“Yes” and “No” and Their Friends

Margie Wakeman WellsThe Comma 2 Comments

When yes and no or any of the words that indicate affirmative or negative are in the middle of a sentence, they are surrounded by commas. …And, yes, he did accompany us the first time. …He wasn’t there, no, when I needed him. …She stopped by to give us the news; but, no, she didn’t add any details. Happy punctuating! …

The Parenthetical

Margie Wakeman WellsThe Comma Leave a Comment

Don’t forget that a parenthetical has to be surrounded by punctuation. When the parenthetical follows the word and, for example, there has to be a pair of commas around the parenthetical. …And in the morning we noticed the crack. (a prepositional phrase that is NOT a parenthetical but is just a modifier) …And, by the way, we noticed the crack. …

It Only Seems As If I Went Away

Margie Wakeman WellsGeneral 2 Comments

Good morning, all. I have just been on an extended mental holiday for the last couple of weeks along with fighting a horrid cold and traveling for fun! Thank you to those of you who have inquired. I am fine. We have had trouble with the subscriptions to the blog. If you are experiencing any problems, please let me know …