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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
Usage
How would you punctuate this?
Is there some better way to punctuate the following sentence?
He would sit in his office daydreaming about white-sand beaches, clear blue ocean water, and drinks with little paper umbrellas in them.
In particular, I'm wondering if "clear blue ocean water" is okay. My copy editor changed it to "clear-blue ocean water" which seems just wrong since "clear" and "blue" are separate adjectives, not a composite the way "white-sand" is. Thoughts?
-Peter
Peter Seibel (Email Removed)
Lisp is the red pill. John Fraser, comp.lang.lisp
He would sit in his office daydreaming about white-sand beaches, clear blue ocean water, and drinks with little paper umbrellas in them.
In particular, I'm wondering if "clear blue ocean water" is okay. My copy editor changed it to "clear-blue ocean water" which seems just wrong since "clear" and "blue" are separate adjectives, not a composite the way "white-sand" is. Thoughts?
-Peter
Peter Seibel (Email Removed)
Lisp is the red pill. John Fraser, comp.lang.lisp
Top answer
Peter Seibel wrote on 16 Jan 2005: [nq:1]Is there some better way to punctuate the following sentence? He would sit in his office daydreaming about white-sand beaches, ... water" which seems just wrong since "clear" and "blue" are separate adjectives, not a composite the way "white-sand" is.
- Peter Seibel wrote on 16 Jan 2005: [nq:1]Is there some better way to punctuate the following sentence?
- He would sit in his office daydreaming about white-sand beaches, ...
- water" which seems just wrong since "clear" and "blue" are separate adjectives, not a composite the way "white-sand" is.
- [/nq] Your copy editor has a point, but the wrong answer, I think.
- It should be either "clear-blue" or "clear, blue".
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114 Answers
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Peter Seibel wrote on 16 Jan 2005:
[nq:1]Is there some better way to punctuate the following sentence? He would sit in his office daydreaming about white-sand beaches, ... water" which seems just wrong since "clear" and "blue" are separate adjectives, not a composite the way "white-sand" is. Thoughts?[/nq]
Your copy editor has a point, but the wrong answer, I think. It should be either "cl
[nq:1]Is there some better way to punctuate the following sentence? He would sit in his office daydreaming about white-sand beaches, ... water" which seems just wrong since "clear" and "blue" are separate adjectives, not a composite the way "white-sand" is. Thoughts?[/nq]
Your copy editor has a point, but the wrong answer, I think. It should be either "cl
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[nq:1]Peter Seibel wrote on 16 Jan 2005:[/nq]
[nq:2]Is there some better way to punctuate the following sentence? ... separate adjectives, not a composite the way "white-sand" is. Thoughts?[/nq]
[nq:1]Your copy editor has a point, but the wrong answer, I think. It should be either "clear-blue" or "clear, blue". ... hyphen says that the water is "clear blue" rather than "south sea island bl
[nq:2]Is there some better way to punctuate the following sentence? ... separate adjectives, not a composite the way "white-sand" is. Thoughts?[/nq]
[nq:1]Your copy editor has a point, but the wrong answer, I think. It should be either "clear-blue" or "clear, blue". ... hyphen says that the water is "clear blue" rather than "south sea island bl
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[nq:1]Is there some better way to punctuate the following sentence? He would sit in his office daydreaming about white-sand beaches, ... water" which seems just wrong since "clear" and "blue" are separate adjectives, not a composite the way "white-sand" is. Thoughts?[/nq]
I agree with Ed. The hyphen is needed to convince the reader that all those adjectives do indeed modify "ocean water". It's
I agree with Ed. The hyphen is needed to convince the reader that all those adjectives do indeed modify "ocean water". It's
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[nq:2]Your copy editor has a point, but the wrong answer, ... "south sea island blue" or "cerulean blue" or "murky blue".[/nq]
[nq:1]So you'd punctuate the whole sentence this? He would sit in his office daydreaming about white-sand beaches, clear, blue, ocean water, and drinks with little paper umbrellas in them.[/nq]
No, leave out the one after "blue".
