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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage

English comma

(Warning: From Denmark)
Is the comma placed correct:
"
Either all data gets stored in the same directory as the program, or else data for each user account has its own directory (availability of this option depends on the operating system). "
?
As I see it: There are 2 independent clauses.. Separated by a "FANBOYS" word...
But only if you ignore the "else". Am I to consider the "or" = "or else" in this context?
One could also argue that I am in a sense listing 2 different choices, but I guess the comma is still correct since both sentences are indenpendent clauses (if you ignore the "else")?
best regards
Thomas Schulz
  

Top answer

[nq:1]Is the comma placed correct: " Either all data gets stored in the same directory as the program, or else ... word... But only if you ignore the "else".

  • [nq:1]Is the comma placed correct: " Either all data gets stored in the same directory as the program, or else ...
  • word...
  • But only if you ignore the "else".
  • [/nq] I think your comma is fine (although not strictly necessary it helps to mark the end of the first clause), because the conjunction "or" is quite capable of linking the two halves of the sentence.
  • But "else" seems somewhat redundant to me: "Either ...
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7 Answers
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[nq:1]Is the comma placed correct: " Either all data gets stored in the same directory as the program, or else ... word... But only if you ignore the "else". Am I to consider the "or" = "or else" in this context?[/nq]
I think your comma is fine (although not strictly necessary it helps to mark the end of the first clause), because the conjunction "or" is quite capable of linking the two halves
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[nq:1](Warning: From Denmark) Is the comma placed correct: "Either all data gets stored in the same directory as the program, ... choices, but I guess the comma is still correct since both sentences are indenpendent clauses (if you ignore the "else")?[/nq]
The construction "or else", despite being common, is redundant: a simple "or" or "else" will do the needed work. For some reason unknown to
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Thanks fo your input!
[nq:1]Sorry, I don't get your reference to "FANBOYS".[/nq]
Following list of words: "For,And,Nor,But,Or,Yet,So".
best regards
Thomas
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[nq:1]The construction "or else", despite being common, is redundant: a simple "or" or "else" will do the needed work. For some reason unknown to me, a simple, bare "else" now strikes people as a strange form.[/nq]
Well, AFAIK, "else" isn't enough in itself to separate
2 independent clauses (or so I've read a few places).Still, just using "else" does not seem oddly to me. What I've read ha
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[nq:2]The construction "or else", despite being common, is redundant: a ... simple, bare "else" now strikes people as a strange form.[/nq]
It's a good idea to include attributions, dk (if I may use your first name). This looked to me like a quotation from Eric Walker, and a check of the references confirmed that. You have to understand that Eric's views of English usage frequently differ from
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[nq:1]Either I'm right or I'm not[/nq]
Hehe, thanks Robert.
I am going to save this whole thread on my disk.
best regards
Thomas
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[nq:2]Either I'm right or I'm not[/nq]
[nq:1]Hehe, thanks Robert. I am going to save this whole thread on my disk. best regards Thomas[/nq]
Just in case one opinion disagreeing with Eric isn't enough, I think Robert is right on all counts.
Carter Jefferson
http://carterj.homestead.com/

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