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need help with grammar.

H

huxley

New Member
when i put this ( ) it means does there go a comma.
if it's for dialog i'll put " "


1. This place has a lot of history ( ) just give it a chance.

2."You can plant whatever you'd like ( ) but firt you have to remove all the rocks from it."

3."This thing whatever it is ( ) it's trying to tell me something."

4. As everyone finishes their meal(s) -- do i place a 's' for meals? I'd say no , right?

5." Not now ( ) i'm too close."

6."No time to explain ( ) just trust me."

7."But I swear ( ) I didn't know."

8."I have to make things right ( ) but how?"

9." I lost hope in my old age ( ) but now it has finally arrived."

10. and do I place a comma after the word 'here' just like with 'now' 'yes' 'well'
example: "Here, wear this." or " Here, have some cake."


thanks for your help. i'd like that only people that are sure of the anwsers post a reply. thanks again.
 
Pretty Sure

1. This place has a lot of history--just give it a chance.

2."You can plant whatever you'd like, but first you have to remove all the rocks from it."
Any sentence that is basically two sentences stuck together needs a comma with and/but, etc. or else a semi colon.

3."This thing, whatever it is, is trying to tell me something."

4. As everyone finishes their meal(s) -- do i place a 's' for meals? I'd say no , right?
Right. Unless each person has more than one meal.

5." Not now. I'm too close."
Or an em-dash again, but those are incredibly over-used. Maybe a semi colon.

6."No time to explain; just trust me."
Like that.

7."But I swear I didn't know."

8."I have to make things right. But how?"

9." I lost hope in my old age, but now it has finally arrived."

10. and do I place a comma after the word 'here' just like with 'now' 'yes' 'well'
example: "Here, wear this." or " Here, have some cake."
Yes.

I might be wrong on some of those. I just don't think so.
 
huxley said:
thanks for your help. i'd like that only people that are sure of the anwsers post a reply. thanks again.
Click to expand...

To paraphrase: I'd like to do well on my homework so please answer(anwsers?) carefully even if I am incapable of putting forth a concentrated effort myself.

Buy, or look it up it is free for crying out loud, The Elements of Style and do your own homework. Also consider that proper spelling and capitalization go a long way towards good grammar.

Harsh? That's not harsh. I revealed intentions and gave advice. It's charitable is what it is! I didn't even call him a name!
 
In her fun little book, Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies, June Casagrande includes a chapter titled "The Comma Denominator--Good News: No One Knows How to Use These Things," and makes a convincing case with excerpts from standard grammar books that disagree with each other. Just sayin'.
 
That's true. It's kind of a personal style thing to some degree. Personally, I love using lots of commas. I think they're great for dramatic effect. My mother, on the other hand, tends to underuse them. When I was in fourth grade she was going to college and used to have me proofread her papers so I could tell her where she needed to put them.
 
thanks every one.

i have one question on the comma when names appear in dialog.

when do i use it? and when do i not use it?

is it only used when i'm addressing the person who is present?
ex:"Why are you doing that, Sam?" (he is speaking directly to Sam)

compared to when some one mentions some one rather than adressing some one.

ex: Sam leaves the room. John turns to Max."Do you think, Sam, is telling the truth?"

or is it : "Do you think Sam is telling the truth?"
 
Think of it this way. A comma is, basically, a pause of breath. Would you say "Do you think (pause) Sam (pause) is telling the truth?" or "Do you think Sam is telling the truth?"
 
need help one last time.

Here are a few phrases that i have a problem with. Having problem with the comma.
It is all dialoq phrases. (I will try to answer them first)

1." To be quite honest with you ( ) I'm a little nervous." (goes a comma)

2. "I just don't know what it is at the moment ( ) but trust me ( ) I'll find out." (confused about that one)

3."Once those cars get close ( ) does kids don't stand a chance."

___Can 'once' be a introductory phrases? If yes, then there should go a comma.

4. "Once everyone finds out about who you really are ( ) they'll want to hurt you." (if it's a intro phrase then yes.)

-having trouble with the 'than and then'-

5. "It's nothing more then/than a curse." (don't know)

6. " I wanted to win more then/than anything." (don't know)

7. Plus is there a comma after ( c'mon) ex: C'mon, let's go.
 
I don't mean to be rude, but is English your first language?

Also, some of those depend on the effect you want, along with context.
 
*nods* Okay.

Like I said, most of those depend on the message you want to get across, as well as the context. The "once" one doesn't need a comma. But, "once" can be used as an introductory phrase. For example, "Once, I had a pet zebra. But it died." Or something like that.
 
Then and than is a fairly simple differentiation.

"Than" is a word used only for quantity/quality comparisons. Used when something is greater or lesser, as in the mathematical terms, <,>.

"Then" is a word used for time or logic.
Time example: "They are leaving at eight. We will go then, too."
Logic example: If_______, then_______.
 
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