Not sure how to punctuate this
Jo
not sure. I'm also wondering whether there's already too many commas.
Thank you for your kindness, your empathy, your dedication, and most
of all, your warm caring heart.
Do I need a comma between "warm" and "caring"? Is this statement even
written properly?
Eric Walker
Yes, you want a comma after "warm". You also either want one after
"and", or else need to drop the one after "all": commas, like policemen,
often go about in pairs. An alternative is the underused dash:
Thank you for your kindness, your empathy, your dedication, and--most of
all--your warm, caring heart.
It lowers the comma pile-up and better emphasis the thought.
--
Cordially,
Eric Walker, Owlcroft House
http://owlcroft.com/english/
Jo
Thanks. If I use the dash for a handwritten letter, would I use two
hypens like you did in the example or one long dash?
I'm not sure which of the three examples to go with. They all look
weird to me because of all the commas and the dashes. I wish I
understood punctuation better. I have a writing book that has a whole
chapter dedicated to punctuation and I still don't get the stuff.
Ian Jackson
<em...@owlcroft.com> writes
time - with a space either side - even if some purists reckon that,
grammatically, it is not the way to do it).
I would also consider brackets.
"Thank you for your kindness, your empathy, your dedication, and (most
of all), your warm caring heart."
It is debatable whether a comma (the 'Oxford Comma') is needed after
"dedication". Some recommend that it should be avoided (if possible).
http://punctuateaware.co.uk/
Finally, as "for" is a long way back, near the beginning of the
sentence, I think I would consider repeating it before the final "your".
It just sound better.
"Thank you for your kindness, your empathy, your dedication and (most of
all), for your warm caring heart."
--
Ian
Bill McCray
> I would agree that the dashes are better (although I only use one at a
> time - with a space either side - even if some purists reckon that,
> grammatically, it is not the way to do it).
>
> I would also consider brackets.
> "Thank you for your kindness, your empathy, your dedication, and (most
> of all), your warm caring heart."
>
The comma after "all)" should be removed; the closing parenthesis
already separates "most of all" from the rest. I think a comma should
separate "warm" and "caring", because you could write "warm and caring
heart" or "caring and warm heart".
Bill in Kentucky
Ian Jackson
<billm...@mindspring.com> writes
>Ian Jackson wrote:
>
>> I would agree that the dashes are better (although I only use one at
>>a time - with a space either side - even if some purists reckon that,
>>grammatically, it is not the way to do it).
>> I would also consider brackets.
>> "Thank you for your kindness, your empathy, your dedication, and
>>(most of all), your warm caring heart."
>>
>
>The comma after "all)" should be removed; the closing parenthesis
>already separates "most of all" from the rest.
Yes, that indeed would be correct. My mistake.
> I think a comma should separate "warm" and "caring", because you
>could write "warm and caring heart" or "caring and warm heart".
>
Strictly speaking, yes, as 'correct' grammar says that you should have
comma(s) between two or more adjectives. But there are those who feel
that, sometimes, the comma is often superfluous - unless it is needed to
emphasise what would be, in any case, a natural slight pause between the
adjectives. Personally, on this occasion, I don't think that a comma
adds much to the reading or the meaning. [Sorry for all the commas!]
--
Ian
Mudge
Looks fine to me except I would remove the second, third and fourth "your"
Tautology, dontcha know !
--
The Canadian Curmudgeon (in Calgary)
Fix the biosphere - eliminate people
Robert Lieblich
[ ... ]
> I would agree that the dashes are better (although I only use one at a
> time - with a space either side - even if some purists reckon that,
> grammatically, it is not the way to do it).
Grammar has nothing to do with the typography of dashes--nothing--and
the typography of dashes is governed primarily by typesetting, not
typing, although what computers can do blurs the line between the
two. When I were a lad studying typing (on an L.C. Smith upright), we
were taught to use two consecutive hits of the "-" key to generate a
dash, with no space at either end. But the form of a single "-" with
spaces on either side (and there's a large recent thread about "either
side" available in either AEU or AUE) conveys the same message:
"There's a dash here."
>
> I would also consider brackets.
