Attorneys no longer need to “thumb through” a transcript to find what they are looking for. They use the search feature, and we need to make a few adjustments to some traditional rules to accommodate this search. Here is the first: The Abbreviation of the Word “Number” A sequential reference consists of the name of what is being talked about the …
Two Questions Joined by “Or”
When there are two independent clauses that are joined by a coordinate conjunction, — and, but, or, nor — a comma goes before the conjunction. This is probably the most basic of all comma rules. …There were three of us, and I assumed we were all in agreement. …I saw her early in the day, but she was not at the …
New Class: Introductory Elements
What elements take a comma after them at the beginning of a sentence? …On Friday we will have time. OR …On Friday, we will have time. What elements take a comma after the conjunction when there is a compound sentence? …We met earlier in the month, and in 2019 20 of us met again. OR …We met earlier in the …
Hyphen Seminar
In introductory remarks entitled “Where Have All the Hyphens Gone?” The Gregg Reference Manual suggests that what it calls “the hyphen mess” is simply going to go away because people just don’t understand the rules. And if you go on to read the 38-page chapter on compound words, I am fairly sure you will agree. Since – for those of …
Checking In
Dear blog followers, I am checking in for the first time in a while. Life has been hectic in the Wellses’ household the last many months. Among other things, I traveled seven times in nine weeks September through November, and we moved in January for the first time in 45 years. We downsized and now have NO stairs AND our …
The Tag Clause
A tag clause turns a statement into a question. …You were there by 10:00, weren’t you? …You were there by 10:00; is that right? …You were there by 10:00, weren’t you, to see your brother? …You were there by 10:00 — is that right? — to see your brother? There are two kinds of tag clauses. The one that depends …
The Understood Introductory Word for Dependent Clauses
The explanation begins with the grammatical fact that a coordinate conjunction — “and,” “but,” “or,” “nor” — must link grammatically EQUAL parts. It cannot link an independent clause to a dependent clause. Remember that it can never be “He is tall and Bob.” So if this is true — and it is — we have to look at this construction: …
One of the most inconsistent things in English is the form of words: one word, two words, or hyphenated? And these forms change rather quickly sometimes; for example, most of our technology words have settled into the one-word, no-cap form — website, email, et cetera — from whatever they were at the beginning. (And, by the way, the One Word, Two Words, …
Commas on Steroids — Tomorrow
Hi, everyone. I am just checking in. My Commas on Steroids class begins tomorrow at 8:30 A.M. PDT. We will forgo the usual (common) rules and go for more sophistication in our discussion. It is an eight-hour class, spread out over the next three weekends. At just $20 per CEU, it is the most fun you could have for your …
Just a reminder: Sentence Structure, a study of clauses and phrases, begins this Saturday, August 10, at 8:30 A.M. PDT. Go to margieholdsclass.com for details and registration. And, yes, I had a MAJOR grammar mistake in my last post!!! …I give this class ONLY once a year. The placement of “only” matters!!!! Happy punctuating! Margie