Quick Grammar Help

Permabanned
Joined
8 Jul 2006
Posts
751
Location
Google Earth
Just a quick grammar help regarding commas:

Which is correct?

So, as you can clearly see, we must act now.

So as you can clearly see, we must act now.

So as you can clearly see we must act now.

I tend to write like the first, but I am worried it should be done as shown in the second variation. Can anyone confirm? Grammar is really doing my head in! When you haven't been taught properly at a young age, it gets really difficult - if not impossible - to completely drill into ones head.

Thanks!
 
Soldato
Joined
19 Feb 2007
Posts
3,709
i would say 1+2 are both correct.

it depends what emphasis you want to create.

emphasis on the 'so' in 1 is fine, as is no emphasis in 2 sounds correct to me also.
 
Permabanned
OP
Joined
8 Jul 2006
Posts
751
Location
Google Earth
I thought so. I tend to write as in the first, but a lot of people say my work reads like old english authors'. :/

I've read two grammar books and I still never know if I am doing it perfectly!
 

ojo

ojo

Permabanned
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
1,925
Location
...floating in Space
Riiya said:
Just a quick grammar help regarding commas:

Which is correct?

So, as you can clearly see, we must act now.

So as you can clearly see, we must act now.

So as you can clearly see we must act now.

I tend to write like the first, but I am worried it should be done as shown in the second variation. Can anyone confirm? Grammar is really doing my head in! When you haven't been taught properly at a young age, it gets really difficult - if not impossible - to completely drill into ones head.

Thanks!

The first shows an aside while the second seems to indicate that "as you can clearly see" is subordinate to "we must act now" (subordinating conjunction).
 
Soldato
Joined
3 Oct 2006
Posts
8,537
Riiya said:
I tend to write as in the first, but a lot of people say my work reads like old english authors'. :/

which is, in my opinion far better than the tripe the kids of today are writing ;).
I also would be inclined to belive that your first 'sentence' is correct :)
 
Permabanned
OP
Joined
8 Jul 2006
Posts
751
Location
Google Earth
See that's the problem with grammar: You have to remember all these bloody fumbly names like sunordinate.

I have no idea what you said, but I am positive I have read it before. It just doesn't stick!

I guess the first is ok, but I guess the second could be used when writing the dialogue in a book; obviously it is sometimes needed for the speaker to not sound how you would read the first sentence. Am I correct?
 
Last edited:

ojo

ojo

Permabanned
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
1,925
Location
...floating in Space
Riiya said:
See that's the problem with grammar: You have to remember all these bloody fumbly names like sunordinate.

I have no idea what you said, but I am positive I have read it before. It just doesn't stick!


If you want to read up on grammar have a look at David Crystal.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom