Category_MWW Blog>The Comma

Single Separating Comma after "And"

This question keeps coming up. When you have a coordinate conjunction -- and, but, or, nor -- there is never a single comma by itself after it. You might want to surround something after a coordina...
Category_MWW Blog>Numbers

Counting with "One One Thousand"

I think there are two ways to do this: ...one, one thousand; two, one thousand; three, one thousand... or ...one/one thousand, two/one thousand, three/one thousand... Either way gives the right...
capitalization

Parties to the Lawsuit

These parties to the lawsuit -- plaintiff, defendant, defense -- are not capped in general context in the transcript. ...spoke with plaintiff on the phone... ...sent to the defense... ...saw the d...
Category_MWW Blog>The Comma

Adverb Clauses at the Beginning...

When an adverb clause -- it has a subject and verb and a word out in front of it that is part of the clause and is used to answer when, where, why, how -- starts a sentence, it is always followed b...
Category_MWW Blog>The Quotation Mark

An Interesting Quote Question

This was a FB question: ...It is a "Don't worry. It's okay. I understand" situation... It is okay to have the periods in the middle of the quoted material that is an adjective. Commas don't work...
Category_MWW Blog>General

Fractions

Unless a fraction, which should be written out in words when it stands alone, is a direct adjective, it is NOT hyphenated. ...three-fourths vote... ...two-thirds majority... ...two thirds of the ...
Category_MWW Blog>General

"Jibe," "Gibe," "Jive" -- and This Is Just the Beginning

Much of my time is being consumed these days with my efforts to write my new book -- Word Pares, Pears, Pairs. I am determined to have it out by the end of January! Apropos of my new book, there w...
Category_MWW Blog>The Comma

Those "Conjunctive Adverbs" Again

When certain adverbs are pulled out to the front of a sentence and are used to form a bridge -- that is, show a relationship -- between two sentences, they become conjunctions which we call conjunc...
Category_MWW Blog>General

The Conjunction "But"

Remember that but needs an independent subject and verb after it in order to have a comma in front of it. ...didn't really see him, but she tried to get him on the phone. ...didn't really see him ...