"There, at the Pool of Bethzatha, Jesus healed a man."

Status
Not open for further replies.

Odessa Dawn

Key Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2012
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
Saudi Arabia
Current Location
Saudi Arabia
23. Choose the sentence with the correct punctuation.

There, at the Pool of Bethzatha, Jesus healed a man.
There at the Pool of Bethzatha, Jesus healed a man.
There, at the Pool of Bethzatha Jesus, healed a man.
There at the Pool of Bethzatha Jesus healed a man.
I would choose "There, at the Pool of Bethzatha, Jesus healed a man," but I know of no rule. May I know whether there is a rule?
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
I think 1 & 2 could work.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
My preference is for #1. My second favourite is #2. 3 and 4 don't work.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Are you suggesting that a comma should be put between any two names?
 

Matthew Wai

VIP Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2013
Member Type
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
I mean two different names referring to two different things/people.
No comma is needed in 'George Herbert Walker Bush', which refers to one person.
Not a teacher.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I know no comma is required there but can you give me an example of a sentence demonstrating a rule that two names must be separated by a comma.
 

Matthew Wai

VIP Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2013
Member Type
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
'Patrick Jane and Teresa Lisbon are my friends.'
'Patrick, Jane and Teresa Lisbon are my friends.'
Without the comma, the two names 'Patrick' and 'Jane' would refer to one person. Am I right or wrong?
Not a teacher.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Yes, you're right. (By the way, I wish Patrick Jane was one of my friends!)

I think we need to make it clear, though, that the comma is needed in the original sentence not because there are two names but because the first clause ends with the word "Bethzatha". Even if that had not been the case, a comma would have been needed.

There at the pool, Jesus healed a man.

The comma is still required but you wouldn't suggest that there is a rule that a common noun and a proper noun must be separated by a comma based on that one example.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top