> "Thank you for your kindness, your empathy, your dedication, and (most
> of all), your warm caring heart."
In which case you don't need the comma after the phrase in round
brackets (or as we Murricans call them, "parentheses" [no joke]).
>
> It is debatable whether a comma (the 'Oxford Comma') is needed after
> "dedication". Some recommend that it should be avoided (if possible).
> http://punctuateaware.co.uk/
You can find crackpots anywhere.
More seriously, large groups of people line up on both sides of the
serial ("Oxford") comma question. We're not going to resolve the
debate here.
>
> Finally, as "for" is a long way back, near the beginning of the
> sentence, I think I would consider repeating it before the final "your".
> It just sound better.
It just sound as if you lost the grammatical thread halfway through.
If you want a "for" before the final "your," you need an "and" before
the penultimate "your."
> "Thank you for your kindness, your empathy, your dedication and (most of
> all), for your warm caring heart."
Oy!
--
Bob Lieblich
Agent Oy Oy Seven
Fred
"Mudge" <Nos...@never.ever> wrote in message
news:2009111814505116807-Nospam@neverever...
> On 2009-11-18 01:56:55 -0700, Jo <agirln...@gmail.com> said:
>
>> I feel like an extra comma is needed in the statement below, but I'm
>> not sure. I'm also wondering whether there's already too many commas.
>>
>> Thank you for your kindness, your empathy, your dedication, and most
>> of all, your warm caring heart.
>>
>> Do I need a comma between "warm" and "caring"? Is this statement even
>> written properly?
>
> Looks fine to me except I would remove the second, third and fourth "your"
>
> Tautology, dontcha know !
I wouild carry on and remove 'and most of all your warm caring heart'.
'Thank you for your kindness, empathy and dedication', says it all without
descending into what strikes me as soppy meaningless nonsense.
Mr. C
wrote:
>I feel like an extra comma is needed in the statement below, but I'm
>not sure. I'm also wondering whether there's already too many commas.
>
>Thank you for your kindness, your empathy, your dedication, and most
>of all, your warm caring heart.
When I get into situations similar to the one that concerns you, I
generally find my sentences are too long. Consider breaking it into
two sentences that are clear and concise. Since you said "most of
all", it may add emphasis by being in its own sentence, like:
Thank you for your kindness, empathy and dedication. Most of all,
thank you for your warm, caring heart.
Lou
Barb Knox
Robert Lieblich <r_s_li...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Ian Jackson wrote:
> [ ... ]
[SNIP]
> > I would also consider brackets.
> > "Thank you for your kindness, your empathy, your dedication, and (most
> > of all), your warm caring heart."
>
> In which case you don't need the comma after the phrase in round
> brackets (or as we Murricans call them, "parentheses" [no joke]).
Does everyone agree with the following? (View with a monospace font.)
Symbol ------BrE------ -----AmE-----
( ) brackets, or parentheses
round brackets
[ ] square brackets brackets
{ } curly brackets braces
< > angle brackets angle brackets
[SNIP]
--
---------------------------
| BBB b \ Barbara at LivingHistory stop co stop uk
| B B aa rrr b |
| BBB a a r bbb | Quidquid latine dictum sit,
| B B a a r b b | altum viditur.
| BBB aa a r bbb |
-----------------------------
Ian Jackson
Knox <s...@sig.below> writes
>In article <4B04AF8F...@yahoo.com>,
> Robert Lieblich <r_s_li...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> Ian Jackson wrote:
>> [ ... ]
>[SNIP]
>
>> > I would also consider brackets.
>> > "Thank you for your kindness, your empathy, your dedication, and (most
>> > of all), your warm caring heart."
>>
>> In which case you don't need the comma after the phrase in round
>> brackets (or as we Murricans call them, "parentheses" [no joke]).
>
>Does everyone agree with the following? (View with a monospace font.)
>
>Symbol ------BrE------ -----AmE-----
> ( ) brackets, or parentheses
> round brackets
> [ ] square brackets brackets
> { } curly brackets braces
> < > angle brackets angle brackets
>
I'm no expert.
I would have said that the BrE names are what the Br man-in-the-street
usually calls them. The AmE are what Br academics call them.
--
Oam