Answers to Questions About Commas #5

Answers to Questions About Commas #5 Answers to Questions About Commas #5 Answers to Questions About Commas #5 By Maeve Maddox Several readers have sent in questions regarding comma use. I’ll take them in turn. 1. Does a comma always go before the word too? No. Whether or not a writer places a comma before the word too depends upon the desired emphasis. Too is an adverb meaning in addition, furthermore, moreover, besides, also.† The only reason to place a comma before the too is to slow the pace of the sentence or change the emphasis: My dog can fetch the paper too. My dog can fetch the paper, too. The same option applies when the too comes within the sentence: I too can recite the Gettysburg Address. I, too, can recite the Gettysburg Address. A note in the CMOS (Chicago Manual of Style) recommends that we use commas with too only when we want to emphasize an abrupt change of thought. The editor gives this memorable example: He didn’t know at first what hit him, but then, too, he hadn’t ever walked in a field strewn with garden rakes. In most cases, commas with too are unnecessary. 2. Is it correct to place a semicolon before however and a comma after it? Yes. The building was completely remodeled on the inside; however, the 18th century faà §ade was left unaltered. 3. Is it necessary to place a comma before â€Å"as well as†? You don’t need a comma before â€Å"as well as† when it introduces words that are essential to the meaning of the entire sentence: I like mysteries as well as historical novels. The no-smoking policy applies to teachers as well as to students. The â€Å"as well as† phrase is enclosed with commas iflike a non-restrictive clauseit can be left out without affecting the meaning of the main clause: Mysteries, as well as historical novels, rank high on my list of favorites. The teachers, as well as the students, must respect the no-smoking policy. 4. Can you replace a semicolon with a comma? No, with certain exceptions. The semicolon is stronger than a comma, but not as strong a stop as a period. Its usual job is to separate independent clauses that are closely related in thought. Grandpa patiently fed the kitten with an eye-dropper; he’d always had a soft spot for baby animals. Sometimes, if the clauses are very short, commas can replace semicolons or coordinating conjunctions to achieve literary effect, as in the usual translation of Julius Caesar’s famous â€Å"Veni, vidi, vici†: â€Å"I came, I saw, I conquered.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:One Fell Swoop5 Erroneously Constructed â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Sentences

Memorable Lucille Ball Quotes

Memorable Lucille Ball Quotes Lucille Ball began her career in musical comedy, became a success in radio comedy, starred in several movie comedies, and achieved her greatest popular success with her TV show, I Love Lucy, first airing in 1951 and running until 1957. She also starred in The Lucy Show (1962-68) and Heres Lucy (1968-74). Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, who produced I Love Lucy together as well as starred in the show, were married from 1940 to 1960. Lucille Ball managed Desilu Productions from 1962 to 1967 and Lucille Ball Productions from 1967 to 1989. Selected Lucille Ball Quotations I never thought I was funny. I dont think funny. Im not funny. What I am is brave. Ability is of little account without opportunity. The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do. Luck? I dont know anything about luck. Ive never banked on it, and Im afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: Hard work - Â  and realizing what is opportunity and what isnt. One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesnt pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself. I think knowing what you cannot do is more important than knowing what you can do. In fact, thats good taste. I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not. In life, all good things come hard, but wisdom is the hardest to come by. I have an everyday religion that works for me. Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world. Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead. My God, Im outliving my henna. Womens lib?...It doesnt interest me one bit. Ive been so liberated it hurts. Politics should be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage. Its a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy. Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. I regret the passing of the studio system. I was very appreciative of it because I had no talent. What could I do? I couldnt dance. I couldnt sing. I could talk. Heaven, no. I was shy for several years in my early days in Hollywood until I figured out that no one really gave a damn if I was shy or not, and I got over my shyness. You see much more of your children once they leave home. Use a make-up table with everything close at hand and don’t rush; otherwise you’ll look like a patchwork quilt. A man who correctly guesses a womans age may be smart, but hes not very bright. What we did on [i[I Love Lucy was not slapstick. I worked with the Three Stooges years ago, and they were masters of slapstick, so I know what slapstick is. The best thing I learned from working with the Stooges was when to duck! Its true. Your timing has to be right so that you dont get hurt in the scene. The Stooges were always teaching people on the set how to duck. You spell Bob Hope C-L-A-S-S. I dont do T A very well because I havent got much of either. Quote collection assembled by Jone Johnson Lewis.