HOME - MARGIE HOLDS COURTONLINE CLASSESCOMMUNITYBLOGCONTACTTEXTBOOKSBULK ORDERS WELCOME PHOTOGRAPHY Enjoy “All Things English” with Margie Wakeman Wells Visit Bookstore Bookstore PHOTOGRAPHY Own definitive texts on punctuation, word pairs, and vocabulary – plus practice books Visit Bookstore Learning PHOTOGRAPHY Experience online classes, live and recorded; the blog; English resources Explore Community PHOTOGRAPHY Explore Facebook, Twitter, Instagram;

THE WORD "PLEASE"

The Word “Please”. Margie Wakeman Wells July 19, 2012 The Comma Leave a Comment. The word please takes punctuation according to where it is in relation to what it modifies. At the beginning of what it modifies, it takes no punctuation after it. Please put that notice

into the bulletin.

TRAILING OFF WITH THE WORD "SO" Trailing Off with the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells November 13, 2018 The Dash, The Ellipsis Leave a Comment. There is a difference of opinion about the function of the word “so.”. Some think it is a coordinate conjunction like the word “and,” in which case it would take nothing in front of it as it has no subject and verb after it. THE COMMA AND "MY QUESTION IS..." The Comma and “My Question Is”. What follows “is” is a predicate nominative that renames the subject. My name is Margie. My response was that he was incompetent. My question is where did he go? The last one is the exact pattern of the first two, where no one would

want a comma.

"YOU HAD TO BE THERE" AND THE WORD "AGAIN" There are some words that you just have to hear in context to know the correct punctuation. Such is the case with the word again.. If the word again begins a sentence, it is a conjunctive adverb, and it has a comma after it. Again, I need to ask you to wait until I finish my

question.

"FULL-TIME" AND "PART-TIME" Margie Wakeman Wells April 14, 2016 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. These two words are hyphenated in the dictionary as adjectives and adverbs. However, as we know, the adjective form in the dictionary is the direct adjective form, i.e., the form right in front of the noun. Predicate and appositive adjectives are not hyphenated. MORE ON THE WORD "SO" More on the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells September 4, 2012 The Comma, The Semicolon 4 Comments. There is a difference of opinion among the “authorities” — Gregg, Morson, CMOS, et cetera — regarding the nature of the word so. Some view it as a coordinate conjunction like and and or. Others view it in the category with

therefore

ADDING THE SUFFIX "-WISE" Adding the Suffix “-wise”. Margie Wakeman Wells March 26, 2016 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. The rule for adding suffixes is to add them directly to the word to form a solid word. The suffix – wise normally follows this rule. We placed it lengthwise along WHEN "INC" IS POSSESSIVE When “Inc” Is Possessive. Margie Wakeman Wells March 20, 2015 The Apostrophe Leave a Comment. When the word “Inc.” is possessive, it does not take the second comma after it. It was Joe Doe Company, Inc.’s employee. Happy punctuating! Margie. THE QUOTATION MARK ARCHIVES Margie Wakeman Wells May 4, 2015 The Comma, The Quotation Mark 2 Comments. When there is punctuation to get into quotes, there must be punctuation to get out. In other words, if there is a comma before the quote, there has to be some mark of punctuation at the end of the quote. . He said to her, “I am not interested in your excuses HOME - MARGIE HOLDS COURTONLINE CLASSESCOMMUNITYBLOGCONTACTTEXTBOOKSBULK ORDERS WELCOME PHOTOGRAPHY Enjoy “All Things English” with Margie Wakeman Wells Visit Bookstore Bookstore PHOTOGRAPHY Own definitive texts on punctuation, word pairs, and vocabulary – plus practice books Visit Bookstore Learning PHOTOGRAPHY Experience online classes, live and recorded; the blog; English resources Explore Community PHOTOGRAPHY Explore Facebook, Twitter, Instagram;

THE WORD "PLEASE"

The Word “Please”. Margie Wakeman Wells July 19, 2012 The Comma Leave a Comment. The word please takes punctuation according to where it is in relation to what it modifies. At the beginning of what it modifies, it takes no punctuation after it. Please put that notice

into the bulletin.

