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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 ...