This construction always causes consternation and no end of disagreement. This is my understanding of the way English grammar works. It is never correct to use a single separating comma between the verb and the predicate nominative. Surely no one wants a comma in the following examples. …My name is Margie. …Her response is that she was not home. …My …
Punctuate What Is Really There…
I have been on “hiatus” for a while. Actually I have been swamped for a while!! So I am back — still swamped but back. There is a question on FB about the word “but” and whether it should have a comma before it when it ends the sentence. Remember that we punctuate what is really there. This sentence just …
A Comma After a Prepositional Phrase at the Beginning of a Sentence
In the “olden” days, the rule was to put a comma after ANY element that came at the beginning of the sentence. Ah, the good old days! The rule today that many people get confused about is the rule about putting a comma after a prepositional phrase at the beginning of the sentence. It is often stated as something like …
Does “:00” Mean “O’clock”?
I have not seen a written rule about “o’clock” equaling “:00” in a standard English text. I would love to have a reference for that rule. I know that many people were taught that. I have simply never seen it written as a rule. There are three separate English rules for transcribing times. I believe that, in our era of …
Reminder
I did a “free” hour at the beginning of the month on where not to use a comma. That lecture is up on my website at margieholdsclass.com until this Wednesday. If you want to listen, now is the time. Happy punctuating! Margie
“Into” versus “In To”
There is an instance where either option works, depending upon what you want to say. If “work” is the physical place, “into” is one word; if “work” is the activity, then “in to” is two words. …He came into work. (the physical location) …He came in to work. (to do the job) Happy punctuating! Margie
Punctuation Class Begins This Weekend
Just a reminder that I am beginning at 20-hour punctuation class this Saturday. It will finish before the CEU deadline in September and has been prequalified by NCRA for a full two CEUs. The class meets on Saturday mornings from 8:30 to 10:30 Pacific time and/or Sunday afternoons from 3:30 to 5:30 Pacific time. The advantage to this class is …
Punctuation When Using Parens
Does the punctuation go inside or out? Is there a cap or not? …A (Indicating.) …A Right here (indicating). The English rule: If the whole thought is inside the parens, the first word is capped, and the punctuation goes inside; if the thought inside the parens is part of a larger thought, there is no cap, and the punctuation goes …
New 20-Hour Punctuation Class — the Last of the Year
My last 20-hour punctuation class of the year will begin on August 13. We will complete this class just before the CEU deadline on September 30. It is divided into ten two-hour sessions, meeting on Saturday mornings/Sunday afternoons. All sessions will be recorded. If you have to miss a class and want the CEUs, you can write a detailed summary …
An Extra Wrinkle to the Apostrophe Question
…I went to the Nelson house. OR …I went to the Nelsons’ house. Each of these is correct to say in English. Obviously, the second one has to deal with the possessive whereas the first one does not. Remember that, when a surname has the word “the” in front of it, it is always plural. It is the names that …