TRAILING OFF WITH THE WORD "SO" Trailing Off with the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells November 13, 2018 The Dash, The Ellipsis Leave a Comment. There is a difference of opinion about the function of the word “so.”. Some think it is a coordinate conjunction like the word “and,” in which case it would take nothing in front of it as it has no subject and verb after it. THE COMMA AND "MY QUESTION IS..." The Comma and “My Question Is”. What follows “is” is a predicate nominative that renames the subject. My name is Margie. My response was that he was incompetent. My question is where did he go? The last one is the exact pattern of the first two, where no one would

want a comma.

"YOU HAD TO BE THERE" AND THE WORD "AGAIN" There are some words that you just have to hear in context to know the correct punctuation. Such is the case with the word again.. If the word again begins a sentence, it is a conjunctive adverb, and it has a comma after it. Again, I need to ask you to wait until I finish my

question.

"FULL-TIME" AND "PART-TIME" Margie Wakeman Wells April 14, 2016 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. These two words are hyphenated in the dictionary as adjectives and adverbs. However, as we know, the adjective form in the dictionary is the direct adjective form, i.e., the form right in front of the noun. Predicate and appositive adjectives are not hyphenated. MORE ON THE WORD "SO" More on the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells September 4, 2012 The Comma, The Semicolon 4 Comments. There is a difference of opinion among the “authorities” — Gregg, Morson, CMOS, et cetera — regarding the nature of the word so. Some view it as a coordinate conjunction like and and or. Others view it in the category with

therefore

ADDING THE SUFFIX "-WISE" Adding the Suffix “-wise”. Margie Wakeman Wells March 26, 2016 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. The rule for adding suffixes is to add them directly to the word to form a solid word. The suffix – wise normally follows this rule. We placed it lengthwise along WHEN "INC" IS POSSESSIVE When “Inc” Is Possessive. Margie Wakeman Wells March 20, 2015 The Apostrophe Leave a Comment. When the word “Inc.” is possessive, it does not take the second comma after it. It was Joe Doe Company, Inc.’s employee. Happy punctuating! Margie. THE QUOTATION MARK ARCHIVES Margie Wakeman Wells May 4, 2015 The Comma, The Quotation Mark 2 Comments. When there is punctuation to get into quotes, there must be punctuation to get out. In other words, if there is a comma before the quote, there has to be some mark of punctuation at the end of the quote. . He said to her, “I am not interested in your excuses QUOTES FOR A MADE-UP WORD Quotes for a Made-Up Word. dramastically, considerated — spell it correctly and use a pair of quotes around it. There. is not a need to use sic. The quotes alert your reader that it is not really a word but that it. is what was said. She was really “obliviated” when we were discussing it. It came up while we were “conversating.”.

MORE ON HYPHENATION

First, it is a claim. Then, it is a death claim. Last, it is a death claim that is wrongful. I, personally, don’t think this one works. It makes more sense to say that it is a “claim” about “wrongful death.”. Thus it would be hyphenated: “wrongful-death claim.”. The same with “front-seat passenger.”. It THE COMMA AND "MY QUESTION IS..." The Comma and “My Question Is”. What follows “is” is a predicate nominative that renames the subject. My name is Margie. My response was that he was incompetent. My question is where did he go? The last one is the exact pattern of the first two, where no one would

want a comma.

MORE ON THE WORD "SO" More on the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells September 4, 2012 The Comma, The Semicolon 4 Comments. There is a difference of opinion among the “authorities” — Gregg, Morson, CMOS, et cetera — regarding the nature of the word so. Some view it as a coordinate conjunction like and and or. Others view it in the category with

therefore

THE DASH - MARGIE HOLDS COURT To say, “dashes” or “dash, dash” in referring to one instance of the dash is simply inaccurate. There are three reasons for using a dash. The first is the most commonly used but is often thought of in too narrow a sense. The dash is used to show that a sentence got started but did not get finished. (It is not just for an

