57 Matching Annotations
  1. May 2025
  2. Jan 2024
    1. our Rule 8 of Commas says, “Use commas to set off the name, nickname, term of endearment, or title of a person directly addressed.” Therefore, we would write: Good Morning, Mary. However, it is also acceptable to write Good morning, Mary. Good practice is to decide on a style and be consistent.
    2. Formal application of punctuation with a salutation that doesn’t include an opening adjective (e.g., Dear Sir) would call for a comma preceding the person’s name as a proper form of address (e.g., Good afternoon, George). Whether to follow the name with a comma or a colon would be determined by the relationship’s context: Good afternoon, George, (comma for familiar) Good afternoon, George: (colon for formal) At the same time, you are correct in observing that current communication often omits the salutatory comma of address, particularly for shorter greetings (e.g., Hi Erik). This is becoming more common and acceptable, and it would be a matter of writer’s preference. You would be correct writing either Hi Erik or Hi, Erik. We would advise keeping the comma for longer or phrasal greetings such as Good afternoon, George.
  3. Mar 2023
  4. May 2022
  5. Dec 2021
    1. Go, Philostrate, Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments; Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth; Turn melancholy forth to funerals; The pale companion is not for our pomp.

      This entire section ends with a punctuation. Each line by Theseus requires a pause, to emphasize how the wedding and perhaps the marriage will not be reflective of how it came about.

    2. Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments; Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth; Turn melancholy forth to funerals; The pale companion is not for our pomp. [Exit Philostrate.] Hippolyta, I woo’d thee with my sword, And won thy love doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling.

      This entire section ends with a punctuation. Each line by Theseus requires a pause, to emphasize how the wedding and perhaps the marriage will not be reflective of how it came about.

  6. Oct 2021
  7. Sep 2021
    1. —The good not done, the love not given, time Torn off unused—

      The dashes here signal that he is doing something here, in this case, citing a list of what one could be remorseful for. I think the list also emphasizes what the narrator thinks life should be used for, or what he belives others worry about.

  8. Jun 2021
  9. Nov 2020
  10. Oct 2020
    1. their—the

      the amount of em dashes in this short story is wild. makes the dialogue so vivid at times, especially when the mother paused before saying "her". sometimes the emdash also allows certain details or the voice of the narration to slip in. sometimes acts as a corrector for something else a character might have said (etiquette expectations? cover up what they would like to say?)

    1. Interesting that a "–" was used instead of a "-". I do like that distinction. "-" usually implies a compound/joining together of words, whereas this hear is separating distinct parts from each other (?).

  11. Sep 2020
    1. the Greeks were sporadically using punctuation marks consisting of vertically arranged dots—usually two (dicolon) or three (tricolon)—in around the 5th century BC as an aid in the oral delivery of texts.
    2. Punctuation (or sometimes interpunction) is the use of spacing, conventional signs (called punctuation marks), and certain typographical devices as aids to the understanding and correct reading of written text, whether read silently or aloud.
  12. Feb 2020
  13. Sep 2018
    1. .

      Here and at 1, "Hwæt.", the edition uses periods instead of commas. Many editions and translations use exclamation points at one or both places, which changes the tone. Eric Weiskott notes that the exclamation point was hundreds of years in the future when the manuscript was written: “Making Beowulf Scream: Exclamation and the Punctuation of Old English Poetry,” Journal of English and Germanic Philology 111.1 (2012), 25–41. DOI: 10.5406/jenglgermphil.111.1.0025

  14. Jul 2018
    1. “Gran! Gran!” Her little grandson stood on her lap in his button boots. He’d just come in from playing in the street. “Look what a state you’ve made your gran’s skirt into—you wicked boy!” But he put his arms round her neck and rubbed his cheek against hers. “Gran, gi’ us a penny!” he coaxed. “Be off with you; Gran ain’t got no pennies.” “Yes, you ‘ave.” “No, I ain’t.” “Yes, you ‘ave. Gi’ us one!” Already she was feeling for the old, squashed, black leather purse. “Well, what’ll you give your gran?” He gave a shy little laugh and pressed closer. She felt his eyelid quivering against her cheek. “I ain’t got nothing,” he murmured...

      Interludes of Ma Parker's memory and current events are linked by ellipses to form a montage of a story.

  15. Mar 2018
  16. Jan 2018
  17. Aug 2016
  18. Jul 2016
  19. Nov 2013
    1. I have to say he is right, not many people examine the currency and the negative effects of constant debasement by the Bank of Canada.

      "I have to say he is right; not many people examine the currency and the negative effects of constant debasement by the Bank of Canada.