? The politician Senator Reids bill was passed by the House. My mother, Mary, took me to see the Spice Girls in concert. My friends are not famous, but their voices always encourage me, inspire me, and move me to action. Kindly look at this example. In the second sentence, the phrase given to Shadam by her father is essential to the word scarf since it identifies that particular scarf. Nonrestrictive appositive (a topic): My manager created a discussion topic, What concerns do you have at work?, in my appraisal document. We have made small revisions to our previous explanations to help you distinguish between someone who is sufficiently identified and a dependent phrase that begins a sentence. Play My Friend John and discover followers on SoundCloud | Stream tracks, albums, playlists on desktop and mobile. 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. You must be signed in to continue. The noun preceding the appositive, Ella, provides sufficient identification on its own. Im sorry; this explanation could have been clearer. Thanks for your efforts. Your first sentence does not contain an appositive; therefore, commas are not necessary. 5 - 8 years. Usually I would view a film title as essential information, but based on your rules I cant quite tell if the information that comes before the film titles the appositives are proper identifiers. Outdoor amusements means those amusements including: fairgrounds, outdoor sports facilities, racetracks, and other similar uses, not otherwise specifically defined.. 1) My manager created the discussion topic, What concerns do you have at work?, in my appraisal document. John and I waited for ages for my friend to turn up. 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. Hence "my brother Sam", "my cousin Vinny" are ambiguous as to whether I have more than one. Commas with Appositives | The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation. Also, a period is missing from the end of the sentence. Shadam will be married in her mother, Sarahs gold wedding band. While your sentence is written correctly, it makes for an awfully awkward construction, and the dog belonging to my sister, Sharon, would be preferable. the performance artists debut show, Say No More. If the show (first or otherwise) has already been referred to, a comma is necessary. Regarding comma usage, the sentence is correct. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Regarding comma usage, the sentence is correct. Her hero is Michelle Kwan a, skating superstar. Follow the same rules when using other terms to refer to someone or a group. Aided by their friend, Janice, the two friends built a treehouse. But the adjectival phrase Asian American film legend is merely what is called a temporary epithet; it could refer to other people as well. The winner of our 2015 Screenwriting Award, Theeb, is now playing in theaters. Regarding comma usage, the sentence is correct. Am I just wrong in my feelings that it is restrictive? My brother, John, . How can we cool a computer connected on top of or within a human brain? Reading age. Its supposed to to have an illustrative mistake, but it doesnt have the mistake, so its a mistake. 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 times only two best friends can share. 2. Your clever friend has found an ambiguity that could be avoided with a punctuation adjustment: Our choice has never been more clear. Who is right in this case? You use an opens in a new window apostrophe plus an "s" on the end of "Squiggly.".
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