“interruption

"FULL-TIME" AND "PART-TIME" Margie Wakeman Wells April 14, 2016 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. These two words are hyphenated in the dictionary as adjectives and adverbs. However, as we know, the adjective form in the dictionary is the direct adjective form, i.e., the form right in front of the noun. Predicate and appositive adjectives are not hyphenated. ADDING THE SUFFIX "-WISE" Adding the Suffix “-wise”. Margie Wakeman Wells March 26, 2016 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. The rule for adding suffixes is to add them directly to the word to form a solid word. The suffix – wise normally follows this rule. We placed it lengthwise along A COMMA BEFORE THE QUOTE These words do not take a comma before the quotes unless it is appropriate for the sentence in general, that is, unless the grammar calls for it. Rarely do these types of quotes need commas in front of them. The document says “It was just after midnight that she was admitted.”. It states “on the left.”. TO CAP OR NOT TO CAP "SOCIAL SECURITY" To Cap or Not to Cap “Social Security”. Margie Wakeman Wells August 20, 2015 General Leave a Comment. Generally speaking, unless you add the word “administration,” “social security” does not need to be capped. He is not old enough for social security. I will use my social security for that. A reporter just presented this

"I BELIEVE"

When words like “I believe” and “I think” begin a sentence, they are functioning as the subject and verb in the sentence and take no punctuation. I believe he called in a little before 3:00. I think he was with us for ten years. When they are in the middle of the

sentence, they

HOME - MARGIE HOLDS COURTONLINE CLASSESCOMMUNITYBLOGCONTACTTEXTBOOKSBULK ORDERS WELCOME PHOTOGRAPHY Enjoy “All Things English” with Margie Wakeman Wells Visit Bookstore Bookstore PHOTOGRAPHY Own definitive texts on punctuation, word pairs, and vocabulary – plus practice books Visit Bookstore Learning PHOTOGRAPHY Experience online classes, live and recorded; the blog; English resources Explore Community PHOTOGRAPHY Explore Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; PERCENTS - MARGIE HOLDS COURT Percents. Margie Wakeman Wells January 13, 2015 Numbers Leave a Comment. All percentages are in figures with the word percent, not the symbol. If there is a suffix added, it is added to the word percent. He spent 22 percent more. They saved 4 TRAILING OFF WITH THE WORD "SO" Trailing Off with the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells November 13, 2018 The Dash, The Ellipsis Leave a Comment. There is a difference of opinion about the function of the word “so.”. Some think it is a coordinate conjunction like the word “and,” in which case it would take nothing in front of it as it has no subject and verb after it. MORE ON THE WORD "SO" More on the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells September 4, 2012 The Comma, The Semicolon 4 Comments. There is a difference of opinion among the “authorities” — Gregg, Morson, CMOS, et cetera — regarding the nature of the word so. Some view it as a coordinate conjunction like and and or. Others view it in the category with

therefore

THE WORD "SO"

The Word “So”. When the word so means “therefore,” it begins a new sentence and needs to be preceded by a semicolon or a period. It NEVER takes a single separating comma after it but can always have something after it that requires a pair of commas. We live near the beach; so there are issues with dampness and mold. ADDING THE SUFFIX "-WISE" Adding the Suffix “-wise”. Margie Wakeman Wells March 26, 2016 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. The rule for adding suffixes is to add them directly to the word to form a solid word. The suffix – wise normally follows this rule. We placed it lengthwise along "YOU HAD TO BE THERE" AND THE WORD "AGAIN" There are some words that you just have to hear in context to know the correct punctuation. Such is the case with the word again.. If the word again begins a sentence, it is a conjunctive adverb, and it has a comma after it. Again, I need to ask you to wait until I finish my

question.

FIGURES AT THE BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE Figures at the Beginning of a Sentence. Margie Wakeman Wells November 10, 2014 General, Uncategorized Leave a Comment. The rule about numbers at the beginning of a sentence is and always has been about one- or two-digit numbers. The “reason” for the rule is so that these small numbers do not get “lost in the shuffle” of the words.

