0
SJ88 Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Use of Commas
Hi ppl,
I have always wondered why the comma is used after "I/He/She said" as opposed to the colon. I understand that the colon is used as well, but not as frequently. Isn't the use of the comma in such circumstances, strictly speaking, ungrammatical?
eg. He said, "Go away!"
Do we use the comma based on purely tradition?
On a side note, is it grammatical to say:
He's a good runner, I'll give him that.
Or is this correct instead:
He's a good runner; I'll give him that.
Thanks for your help ppl!
SJ
I have always wondered why the comma is used after "I/He/She said" as opposed to the colon. I understand that the colon is used as well, but not as frequently. Isn't the use of the comma in such circumstances, strictly speaking, ungrammatical?
eg. He said, "Go away!"
Do we use the comma based on purely tradition?
On a side note, is it grammatical to say:
He's a good runner, I'll give him that.
Or is this correct instead:
He's a good runner; I'll give him that.
Thanks for your help ppl!
SJ
Top answer
It's just the rules of punctuation that a comma is used in direct quotations. Independent clauses are joined by a semi-colon, so your second sentence is correctly punctuated. He's a good runner; I'll give him that.
- It's just the rules of punctuation that a comma is used in direct quotations.
- Independent clauses are joined by a semi-colon, so your second sentence is correctly punctuated.
- He's a good runner; I'll give him that.
- Regards, A- s
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
4 Answers
0
It's just the rules of punctuation that a comma is used in direct quotations.
Independent clauses are joined by a semi-colon, so your second sentence is correctly punctuated.
He's a good runner; I'll give him that.
Regards,
A-
Independent clauses are joined by a semi-colon, so your second sentence is correctly punctuated.
He's a good runner; I'll give him that.
Regards,
A-
00
Hi AlpheccaStars,
Thanks for answering! However, I do have an additional question.
Thanks for answering! However, I do have an additional question.
AlpheccaStarsIndependent clauses are joined by a semi-colon, so your second sentence is correctly punctuated.While I have no doubt that the above is true, why are sentences like "He's a fast one, I'll say." or "He's a miser, rumours have it." separated with a comma?
00
Technically, independent clauses are joined by a conjunction (and, or, nor,.. for, but etc) or semi-colon.
Some style guides might take exception to short phrases that could qualify as an interjection (such as - you know, you bet, I'll say)
Some style guides might take exception to short phrases that could qualify as an interjection (such as - you know, you bet, I'll say)
SJ88"He's a miser, rumours have it."This one does not seem right; it should be an independent + dependent clause:
00
Related Questions