Grammar/Spelling/Syntax/English lessons

[clarinetplayer]

The use of the Oxford comma brings clarity to a list.

"Today, I shall order two bespoke suits, one pair of Polo shoes and socks, and five Jantzen shirts."

 

[rdawson808]

Originally Posted by clarinetplayer

The use of the Oxford comma brings clarity to a list.

"Today, I shall order two bespoke suits, one pair of Polo shoes and socks, and five Jantzen shirts."

Yes, I am a huge proponent of the serial comma (as I have always heard it called). I beat my students over the head with it. They read too many magazines.

bob

 

[trogdor]

Originally Posted by Margaret

Though in Detroit, they say halve the workers.

Mass redundancies or accidents with machinery?

 

[clarinetplayer]

Originally Posted by rdawson808

Yes, I am a huge proponent of the serial comma (as I have always heard it called). I beat my students over the head with it. They read too many magazines.

bob

It is called the Oxford comma because all Oxford University Press publications use it.

 

[shellshock]

has anyone brought up the use (or misuse) of "nauseated" vs. "nauseous" yet?

(from dictionary.com)

nau·seous Audio pronunciation of "nauseous" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (nôshs, -z-s)
adj.

1. Causing nausea; sickening: "the most nauseous offal fit for the gods" (John Fowles).
2. Usage Problem. Affected with nausea.

nauseous·ly adv.
nauseous·ness n.

Usage Note: Traditional critics have insisted that nauseous is properly used only to mean "causing nausea" and that it is incorrect to use it to mean "affected with nausea," as in Roller coasters make me nauseous. In this example, nauseated is preferred by 72 percent of the Usage Panel. Curiously, though, 88 percent of the Panelists prefer using nauseating in the sentence The children looked a little green from too many candy apples and nauseating (not nauseous) rides. Since there is a lot of evidence to show that nauseous is widely used to mean "feeling sick," it appears that people use nauseous mainly in the sense in which it is considered incorrect. In its "correct" sense it is being supplanted by nauseating.


ugh its confusing.

 

[Margaret]

Originally Posted by trogdor

Mass redundancies or accidents with machinery?

 

[Kent Wang]

There is no international consensus on the usage of the single quote versus the double, but I prefer to use restrict the use of the double quote to actual quotations and the single quote to demarcate a singular phrase, e.g.:

The 'power to the people' movement.
Smith shouted, "power to the people."

 

[Margaret]

Originally Posted by Kent Wang

There is no international consensus on the usage of the single quote versus the double, but I prefer to use restrict the use of the double quote to actual quotations and the single quote to demarcate a singular phrase, e.g.:

The 'power to the people' movement.
Smith shouted, "power to the people."

I pretty much follow the same convention, unless I want to emphasize that the singular phrase relates directly to a direct quotation, e.g.,

I've complelely had it with Smith and his goddamned "power to the people" movement.

 

[sonick]

Right now, one of my friends' MSN name reads:

"Acomplished absolutely no homework this week

Routing for Brazil !"

 

[j]

Originally Posted by sonick

Right now, one of my friends' MSN name reads:

"Acomplished absolutely no homework this week

Routing for Brazil !"

I hope he/she is careful. Routers are dangerous tools.

 

[Mike C.]

"Since" does not mean "because."

 

[Margaret]

Originally Posted by Mike C.

"Since" does not mean "because."



Since you insist otherwise,

Main Entry: 2 since
Function: conjunction
1 : at a time in the past after or later than <has held two jobs since he graduated> : from the time in the past when <ever since I was a child>
2 obsolete : WHEN
3 : in view of the fact that : BECAUSE <since it was raining she took an umbrella>

http://webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary

 

[sonick]

Originally Posted by sonick

Right now, one of my friends' MSN name reads:

"Acomplished absolutely no homework this week

Routing for Brazil !"
Same friend's MSN name currently says (btw, he is the one LOOKING for a job, not hiring for somebody):

"Potential Job Prospects .. lets see how things role. Already lost 1 job to school."

 

[Fabienne]

I recently purchased The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. It's a joy. I keep it on my nightstand.

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by Fabienne

I recently purchased The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. It's a joy. I keep it on my nightstand.
That truly is a great dictionary. Among other things, the judicious use of pictures and illustrations makes browsing through it particularly enjoyable.