"YES" AND "NO"

Margie Wakeman Wells August 16, 2015 General, Uncategorized Leave a Comment. When the attorney is using “yes” and “no” in a generic way — that is, s/he is not asking for those specific words but is looking for a positive or negative answer — they are

NUMBERS ARCHIVES

The Ordinal Number. Margie Wakeman Wells June 19, 2015 General, Numbers Leave a Comment. All dates are in figures. The rule in English is that the ordinal is NOT added to the date after the month. . It occurred on June 2 late in the afternoon. . The date is May 4, 2015. . We visited him on July 1 of last year. HOME - MARGIE HOLDS COURTONLINE CLASSESCOMMUNITYBLOGCONTACTTEXTBOOKSBULK ORDERS WELCOME PHOTOGRAPHY Enjoy “All Things English” with Margie Wakeman Wells Visit Bookstore Bookstore PHOTOGRAPHY Own definitive texts on punctuation, word pairs, and vocabulary – plus practice books Visit Bookstore Learning PHOTOGRAPHY Experience online classes, live and recorded; the blog; English resources Explore Community PHOTOGRAPHY Explore Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; PERCENTS - MARGIE HOLDS COURT Percents. Margie Wakeman Wells January 13, 2015 Numbers Leave a Comment. All percentages are in figures with the word percent, not the symbol. If there is a suffix added, it is added to the word percent. He spent 22 percent more. They saved 4 TRAILING OFF WITH THE WORD "SO" Trailing Off with the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells November 13, 2018 The Dash, The Ellipsis Leave a Comment. There is a difference of opinion about the function of the word “so.”. Some think it is a coordinate conjunction like the word “and,” in which case it would take nothing in front of it as it has no subject and verb after it. MORE ON THE WORD "SO" More on the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells September 4, 2012 The Comma, The Semicolon 4 Comments. There is a difference of opinion among the “authorities” — Gregg, Morson, CMOS, et cetera — regarding the nature of the word so. Some view it as a coordinate conjunction like and and or. Others view it in the category with

therefore

THE WORD "SO"

The Word “So”. When the word so means “therefore,” it begins a new sentence and needs to be preceded by a semicolon or a period. It NEVER takes a single separating comma after it but can always have something after it that requires a pair of commas. We live near the beach; so there are issues with dampness and mold. ADDING THE SUFFIX "-WISE" Adding the Suffix “-wise”. Margie Wakeman Wells March 26, 2016 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. The rule for adding suffixes is to add them directly to the word to form a solid word. The suffix – wise normally follows this rule. We placed it lengthwise along "YOU HAD TO BE THERE" AND THE WORD "AGAIN" There are some words that you just have to hear in context to know the correct punctuation. Such is the case with the word again.. If the word again begins a sentence, it is a conjunctive adverb, and it has a comma after it. Again, I need to ask you to wait until I finish my

question.

FIGURES AT THE BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE Figures at the Beginning of a Sentence. Margie Wakeman Wells November 10, 2014 General, Uncategorized Leave a Comment. The rule about numbers at the beginning of a sentence is and always has been about one- or two-digit numbers. The “reason” for the rule is so that these small numbers do not get “lost in the shuffle” of the words.

"YES" AND "NO"

Margie Wakeman Wells August 16, 2015 General, Uncategorized Leave a Comment. When the attorney is using “yes” and “no” in a generic way — that is, s/he is not asking for those specific words but is looking for a positive or negative answer — they are

NUMBERS ARCHIVES

The Ordinal Number. Margie Wakeman Wells June 19, 2015 General, Numbers Leave a Comment. All dates are in figures. The rule in English is that the ordinal is NOT added to the date after the month. . It occurred on June 2 late in the afternoon. . The date is May 4, 2015. . We visited him on July 1 of last year. LEARNING - MARGIE HOLDS COURT Margie offers a variety of live online classes: one-hour classes on specific topics, two- to four-hour classes on topics that require a little more study, and twenty-hour classes on both grammar and punctuation. Many of these classes are preapproved for CEUs. These classes are given throughout the year and utilize the teachable

platform along

THE DASH - MARGIE HOLDS COURT To say, “dashes” or “dash, dash” in referring to one instance of the dash is simply inaccurate. There are three reasons for using a dash. The first is the most commonly used but is often thought of in too narrow a sense. The dash is used to show that a sentence got started but did not get finished. (It is not just for an

