Do I need to put a comma here?

[JamesSD]

Just for the record: I regularly use semi-colons. They're a necessary part of the language.

I love semi-colons; they allow me to write what might otherwise be a run on sentence.

I would write the original sentence: "Gosh, you have a tremendous penis, Human."

Without the comma after penis, it's an adjective for Human. A similar example of why the comma is needed to offset the person being spoken to:

"It's time to eat, Human."
"It's time to eat Human."

These sentences have very different meanings, as in the latter case Human is about to be consumed, where in the prior he is going to do the consuming.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Of course, but only if it is used as a form of address. If it is used in another way, such as "He asked if Mary was my snookum ookums, and I said she was", it would not need to be capitalized.

Yes, it would. Like chocolates on valentine's day. It doesn't always make sense but you do it because she wants you too... Yes, she's my Snookum Ookums."
It's one of those imperial kinds of things.

 

[kendo1]

Its time to eat human.

This sounds good without the apostrophe. *nods*

I would like to use this in a story. Is this plagiarism?

 

[FatDino]

Its time to eat human.

This sounds good without the apostrophe. *nods*

I would like to use this in a story. Is this plagiarism?

"Apostrophe?"

*giggles*

 

[kendo1]

"Apostrophe?"

*giggles*

Yep. I'm done with commas. Time to move on.

 

[FatDino]

Yep. I'm fed up with commas.

Use semi-colons.

 

[kendo1]

Use semi-colons.

This sounds medical to me.

Doctor: "I'm afraid you have a swollen semi-colon. We'll have to operate."

 

[FatDino]

This sounds medical to me.

Doctor: "I'm afraid you have a swollen semi-colon. We'll have to operate."

No, that'd be "I'm afraid you have a semi-swollen colon. We'll have to poke it to get all the pus out."

 

[egelante]

Just for the record: I regularly use semi-colons. They're a necessary part of the language.

I'm glad that someone shares my view there. My written self was but a pale shade before I discovered the semi-colon.

And to abstract from a different thread: I think I'm going to like you too!

 

[kendo1]

I'm glad that someone shares my view there. My written self was but a pale shade before I discovered the semi-colon.

Lists. *nods again*

 

[egelante]

Lists. *nods again*

Not just lists: those myriad things for which commas are too weak and full-stops are too strong.

 

[kendo1]

Not just lists: those myriad things for which commas are too weak and full-stops are too strong.

Oh, God! Colons now!

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I believe any form of address would be capitalized, whether it's a name, a title or even an epithet.

I don't think so. I think it would depend on the intention of the character doing the addressing. Specifically, on whether or not that character is using the form of address as a name-substitute of sorts - "Drop dead, Old Man." - or not - "What the hell is wrong with you, you bunch of idiots?" (And not, "What the hell is wrong with you, You bunch of idiots?" or "What the hell is wrong with you, You Bunch Of Idiots?"). I would hesitate to capitalise something like, "Die, Motherfucker", especially if the sentence goes on: "Die, Motherfucker, along with all those other motherfuckers." I mean, why should this motherfucker be capitalised and not all the other motherfuckers?

 

[egelante]

Oh, God! Colons now!

Oh, I love those too! make of that what you will...

 

[gauchecritic]

I would hesitate on principle about capitalising generic forms of address.

"Hey You." - I don't think so.

you, motherfucker, human, prick, cunt, shagnasty are epithets rather than modes of address.

Occasionally yes, you can capitalise epithets Richard the Lion-Heart, Catherine the Great, but these are specific to that person.

So no, there is no need to capitalise generic forms, and yes a comma would be better before.

I'm thinking there's a general rule somewhere about taking out the subject, the object, the noun, the adjective (I have no idea) and rearranging to find where the commas go;

"Gosh human, you have a tremendous penis." (The full stop becomes a comma or something)

 

[egelante]

I would hesitate on principle about capitalising generic forms of address.

"Hey You." - I don't think so.

you, motherfucker, human, prick, cunt, shagnasty are epithets rather than modes of address.

