Honestly I’m not sure if I’m critiquing widely accepted English grammar because it seems kinda like the serial comma (some use, some don’t), but I don’t know the name for it.
The NY Times piece on commas doesn’t cite any sources and gives examples with and without based on Byzantine rules I highly doubt anyone follows, and the OWL doesn’t seem to cover this specifically.
So… any idea what this particular type of comma is called that I’m wrong about but would like to persuade others that I should be right?
I’m definitely arguing against standard rules then 🙄
However, I’d say generally people write “Good morning John, please do this boring thing from last week”, instead of “Good morning, John, please do this thing”.
It reduces ambiguity in some cases, but unlike the Oxford comma, it never adds ambiguity (I don’t think the inline-signing of a letter ambiguity mentioned earlier is reasonable).
That comma is unnecessary and introduces ambiguity to the sentence, which is the opposite of what commas are supposed to do.
For example, who is the dumbass?:
Who is Carol?!? The addressed, or the addressee? (I’m not actually an English expert so may be wildly incorrect)
You’re wildly incorrect, according to every major style guide.
If you’re critiquing widely accepted rules of English grammar, your critique may be valid.
Honestly I’m not sure if I’m critiquing widely accepted English grammar because it seems kinda like the serial comma (some use, some don’t), but I don’t know the name for it.
The NY Times piece on commas doesn’t cite any sources and gives examples with and without based on Byzantine rules I highly doubt anyone follows, and the OWL doesn’t seem to cover this specifically.
So… any idea what this particular type of comma is called that I’m wrong about but would like to persuade others that I should be right?
It’s called a vocative comma.
Thanks!
I’m definitely arguing against standard rules then 🙄
However, I’d say generally people write “Good morning John, please do this boring thing from last week”, instead of “Good morning, John, please do this thing”.
I don’t know, Carol.
I don’t know Carol.
It reduces ambiguity in some cases, but unlike the Oxford comma, it never adds ambiguity (I don’t think the inline-signing of a letter ambiguity mentioned earlier is reasonable).
hey this is the internet we don’t care if its correct we care if it sounds
Fine, I’ll sterilize a ballpoint pen…