“interruption

...YEARS OLD

Margie Wakeman Wells May 14, 2015 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. If someone’s age is being described and there is no noun that is being modified, there are no hyphens. He is five years old. She is 55 years old. When the combination becomes a direct adjective (right in front of the noun), it is hyphenated. In this case, we say “year ADDING THE SUFFIX "-WISE" Adding the Suffix “-wise”. Margie Wakeman Wells March 26, 2016 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. The rule for adding suffixes is to add them directly to the word to form a solid word. The suffix – wise normally follows this rule. We placed it lengthwise along TWO QUESTIONS JOINED BY "OR" Two Questions Joined by “Or”. Margie Wakeman Wells October 25, 2020 The Comma, The Question Mark Leave a Comment. When there are two independent clauses that are joined by a coordinate conjunction, — and, but, or, nor — a comma goes before the conjunction. This is probably the most basic of all comma rules. THE COMMA AND "MY QUESTION IS..." The Comma and “My Question Is”. What follows “is” is a predicate nominative that renames the subject. My name is Margie. My response was that he was incompetent. My question is where did he go? The last one is the exact pattern of the first two, where no one would

want a comma.

QUOTATION MARKS AND THE DASH Quotation Marks and the Dash. Whether you want the dash inside or outside quotation marks when there is an interruption is really a matter of personal preference. When the quote is interrupted, you might decide to put the dash inside. If your thinking is that the dash is not part of the original quote, then put the dash outside the

quotes.

QUOTES FOR A MADE-UP WORD Quotes for a Made-Up Word. dramastically, considerated — spell it correctly and use a pair of quotes around it. There. is not a need to use sic. The quotes alert your reader that it is not really a word but that it. is what was said. She was really “obliviated” when we were discussing it. It came up while we were “conversating.”. FIGURES AT THE BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE Figures at the Beginning of a Sentence. Margie Wakeman Wells November 10, 2014 General, Uncategorized Leave a Comment. The rule about numbers at the beginning of a sentence is and always has been about one- or two-digit numbers. The “reason” for the rule is so that these small numbers do not get “lost in the shuffle” of the words. COCOUURRTT RREEPPOORRTTININGG:: BBAADD GGRRAAMMMMAARR 9/9/2013 9-9-03 1 margieholdscourt.com all rights reserved CoCouurrtt RReeppoorrttiningg:: BBaadd GGrraammmmaarr// GGoooodd PuPunnccttuuaattioionn© HOME - MARGIE HOLDS COURTONLINE CLASSESCOMMUNITYBLOGCONTACTTEXTBOOKSBULK ORDERS WELCOME PHOTOGRAPHY Enjoy “All Things English” with Margie Wakeman Wells Visit Bookstore Bookstore PHOTOGRAPHY Own definitive texts on punctuation, word pairs, and vocabulary – plus practice books Visit Bookstore Learning PHOTOGRAPHY Experience online classes, live and recorded; the blog; English resources Explore Community PHOTOGRAPHY Explore Facebook, Twitter, Instagram;

COMPOUND QUESTION

Compound Question. When someone asks two questions and uses “or” in between, there are two options: Put a comma/semicolon before the “or” that separates the two sentences and a question mark at the end; or make it into two questions. When the questions are lengthy or there is a lot of other punctuation, it is probably best to break them "FULL-TIME" AND "PART-TIME" Margie Wakeman Wells April 14, 2016 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. These two words are hyphenated in the dictionary as adjectives and adverbs. However, as we know, the adjective form in the dictionary is the direct adjective form, i.e., the form right in front of the noun. Predicate and appositive adjectives are not hyphenated. MORE ON THE WORD "SO" More on the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells September 4, 2012 The Comma, The Semicolon 4 Comments. There is a difference of opinion among the “authorities” — Gregg, Morson, CMOS, et cetera — regarding the nature of the word so. Some view it as a coordinate conjunction like and and or. Others view it in the category with

therefore

THE COMMA AND "MY QUESTION IS..." The Comma and “My Question Is”. What follows “is” is a predicate nominative that renames the subject. My name is Margie. My response was that he was incompetent. My question is where did he go? The last one is the exact pattern of the first two, where no one would

want a comma.

