Punctuation

Tdol · #1 (**permalink**) 30-Aug-2003, 22:51

Are the commas necessary? Is there a difference?

RonBee · #2 (**permalink**) 31-Aug-2003, 00:06

The commas are necessary. The first one indicates the way people would say that 99% of the time. I can hardly imagine anybody saying it the other way.

Tdol · #3 (**permalink**) 31-Aug-2003, 00:07

I use them, but I see the phrase without commas more and more frequently, especially in newspapers, which was why I asked. It's an opinion and not a part of the main sentence, so it should be comma-ed off, IMO.

RonBee · #4 (**permalink**) 31-Aug-2003, 00:29

The "of course" phrase when used as a parenthetical phrase should always be bracketed by commas, but people get lazy.

:wink:

Tdol · #5 (**permalink**) 31-Aug-2003, 00:34

It seems to be aphrase in BE that is shedding its commas very rapidly. ;-|

#6 (**permalink**) 31-Aug-2003, 03:18

I totally agree with you guys that the commas are necessary. Would they also be necessary with "in fact"? I ask because every time I put "in fact" between commas, Word says that it should have a semi-colon at the end.

RonBee · #7 (**permalink**) 31-Aug-2003, 09:54

In fact, I think "in fact" usually merits a comma. (I don't use the Word grammar function. In fact, I have it turned off, because it's annoying.)

:wink:


Home Members Students Teachers Forums Testing Reference Articles Resources Shop About