GrammarGlitchCentral

That would be great. Thanks, Ruth.

2009-12-01T13:55:23.325-08:00

That would be great. Thanks, Ruth.

Thanks for your comment, DB. This is interesting ...

2009-12-01T11:27:19.369-08:00

Thanks for your comment, DB. This is interesting because I quoted from the story as it was printed in The Birmingham News this past Sunday. It ran with the byline "G. Jeffrey MacDonald, Religion News Service," and I was not aware that editing had occurred at the local level. Sorry I credited RNS with the grammar glitch. Not only does your website version NOT contain the sentence fragment, but your meaning is much clearer. Would you like me to run a new blog correctiing the credit and the point?

Umm, that's not the story as written and publish o...

2009-12-01T07:03:40.563-08:00

Umm, that's not the story as written and publish on our Web site.

Here's what we published; note well the sentence "fragment."

SOUTH HAMILTON, Mass. (RNS) Repentant for having spent a generation bowing at the altars of church growth and political power, concerned evangelicals gathered last week (Oct. 13-15) to search the soul of their movement and find a new way forward.

*That evangelicals, who compose a quarter of the American population, must refocus on shaping authentic disciples of Jesus Christ has always garnered wide support.* But how to do that in a consumerist society with little appetite for self-denial is fueling internal debate.

Reply to JimK-III Here is a good rule of thumb f...

2009-05-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

Reply to JimK-III

Here is a good rule of thumb for opening phrases in a sentence: Any phrase three words or longer that comes before the main subject of the sentence should be set off with a comma. This rule would apply to the last three examples you gave of introductory phrases:

After leaving Tom's house, I drove my car fifty miles to the next town.

The second day I was there, somebody came and took me to their leader.

At that time, the only way back was to take the lest traveled route.

If the phrase is shorter, as in the examples below, you have the option of leaving out the comma if the sentence is clear without it. In my own writing, I usually do this. Notice below that this type of shorter introductory phrase often sounds better at the end of the sentence:

By Monday we will have sold ten widgets.
We will have sold ten widgets by Monday.

Yesterday the market closed up.
The market closed up yesterday.

As for your first example, I use another "rule of thumb" that says to use "that" for information necessary to the meaning of the sentence (with NO comma before it) and "which" for information that is nice to know but does not change the meaning of what you are referring to. See if the following examples clarify what I mean:

I have a question about comma placement that has to do with opening statements in a sentence. (no comma)
He rides a horse that has won four races. (no comma)

I have a question about comma placement, which is a subject that frustrates me. (nice to know, but doesn't change the meaning of "comma placement")
He rides a horse, which is what I'd like to do some mornings.

This is not an absolute rule, but it works well to help streamline your decision making and keep your writing consistent.

Hope that helps.

I have a question concerning comma placement, whic...

2009-05-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

I have a question concerning comma placement, which has to do with opening statements in a sentence. As in the sentence above should there be a comma after placement?

How about these examples?

After leaving Tom's house, I drove my car fifty miles to the next town.

The second day I was there, somebody came and took me to their leader.

At that time, the only way back was to take the lest traveled route.

Thank you.

Good question,Jim K-III. If your friend's last na...

2009-04-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

Good question,Jim K-III.

If your friend's last name ends in "s," you have two choices for using the PLURAL--Your friend and his family can be referred to as the Sanders or the Sanderses. Most people would probably choose "the Sanders" with this last name. Someone named "Harris" would probably choose "the Harrises."

As far as whether your sentence example is plural or possessive (or both), it is at least partially a matter of perception.

"I'm going over to the Sanders this afternoon."--This is certainly correct and would be my choice.

However, you could also say "I'm going over to the Sanders' this afternoon." This suggests that you are IMPLYING "the Sanders' house," which would be possessive. Note that the apostrophe goes AFTER THE "s." To clarify, why not just say, "I'm going over to the Sanders' house this afternoon." Then you have no ambiguity.

How about a last name that ends in 's'? For insta...

2009-04-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

How about a last name that ends in 's'? For instance my friend's last same is Sanders. Would I write:

"I'm going over to the Sanders this afternoon."

- or -

"I'm going over to the Sanders' this afternoon."

I'm confused if this is a plural and/or possessive situation. Maybe it's both?

Thanks!

To JimK-III: The hyphen rule to apply here is to ...

2009-04-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

To JimK-III:

The hyphen rule to apply here is to hyphenate a compound adjective that appears BEFORE the noun it describes. You would hyphenate these examples:

1. The boy put a ball in the six-foot-square box.
4. The eighteen-and-half-month-old boy....

NOTE: Some contemporary business writers no longer hyphenate ages as in #4.

The other half of this rule is that, when the describing adjectives come AFTER the noun and the verb, you do not hyphenate them. You would NOT hyphenate these examples:

2. The box was six feet square.
3. The box was six and a half feet long by three feet wide. (NOTE: If "six" is written out, "three" should also be written out.
5. The boy is ighteen and a half months old.

Hope that helps. Thanks for visiting my blog!

Ruth Cook

How should I hyphenate the examples below? 1. The...

2009-04-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

How should I hyphenate the examples below?

1. The boy put a ball in the six foot square box.
2. The box was six feet square.
3. The box was six and a half feet long by 3 feet wide?
4. The eighteen and a half month old boy.
5. The boy is eighteen and a half months old.
(Thanks!)

Here is the sentence again:Freda Tarbell, spokeswo...

2008-10-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

Here is the sentence again:

Freda Tarbell, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, said it may not be until mid-morning Sunday before officials allow residents to return home.

Testing this communication system.

2008-02-27T04:16:00.000-08:00

Testing this communication system.