THE WORD "PLEASE"

The Word “Please”. Margie Wakeman Wells July 19, 2012 The Comma Leave a Comment. The word please takes punctuation according to where it is in relation to what it modifies. At the beginning of what it modifies, it takes no punctuation after it. Please put that notice

into the bulletin.

QUOTATION MARKS AND THE DASH Quotation Marks and the Dash. Whether you want the dash inside or outside quotation marks when there is an interruption is really a matter of personal preference. When the quote is interrupted, you might decide to put the dash inside. If your thinking is that the dash is not part of the original quote, then put the dash outside the

quotes.

ADDING THE SUFFIX "-WISE" Adding the Suffix “-wise”. Margie Wakeman Wells March 26, 2016 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. The rule for adding suffixes is to add them directly to the word to form a solid word. The suffix – wise normally follows this rule. We placed it lengthwise along A COMMA BEFORE THE QUOTE These words do not take a comma before the quotes unless it is appropriate for the sentence in general, that is, unless the grammar calls for it. Rarely do these types of quotes need commas in front of them. The document says “It was just after midnight that she was admitted.”. It states “on the left.”. WHEN "INC" IS POSSESSIVE When “Inc” Is Possessive. Margie Wakeman Wells March 20, 2015 The Apostrophe Leave a Comment. When the word “Inc.” is possessive, it does not take the second comma after it. It was Joe Doe Company, Inc.’s employee. Happy punctuating! Margie. HOME - MARGIE HOLDS COURTONLINE CLASSESCOMMUNITYBLOGCONTACTTEXTBOOKSBULK ORDERS WELCOME PHOTOGRAPHY Enjoy “All Things English” with Margie Wakeman Wells Visit Bookstore Bookstore PHOTOGRAPHY Own definitive texts on punctuation, word pairs, and vocabulary – plus practice books Visit Bookstore Learning PHOTOGRAPHY Experience online classes, live and recorded; the blog; English resources Explore Community PHOTOGRAPHY Explore Facebook, Twitter, Instagram;

COMPOUND QUESTION

Compound Question. When someone asks two questions and uses “or” in between, there are two options: Put a comma/semicolon before the “or” that separates the two sentences and a question mark at the end; or make it into two questions. When the questions are lengthy or there is a lot of other punctuation, it is probably best to break them "FULL-TIME" AND "PART-TIME" Margie Wakeman Wells April 14, 2016 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. These two words are hyphenated in the dictionary as adjectives and adverbs. However, as we know, the adjective form in the dictionary is the direct adjective form, i.e., the form right in front of the noun. Predicate and appositive adjectives are not hyphenated. MORE ON THE WORD "SO" More on the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells September 4, 2012 The Comma, The Semicolon 4 Comments. There is a difference of opinion among the “authorities” — Gregg, Morson, CMOS, et cetera — regarding the nature of the word so. Some view it as a coordinate conjunction like and and or. Others view it in the category with

therefore

THE COMMA AND "MY QUESTION IS..." The Comma and “My Question Is”. What follows “is” is a predicate nominative that renames the subject. My name is Margie. My response was that he was incompetent. My question is where did he go? The last one is the exact pattern of the first two, where no one would

want a comma.

THE WORD "PLEASE"

The Word “Please”. Margie Wakeman Wells July 19, 2012 The Comma Leave a Comment. The word please takes punctuation according to where it is in relation to what it modifies. At the beginning of what it modifies, it takes no punctuation after it. Please put that notice

into the bulletin.

QUOTATION MARKS AND THE DASH Quotation Marks and the Dash. Whether you want the dash inside or outside quotation marks when there is an interruption is really a matter of personal preference. When the quote is interrupted, you might decide to put the dash inside. If your thinking is that the dash is not part of the original quote, then put the dash outside the

quotes.

