The Era of Searchable Documents

Margie Wakeman WellsMWW Blog, Numbers Leave a Comment

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 …

Hyphen Seminar

Margie Wakeman WellsPunctuation Precision, Research, The Hyphen Leave a Comment

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

Margie Wakeman WellsGeneral Leave a Comment

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

Margie Wakeman WellsThe Comma, The Semicolon Leave a Comment

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

Margie Wakeman WellsClauses, Sentence Structure, The Comma, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

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: …

Commas on Steroids — Tomorrow

Margie Wakeman WellsThe Comma Leave a Comment

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 …

Margie Wakeman WellsEssential versus Nonessential, MWW Blog, Phrases, Sentence Structure, The Comma, The Semicolon Leave a Comment

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

Phrases and Clauses — The Never-ending Dilemma

Margie Wakeman WellsClauses, MWW Blog, Phrases, Sentence Structure Leave a Comment

Phrases and Clauses: How can I tell the difference? Does it matter? Can I punctuate them the same? Do adverb phrases always take commas or never take commas? Does “essential” have anything to do with it? These two language elements, phrases and clauses, function differently from each other and are punctuated according to two different sets of rules. Understanding how …