Occasionally yes, you can capitalise epithets Richard the Lion-Heart, Catherine the Great, but these are specific to that person.

So no, there is no need to capitalise generic forms, and yes a comma would be better before.

I'm thinking there's a general rule somewhere about taking out the subject, the object, the noun, the adjective (I have no idea) and rearranging to find where the commas go;

"Gosh human, you have a tremendous penis." (The full stop becomes a comma or something)

I agree with you about the capitalisation. It is a very slightly murky area, but in general only proper nouns (actual names), and terms of respectful address.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I agree with you about the capitalisation. It is a very slightly murky area, but in general only proper nouns (actual names), and terms of respectful address.

Such as "Snookum-Ookums"

 

[neonlyte]

Forgive if this was covered earlier but how do people feel about mother or father. I tend to capitalise them in dialogue, in an address form but not outside of dialogue.

"It's my Mother's birthday."

Tuesday would be her mother's birthday.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I agree with you about the capitalisation. It is a very slightly murky area, but in general only proper nouns (actual names), and terms of respectful address.

I agree, but not with the "respectful" part. I mean, if I am talking to this one person I am thinking of now, I may feel like saying something like, "How have you been, Fucks-Dead-Sheep? Still fooling half the idiots around while disgusting the other half, you bastard?" The dude isn't actually called Fucks-Dead-Sheep, you see? I just used Fucks-Dead-Sheep as if it were his actual name, so I capitalised it. I didn't use "you bastard" as a proper name, though, so I didn't capitalise it. But neither of them those terms was supposed to be respectful.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Forgive if this was covered earlier but how do people feel about mother or father. I tend to capitalise them in dialogue, in an address form but not outside of dialogue.

"It's my Mother's birthday."

Tuesday would be her mother's birthday.

Again, I think it's all about intent and feelings of the character doing the talking. "I loved my dad and the way he held my hand as we walked to the beach on Sunday mornings. Sunday nights, when Mother came to pick me up, were always tinted with sadness."

 

[Boxlicker101]

Yes, it would. Like chocolates on valentine's day. It doesn't always make sense but you do it because she wants you too... Yes, she's my Snookum Ookums."
It's one of those imperial kinds of things.

You might be right about that. Like the Grantland Rice poem that goes something like:

"When the One Great Scorer comes to write against yout name,
He writes not if you've won or lost, but how you've played the game."

 

[egelante]

I agree, but not with the "respectful" part. I mean, if I am talking to this one person I am thinking of now, I may feel like saying something like, "How have you been, Fucks-Dead-Sheep? Still fooling half the idiots around while disgusting the other half, you bastard?" The dude isn't actually called Fucks-Dead-Sheep, you see? I just used Fucks-Dead-Sheep as if it were his actual name, so I capitalised it. I didn't use "you bastard" as a proper name, though, so I didn't capitalise it. But neither of them those terms was supposed to be respectful.

I think we're getting far into the realms of personal preferences and special cases here.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I think we're getting far into the realms of personal preferences and special cases here.

Possibly. The only thing I can say is that it is my personal preference to write things properly.

 

[egelante]

Possibly. The only thing I can say is that it is my personal preference to write things properly.

Well said.

Perhaps I should have said "actual or acting names" and "respectful address or ironic use of capitalisation".

 

[Boxlicker101]

Possibly. The only thing I can say is that it is my personal preference to write things properly.

I do too and, as long as the "name" is replacing a proper name, it should be capitalized, and that applies to "Asshole", Fucks-Dead-Sheep" or Snookum Ookums. It would not apply to something like "Look here, you asshole" because you are not addressing the person as "you asshole"; you are describing him or her.

A title used as a form of address should capitalized. "Good morning, Mother." I saw my mother today." "Good morning, Doctor." "I went to the doctor." "Fuck you, Senator." "He ran for senator." A proper name should always be capitalized, and so should the title that is attached to it. "I saw Mister Jones." I voted for Senator Crook" "I watched Sister Bertrille take off."