ADDING THE SUFFIX "-WISE" Adding the Suffix “-wise”. Margie Wakeman Wells March 26, 2016 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. The rule for adding suffixes is to add them directly to the word to form a solid word. The suffix – wise normally follows this rule. We placed it lengthwise along A COMMA BEFORE THE QUOTE These words do not take a comma before the quotes unless it is appropriate for the sentence in general, that is, unless the grammar calls for it. Rarely do these types of quotes need commas in front of them. The document says “It was just after midnight that she was admitted.”. It states “on the left.”. WHEN "INC" IS POSSESSIVE When “Inc” Is Possessive. Margie Wakeman Wells March 20, 2015 The Apostrophe Leave a Comment. When the word “Inc.” is possessive, it does not take the second comma after it. It was Joe Doe Company, Inc.’s employee. Happy punctuating! Margie. THE DASH - MARGIE HOLDS COURT To say, “dashes” or “dash, dash” in referring to one instance of the dash is simply inaccurate. There are three reasons for using a dash. The first is the most commonly used but is often thought of in too narrow a sense. The dash is used to show that a sentence got started but did not get finished. (It is not just for an

“interruption

"-LY" WORDS AND HYPHENS Most of us know the rule “Do not hyphenate an ‘-ly’ word.” This rule perhaps need a little more definition. Do not hyphenate an adverb that ends in “-ly” to the word after it.

OKAY. A COMMA?

Okay. A Comma? Margie Wakeman Wells August 23, 2012 The Comma, The Period 6 Comments. Okay is one of those words that peppers the speech patterns of many people. Here is the scoop on okay. If it comes at the beginning of a sentence, follow it with a period. It stands by itself and is not attached to anything around it. TRAILING OFF WITH THE WORD "SO" Trailing Off with the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells November 13, 2018 The Dash, The Ellipsis Leave a Comment. There is a difference of opinion about the function of the word “so.”. Some think it is a coordinate conjunction like the word “and,” in which case it would take nothing in front of it as it has no subject and verb after it. "LIKE, IT IS, LIKE, WRONG, LIKE, WITHOUT, LIKE, COMMAS If the word like is a verb that means “fond of” or it is a preposition that compares, it is being used correctly. I like being outdoors in the early morning. She likes chocolate. Like my mother, I have blue eyes. She is not like him in any way. WHEN "INC" IS POSSESSIVE When “Inc” Is Possessive. Margie Wakeman Wells March 20, 2015 The Apostrophe Leave a Comment. When the word “Inc.” is possessive, it does not take the second comma after it. It was Joe Doe Company, Inc.’s employee. Happy punctuating! Margie. THE WORD "REMEMBER" AT THE BEGINNING The Word “Remember” at the Beginning. Margie Wakeman Wells September 29, 2012 The Comma Leave a Comment. Remember that she has an appointment. Remember she has an appointment. We can always leave out the word that when it begins a clause and doesn’t really do anything in the clause. In neither of the sentences above is there a need WHEN THE DATE IS AN ADJECTIVE... When the Date Is an Adjective. Margie Wakeman Wells February 11, 2016 The Comma Leave a Comment. Take a look at the two basic ways that commas are used: All commas are used to either separate two language elements and push them apart or to surround a language element. The latter implies that the element, if lifted out of the sentence, would PUNCTUATION AFTER "YES" AND "NO" Punctuation After “Yes” and “No”. When the words after yes and no “echo” the words of the question, use a comma. Q Did you go with her? A Yes, I did. Q Were you the only one there? A No, I was not

the only one there.

