Silly things that make you irrationately/unproportionately annoyed or upset
- Thread starter WhiteBeastofWotan
- Start date
Jeff Goldblum seems to be like Christopher Walken in that he doesn't play a character so much as play Jeff Goldblum playing Jeff Goldblum playing a character.
Jeff
Dead Winter
STAHP
Altitudes
Stay Frosty
Det Som Engang Var
Viking Bastard
When I'm using parenthesis (or quotation marks), can somebody explain to me how I should use commas? One before and after?
When I'm using parenthesis, (or quotation marks) can
When I'm using parenthesis (or quotation marks), can
When I'm using parenthesis, (or quotation marks) can
When I'm using parenthesis (or quotation marks), can
Anvil
Brain Bubbled
- Jun 2, 2004
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If it's still part of the sentence the comma goes on the outside of the parenthesis, whereas if it's the end, it can go in the parentheses. Quotation marks a comma goes before them. Besides those rules, commas are used the same as they are in a regular sentence otherwise.
Det Som Engang Var
Viking Bastard
El Stormo
Member
In that particular sentence, the use of parentheses is unneeded and confusing. You can just as well type "When I'm using parentheses or quotation marks, can somebody explain to me how I should use commas? One before and after?"
If you do use parentheses, then always keep in mind that your parenthesized clause should in no way influence the sentence (such as this clause) and should therefore be treated as if it weren't there (and inserted before the interpunction). So just write your sentence and plop the parenthesized clause right in there.
As for quotation marks, that's a bit more complicated. The comma starting the direct quote is easy, always inserted before the quotation mark:
John asked, "when do I use commas?"
Now, if you're going to interrupt your direct quote, it should look like this:
"So guys," John asked, "when should I use commas?"
The first comma (after "so guys") is inserted before the closing quotation mark because if you hadn't written the sentence in direct quote, the comma would still be there ("So guys, when do I use commas?")
However, you do not write this:
*"When," John asked, "should I use commas?", but rather "When", John asked, "should I use commas?"
The reason the comma is written on the outside of the quotation marks is because if you just wrote the quote as a sentence, the comma would not be there (it wouldn't be *"when, do I use commas", but rather just "when do I use commas"). So if you divide your direct quote in a place where there shouldn't be a comma, you write the comma on the outside of the quotation mark. Mind, in normal writing, you'll usually simply divide where the comma is, because it's more logical. When writing fiction, however, you'll sometimes divide in illogical places, and then the comma goes on the outside of the quote.
*school bell rings* Class dismissed.
If you do use parentheses, then always keep in mind that your parenthesized clause should in no way influence the sentence (such as this clause) and should therefore be treated as if it weren't there (and inserted before the interpunction). So just write your sentence and plop the parenthesized clause right in there.
As for quotation marks, that's a bit more complicated. The comma starting the direct quote is easy, always inserted before the quotation mark:
John asked, "when do I use commas?"
Now, if you're going to interrupt your direct quote, it should look like this:
"So guys," John asked, "when should I use commas?"
The first comma (after "so guys") is inserted before the closing quotation mark because if you hadn't written the sentence in direct quote, the comma would still be there ("So guys, when do I use commas?")
However, you do not write this:
*"When," John asked, "should I use commas?", but rather "When", John asked, "should I use commas?"
The reason the comma is written on the outside of the quotation marks is because if you just wrote the quote as a sentence, the comma would not be there (it wouldn't be *"when, do I use commas", but rather just "when do I use commas"). So if you divide your direct quote in a place where there shouldn't be a comma, you write the comma on the outside of the quotation mark. Mind, in normal writing, you'll usually simply divide where the comma is, because it's more logical. When writing fiction, however, you'll sometimes divide in illogical places, and then the comma goes on the outside of the quote.
*school bell rings* Class dismissed.
Dead Winter
STAHP
John, think of parentheses as you whispering in the reader's ear while he's reading the rest of the sentence. They're normally used to better describe something without having to disrupt the flow of the sentence or make a completely new sentence. You can actually just make a new sentence but usually it's better to use parentheses to maintain flow and clarity.
For example: I really like Elton John even though most metalheads make fun of me for it. I think his work on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was some of the best music ever created.
I didn't use parentheses for these two sentences. Now watch what happens when I use them:
I really like Elton John (even though most metalheads make fun of me for it) because I think his work on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was some of the best music ever created.
