Unanswered Questions
271 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
3
votes
0
answers
71
views
Commas in an introductory phrase for both a time shift and a new setting
So let’s say I’ve got an introductory phrase that introduces both a new setting and a new shift in time, sort of like a “scene change” phrase. For example, let’s say those two elements are “later” for ...
- 6,415
2
votes
0
answers
107
views
Syllable breaking C-le rule regarding words ending in 'ffle'
I apologise if this has been posted under another category, but I have searched syllables and did not see anything concerning this topic.
My issue is concerning syllable breaking of words ending in '...
- 49k
2
votes
0
answers
115
views
Grammar of “In Meditations, Aurelius wrote about ways to live a Stoic life, asserting that humans should aim to live a virtuous life to be happy”
Below: a photo of a learner's textbook exercise page with a reading passage about a Stoic Roman emperor, with punctuation issues – and a question about punctuation, with rejoinders. "A" (the ...
- 67.9k
2
votes
0
answers
65
views
Hyphenation when adding a prefix to a hyphenated phrase
Consider these hyphenated phrases:
"State-of-the-art design"
"family-owned cafe"
Are the following modified phrases punctuated correctly ? Are they idiomatic in speech and ...
- 4,744
2
votes
0
answers
27
views
Setting up quotes
Can someone please tell me which one is correct?
Club president of the home economics club John Smith commented, “
or
Club president of the home economics club, John Smith, commented, “
- 94
2
votes
0
answers
200
views
Split a dependent clause from an independent clause
The first clause in the following sentence has no subject, nor verb:
From the first agricultural settlements to the rich Emirates of the
Arabian peninsula, the Middle East has always had an ...
- 45
2
votes
0
answers
56
views
Should comma in front of colon be omitted?
Should the comma in the sentence below be omitted?
A comes in two forms, depending on how often they do B:
X
Y
.
- 121
2
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Is a comma needed to offset an expansion clause?
Which of the following is most grammatically correct?
In Boston, and other cities above a certain size, public transit is paid for with an RFID card.
In Boston and other cities above a certain size, ...
- 3,584
2
votes
0
answers
126
views
What to call a brief sentence that comes before/after the main clause with only a comma
Here is my passage. I believe I'm doing it right, but I'm not sure why.
Does this have a specific name? It doesn't seem like an interjection to me, so I'm not sure why I'm so comfortable using a ...
- 7,192
2
votes
1
answer
720
views
Should 'known as' be followed by quotation marks?
e..g
This is how he became known as 'the ape king'.
or
'from then on, he became known as 'the smartest man in Britain'.
Or should this be without quotation marks?
CommunityBot
- 1
2
votes
1
answer
8k
views
Punctuating an Initialized/Abbreviated Last Name
What is the proper method, in American English, to punctuate a name that's been abbreviated to an initial? I.e., "Dr. S," if the full last name was something like, say, "Syzlowski," or someone named, ...
2
votes
2
answers
397
views
The use of colon in the sentence
I have a hard time understanding the use of the colon in the following sentence:
Marriage is like a supermarket: easy to get into but hard to get out of.
Is the part after the colon a list of two ...
CommunityBot
- 1
2
votes
1
answer
159
views
Punctuation in lists that end mid-sentence
I know that we can introduce a list with a semicolon or an em dash, but nowhere can I find any rules on punctuation when a list ends mid-sentence.
Say I have a sentence that goes like this:
Lawn ...
- 1,389
2
votes
1
answer
291
views
Correct punctuation in numbers with mixed numbers and words like "2 thousand"
What is the correct punctuation when writing a mix of numbers and words, when writing a big number?
I'm especially not clear about the hyphens or spaces. Is it for example:
2-thousand euro
or
2 ...
- 7,135
1
vote
0
answers
115
views
Origin and reasoning behind "double periods" in between sentences in causal contexts
I (Gen Z) see some people, mainly Gen-Xers and older, using double periods in between sentences, mainly in casual contexts. For example:
a comment on a Facebook post: I was trying to find that.. is ...
- 111