Skitt (in Hayward, Califor
[nq:1]So you'd punctuate the whole sentence this? He would sit in his office daydreaming about white-sand beaches, clear, blue, ocean water, and drinks with little paper umbrellas in them.[/nq]
No, leave out the one after "blue".
Skitt (in Hayward, Califor
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[nq:1]Is there some better way to punctuate the following sentence? He would sit in his office daydreaming about white-sand beaches, clear blueocean water, and drinks >with little paper umbrellas in them.[/nq]
I did not find any resource that required "white sand" to be hyphenated. Apparently it has become a noun popular enough to have transcended the hyphen, yet not popular enough to appea
I did not find any resource that required "white sand" to be hyphenated. Apparently it has become a noun popular enough to have transcended the hyphen, yet not popular enough to appea
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[nq:2]Is there some better way to punctuate the following sentence? ... separate adjectives, not a composite the way "white-sand" is. Thoughts?[/nq]
[nq:1]I agree with Ed. The hyphen is needed to convince the reader that all those adjectives do indeed modify "ocean water". It's either that or "clear, blue, ocean water."[/nq]
Some digging around my library and on the web, turns up this rule
[nq:1]I agree with Ed. The hyphen is needed to convince the reader that all those adjectives do indeed modify "ocean water". It's either that or "clear, blue, ocean water."[/nq]
Some digging around my library and on the web, turns up this rule
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[nq:2]Is there some better way to punctuate the following sentence? ... separate adjectives, not a composite the way "white-sand" is. Thoughts?[/nq]
[nq:1]I agree with Ed. The hyphen is needed to convince the reader that all those adjectives do indeed modify "ocean water". It's either that or "clear, blue, ocean water."[/nq]
I disagree with Ed. I think the OP was on the right track. But th
[nq:1]I agree with Ed. The hyphen is needed to convince the reader that all those adjectives do indeed modify "ocean water". It's either that or "clear, blue, ocean water."[/nq]
I disagree with Ed. I think the OP was on the right track. But th
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[nq:1]Some digging around my library and on the web, turns up this rule: Commas are used to separate coordinate adjectives ... adjectives and keep the same meaning? So let's test "clear, blue, ocean water" "clear and blue and ocean water" Nope.[/nq]
But "clear and blue ocean water" works.
[nq:1]"ocean, blue, clear water" Nope. So I'd say "clear blue ocean water" is properly punctuated with
But "clear and blue ocean water" works.
[nq:1]"ocean, blue, clear water" Nope. So I'd say "clear blue ocean water" is properly punctuated with
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[nq:2]Some digging around my library and on the web, turns ... blue, ocean water" "clear and blue and ocean water" Nope.[/nq]
[nq:1]But "clear and blue ocean water" works.[/nq]
Not really to my ear.
[nq:2]"ocean, blue, clear water" Nope. So I'd say "clear blue ocean water" is properly punctuated without commas. (1) [/nq]
[nq:1]5. Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives. You c
[nq:1]But "clear and blue ocean water" works.[/nq]
Not really to my ear.
[nq:2]"ocean, blue, clear water" Nope. So I'd say "clear blue ocean water" is properly punctuated without commas. (1) [/nq]
[nq:1]5. Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives. You c
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[nq:2]But "clear and blue ocean water" works.[/nq]
[nq:1]Not really to my ear.[/nq]
Ah, well, that's where we differ.
[nq:2]5. Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives. You could ... appear between little and old or between little and purple.[/nq]
[nq:1]Right. I saw that page too. So the question is, is "clear blue ocean water" like "tall, distinguished fellow" or "little old
[nq:1]Not really to my ear.[/nq]
Ah, well, that's where we differ.
[nq:2]5. Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives. You could ... appear between little and old or between little and purple.[/nq]
[nq:1]Right. I saw that page too. So the question is, is "clear blue ocean water" like "tall, distinguished fellow" or "little old
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