The parentheses were inserted in the middle of a complete sentence that didn't need a comma. I didn't add one because I didn't need to separate two ideas because there was just one idea: Elton John's work and the fact that I like him. Nothing happened after I said I liked him; no other idea/action came into the picture. The only time you'd add a comma after a parentheses is if you were going to add a comma anyway even without the parentheses. Remember, the parentheses are like side notes the writer whispers in your ear. Now here's an example of me using a comma after parentheses:
I really like Elton John because I think his work on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was some of the best music ever created (even though some metalheads make fun of me for it), but I don't like his later works very much.
Now, you see where I separated two ideas with a comma? I would've needed to add a comma anyway even without parentheses. The greatest thing about English is that you can mix and match and make it however you want, even without parentheses. It's all about clarity, and imo, it would probably be clearer to make two sentences here. Check this out:
Even though metalheads make fun of me for it, I really like Elton John because I think his work on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was some of the best music ever created. However, I don't like his later works very much.
You should always be careful when using parentheses; if they're not kept brief and to the point, they often muddle the rest of the sentence and disrupt flow. I hate, hate, HATE when writers (and many big name writers do this) say something in parentheses that's ten times as long as the original sentence said parentheses were interrupting. I end up having to go back and find where the parentheses started and stopped and read them as separate sentences. Sure, it may be grammatically correct but that doesn't mean it's the best choice. English, unlike most other languages, is mostly about flow and simplicity. You should always write correctly, but you should also strive for proper flow. I'm not saying that you should slide on the grammatical part of it, but rather they should go hand in hand. A rambling, convoluted sentence that just happens to be grammatically correct is just as bad as a grammatically incorrect sentence.
For example: I really like Elton John even though most metalheads make fun of me for it. I think his work on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was some of the best music ever created.
I didn't use parentheses for these two sentences. Now watch what happens when I use them:
I really like Elton John (even though most metalheads make fun of me for it) because I think his work on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was some of the best music ever created.
The parentheses were inserted in the middle of a complete sentence that didn't need a comma. I didn't add one because I didn't need to separate two ideas because there was just one idea: Elton John's work and the fact that I like him. Nothing happened after I said I liked him; no other idea/action came into the picture. The only time you'd add a comma after a parentheses is if you were going to add a comma anyway even without the parentheses. Remember, the parentheses are like side notes the writer whispers in your ear. Now here's an example of me using a comma after parentheses:
I really like Elton John because I think his work on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was some of the best music ever created (even though some metalheads make fun of me for it), but I don't like his later works very much.
Now, you see where I separated two ideas with a comma? I would've needed to add a comma anyway even without parentheses. The greatest thing about English is that you can mix and match and make it however you want, even without parentheses. It's all about clarity, and imo, it would probably be clearer to make two sentences here. Check this out:
Even though metalheads make fun of me for it, I really like Elton John because I think his work on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was some of the best music ever created. However, I don't like his later works very much.
You should always be careful when using parentheses; if they're not kept brief and to the point, they often muddle the rest of the sentence and disrupt flow. I hate, hate, HATE when writers (and many big name writers do this) say something in parentheses that's ten times as long as the original sentence said parentheses were interrupting. I end up having to go back and find where the parentheses started and stopped and read them as separate sentences. Sure, it may be grammatically correct but that doesn't mean it's the best choice. English, unlike most other languages, is mostly about flow and simplicity. You should always write correctly, but you should also strive for proper flow. I'm not saying that you should slide on the grammatical part of it, but rather they should go hand in hand. A rambling, convoluted sentence that just happens to be grammatically correct is just as bad as a grammatically incorrect sentence.
derek
Grey Eminence
Dead Winter
STAHP
El Stormo
Member
Probably traumas of being back in school.
Another thing that annoys me: when people write "here, here" instead of "hear hear", and "heresay", instead of "hearsay". How hard is it to write your own fucking language correctly? I mean, "here here", is still understandable, but "heresay", that's completely stupid and illogical.
Another thing that annoys me: when people write "here, here" instead of "hear hear", and "heresay", instead of "hearsay". How hard is it to write your own fucking language correctly? I mean, "here here", is still understandable, but "heresay", that's completely stupid and illogical.
Lord Foul
I don't spank men
English spelling rules are highly inconsistent. I'd wager that every native English speaker has one word on average that they consistently misspell and aren't even aware that they are doing it wrong.
El Stormo
Member
True, and some errors are understandable, like say, "*cemetary" or "*responsibility", but stuff like what I mentioned above, or "*I could care less", or "*irregardless", that's just plain idiocy.
El Stormo
Member
Heh. It's spelled correctly. I meant to say, "*responsability". I'd gone and confused myself
Chromatose
Squid pro quo
Malergion
Complex pain
I consistently use umbrellas. It's not because I'm worried about my hair as much as I'm worried about the thousand dollars of hardware I carry around.
El Stormo
Member
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