When transcribing a website address, I recommend that you do it exactly as it would be when it is typed into the browser. …purchased on amazon.com… …that great blog on www.margieholdscourt.com… And though it looks weird, if it begins a sentence, it would not be capped unless it is always capped. …holynativityparish.org has the information… Happy punctuating! Margie
Parties to the Lawsuit
These parties to the lawsuit — plaintiff, defendant, defense — are not capped in general context in the transcript. …spoke with plaintiff on the phone… …sent to the defense… …saw the defendant at the scene… These parties to the lawsuit — city, county, state, government — are capped in general context in the transcript. …accused the City of not maintaining …
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
To each of you that has read even one post this year and to all of you that are reading this for the first time, I wish you blessings and peace for the season and into the new year. We will jump back into English with both feet later this week. I have big plans for the new year — …
A Personal Note
Dear readers, With the events in Connecticut, I must say that I have just not been up to writing about English. So much seems unimportant in the wake of the slaughter of little children. It is my prayer that, as a nation, we take some action to begin to change the violent nature of our society. And I pray fervently …
Adverb Clauses at the Beginning…
When an adverb clause — it has a subject and verb and a word out in front of it that is part of the clause and is used to answer when, where, why, how — starts a sentence, it is always followed by a comma. …If you see her later, please ask her to… …When she drove away from the …
An Interesting Quote Question
This was a FB question: …It is a “Don’t worry. It’s okay. I understand” situation… It is okay to have the periods in the middle of the quoted material that is an adjective. Commas don’t work because these are little sentences. Hyphenating this kind of pattern is really not going to be readable. Happy punctuating! Margie
Fractions
Unless a fraction, which should be written out in words when it stands alone, is a direct adjective, it is NOT hyphenated. …three-fourths vote… …two-thirds majority… …two thirds of the men were… …up by one fourth… Happy punctuating! Margie
“Jibe,” “Gibe,” “Jive” — and This Is Just the Beginning
Much of my time is being consumed these days with my efforts to write my new book — Word Pares, Pears, Pairs. I am determined to have it out by the end of January! Apropos of my new book, there was a question on Facebook this week about the word jibe versus jive and gibe. Jibe means “to be in …
Those “Conjunctive Adverbs” Again
When certain adverbs are pulled out to the front of a sentence and are used to form a bridge — that is, show a relationship — between two sentences, they become conjunctions which we call conjunctive adverbs. Some of them are moreover, however, nevertheless, therefore, consequently thus, hence, yet, still, then, so (Here is where I would make the argument …
The Conjunction “But”
Remember that but needs an independent subject and verb after it in order to have a comma in front of it. …didn’t really see him, but she tried to get him on the phone. …didn’t really see him but tried to get him on the phone. …saw the car coming toward me, but I really thought he would stop. …saw …