Commas and 'Though'

[snooper]

Re: Who knows?

... Well, thenry, I don't mean thee and me! We should say it to test it because we're mature and intelligent word mavens who will have an extended finger beating time as we parse everything with our tongue...in cheek ...

"Aye, lad. All t'world's mad save me and thee, and I hay my doots abaht thee."

 

[thenry]

Tongue in cheek? I'll have you know I am serious at every opportunity.

As for the issue of spacing, I default to the key combination on my Macintosh which creates an ellipses of three dots and no spaces. I will demonstrate, but I have my doubts as to its future of proper display on any other computer.

" … "

 

[HawaiiBill]

It's one 'ellipsis' and two 'ellipses'

Tongue in cheek? I'll have you know I am serious at every opportunity.

As for the issue of spacing, I default to the key combination on my Macintosh which creates an ellipses of three dots and no spaces. I will demonstrate, but I have my doubts as to its future of proper display on any other computer: " … "

...but thenry, isn't that placing spaces fore and aft of the points?

To heavier topics, we all hope you won't have an opportunity to be too serious in this thread because it's much too late for that. The gravity with which the string began unravelling is now dissipated, probably out watching the Mars rovers. Has anyone here heard what they weigh in earth pounds?

 

[thenry]

HBill, I see all your points, three and without spaces, and raise you this:

The Mars rovers weigh appriximately 1200 pounds on Earth and 437 pounds on Mars.

 

[HawaiiBill]

Call

Full house, tens, aces and a new thread in this Editor's Forum, Literotica at its best. Give it a look.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Re: Re: Commas and 'Though'

BTW, Dr., is starting these threads, then not responding to other's input, deliberate, or do you just get too bored to reply?

Any thoughts, dr_mabeuse?

I'd already made up my mind before I started the thread. I like "It lasted only a minute though, ...". The other one, "It lasted only a minute, though, ..." seems fussy and archaic to me.

I would start arguing about hard-and-fast rules of punctuation versus evolving, rule-of-use punctuation, but I really don't want to get into it. I'm comfortable with what I do, and I'm a creative writer. I think I've earned the right to bend some rules for effect.

If I were writing an entrance essay for Yale, I would watch my commas. But when I'm writing fiction (he says, starting a sentence with a conjunction), I follow my ear and my instincts.

---dr.M.

 

[My Erotic Tail]

Dr. M~

Registered: Nov 2003
Location: If you are reading this, I am before you.
Posts: 538
Confuzzled~
My first story with Lit ... I used there (VE)
and the Story was rejected...I sent it back to
(VE) and they doctored it and I submitted...
The story was rejected again...that story
never made it to be approved...

The good side is that the lady who helped edit
my story told me a few tricks in writing and of
course to make use of spell check...I found
another editer online. They look my tales over
and fix for me. So far I have had no more
rejections. I try to read all these helpfull
threads and get very confused when every
one has a different opinion as to where the
commas should be. Or when to pause, or when
a sentence ends and when to begin a new
paragraph. I am reading like the "Dickens."
on how to write. I am told I have great stories
and a great style. But the mechanics seem to
slow me down and get me "confuzzled."...

Can you suggest which or a certain editer to use?
..........................................................................

May I also take the time to tell you SIR'...
That your tale of Cupids arrows was one of the
only stories that I made it to page two...a lot of
stories lose my focus before I'll go to page two...
But your tale was delightful..and I had to vote on
your story. I loved it, and the Roman Lovers.
Another excellent story. I will be perssistant and
continue to write and to learn how to write. But
don't take me wrong when I say, "I read this entire
thread and became more, Confuzzled." (smiles)

 

[Madame Manga]

Re: Re: Re: Commas and 'Though'

I'd already made up my mind before I started the thread. I like "It lasted only a minute though, ...". The other one, "It lasted only a minute, though, ..." seems fussy and archaic to me.

Without the second comma I think the sense is impaired, however slightly. It takes me a moment to distinguish between a couple of alternative shades of meaning, such as "though it stopped, it lasted only a minute" and "although it lasted only a minute, it stopped." Also, I tend to interpret the word "though" in this position without a parenthetical comma as "through", which again takes a moment to mentally amend. Leaving out the comma throws a pebble in the road, IMO. A lot of this sort of writing in one story can make for rocky reading.

I'm comfortable with what I do, and I'm a creative writer. I think I've earned the right to bend some rules for effect.

As a reader, the main effect I glean from this sort of usage is one of careless informality, the kind that's appropriate for a first-person narration or dialog when the character is not particularly literate or well spoken. If that's what you mean to do, then you would be mistaken to use perfect English, and an editor's insistence on standard comma usage would be silly. If you are simply impatient with that standard usage, then be aware that your reader will know.

MM