This is my third post tonight. I’m going to stop after this and do something else like yoga or sleep.
I have a problem. I have chronic comma over-use syndrome. I need all of my fellow grammar Nazis to point out all of my over-use errors. I get sick of editing my posts and removing 900 unnecessary commas. Share your frustration because I know it kills you to read with all those damned commas all over the place.
I welcome your editing.
Comma’s are our friends. I have the same problem with dashes. When I want to emphasize a point (comma) or add a pause (like now) (comma) I will add a dash in place of a comma. Not sure if it’s improper or not (comma) but so far (dash) no one has corrected me. Chances are they don’t know either.
I embrace your commas! LOL
I have an acquaintance who ABUSES ellipses to no end! Like this:
I have ….. an acquaintance ….. who …… ABUSES ….. ellipses ….. to no end.
And they’re only supposed to be THREE dots! Not five or ten.
*whew*
So, no, your commas are fine with me.
I don’t recall you misusing commas, and I’m the kind of person who would be able to list the offenses.
I can’t stand when people offset occupation with a comma that makes it seem like the person mentioned is the only one to have ever had the job.
Incorrect: Misery is a work by the author, Stephen King.
@ Bauer
OK, reading that was painful with all the parenthetical punctuation. Thanks a lot!
@ Katrice
Ellipses over-use is an office-wide offense at my job. Dear God in Heaven!!! Yes, only 3 dots and only for missing text or an incomplete thought. Ellipses are NOT periods.
I should post the email string of me and the other grammar Nazis in the office freaking out over a particular executive’s infractions!
@ ~m~
And I thought you were just being polite. Well, point out my infractions now. I think I type commas when I’m pausing to think of where I’m going with a sentence. That’s the only explanation I have for how frequently I have to delete them.
,,,,;;….[.....],??!!
Don’t worry. You’re not alone.
Well, I can’t say too much, about this, I am not!!! the punctuation king……….
Katrice just walked by and almost died reading that! LOL
You know, Lex, one of the reasons I am sorely tempted to start another, secret blog is so I can post about relatives with impunity.
Flip’s brother suffers from commarhea, as I call it. Flip gave him my url once and he read one post and sent me an email suggesting that I get a copy of Strunk & White, which had been so helpful to him over the years. His entire email was punctuated with commas between practically every two words.
And by the way, I have never noticed anything in your writing that I would change. I think you’re amazing.
mine is the comma. followed closely by the semicolon and the em dash. why i am unable to just write succinct sentences is beyond me.
and i’m a WRITER, ferfackssake!
And yet… your post contained NO COMMAS WHATSOEVER.
Wow.
Was that planned?
@ Andy
Only YOU would notice that! No. It was neither planned nor noticed!
Oh, who cares about the commas (which I over use too). Just like reading what you post.