TO CAP OR NOT TO CAP "SOCIAL SECURITY" To Cap or Not to Cap “Social Security”. Margie Wakeman Wells August 20, 2015 General Leave a Comment. Generally speaking, unless you add the word “administration,” “social security” does not need to be capped. He is not old enough for social security. I will use my social security for that. A reporter just presented this HOME - MARGIE HOLDS COURTONLINE CLASSESCOMMUNITYBLOGCONTACTTEXTBOOKSBULK ORDERS WELCOME PHOTOGRAPHY Enjoy “All Things English” with Margie Wakeman Wells Visit Bookstore Bookstore PHOTOGRAPHY Own definitive texts on punctuation, word pairs, and vocabulary – plus practice books Visit Bookstore Learning PHOTOGRAPHY Experience online classes, live and recorded; the blog; English resources Explore Community PHOTOGRAPHY Explore Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; PERCENTS - MARGIE HOLDS COURT Percents. Margie Wakeman Wells January 13, 2015 Numbers Leave a Comment. All percentages are in figures with the word percent, not the symbol. If there is a suffix added, it is added to the word percent. He spent 22 percent more. They saved 4

...YEARS OLD

Margie Wakeman Wells May 14, 2015 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. If someone’s age is being described and there is no noun that is being modified, there are no hyphens. He is five years old. She is 55 years old. When the combination becomes a direct adjective (right in front of the noun), it is hyphenated. In this case, we say “year TRAILING OFF WITH THE WORD "SO" Trailing Off with the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells November 13, 2018 The Dash, The Ellipsis Leave a Comment. There is a difference of opinion about the function of the word “so.”. Some think it is a coordinate conjunction like the word “and,” in which case it would take nothing in front of it as it has no subject and verb after it. "YOU HAD TO BE THERE" AND THE WORD "AGAIN" There are some words that you just have to hear in context to know the correct punctuation. Such is the case with the word again.. If the word again begins a sentence, it is a conjunctive adverb, and it has a comma after it. Again, I need to ask you to wait until I finish my

question.

THE WORD "THOUGH"

The Word “Though”. The word “though,” when it is alone in the middle of the sentence, is surrounded by commas. I think he knew, though, that this was the end. He was standing, though, near the door. At the end of the sentence, it takes a comma in front of it. He was leaning against it, though. I didn’t really understand it MORE ON THE WORD "SO" More on the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells September 4, 2012 The Comma, The Semicolon 4 Comments. There is a difference of opinion among the “authorities” — Gregg, Morson, CMOS, et cetera — regarding the nature of the word so. Some view it as a coordinate conjunction like and and or. Others view it in the category with

therefore

FIGURES AT THE BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE Figures at the Beginning of a Sentence. Margie Wakeman Wells November 10, 2014 General, Uncategorized Leave a Comment. The rule about numbers at the beginning of a sentence is and always has been about one- or two-digit numbers. The “reason” for the rule is so that these small numbers do not get “lost in the shuffle” of the words.

THE WORD "PLEASE"

The Word “Please”. Margie Wakeman Wells July 19, 2012 The Comma Leave a Comment. The word please takes punctuation according to where it is in relation to what it modifies. At the beginning of what it modifies, it takes no punctuation after it. Please put that notice

into the bulletin.

NUMBERS ARCHIVES

The Ordinal Number. Margie Wakeman Wells June 19, 2015 General, Numbers Leave a Comment. All dates are in figures. The rule in English is that the ordinal is NOT added to the date after the month. . It occurred on June 2 late in the afternoon. . The date is May 4, 2015. . We visited him on July 1 of last year. HOME - MARGIE HOLDS COURTONLINE CLASSESCOMMUNITYBLOGCONTACTTEXTBOOKSBULK ORDERS WELCOME PHOTOGRAPHY Enjoy “All Things English” with Margie Wakeman Wells Visit Bookstore Bookstore PHOTOGRAPHY Own definitive texts on punctuation, word pairs, and vocabulary – plus practice books Visit Bookstore Learning PHOTOGRAPHY Experience online classes, live and recorded; the blog; English resources Explore Community PHOTOGRAPHY Explore Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; PERCENTS - MARGIE HOLDS COURT Percents. Margie Wakeman Wells January 13, 2015 Numbers Leave a Comment. All percentages are in figures with the word percent, not the symbol. If there is a suffix added, it is added to the word percent. He spent 22 percent more. They saved 4

...YEARS OLD

Margie Wakeman Wells May 14, 2015 The Hyphen Leave a Comment. If someone’s age is being described and there is no noun that is being modified, there are no hyphens. He is five years old. She is 55 years old. When the combination becomes a direct adjective (right in front of the noun), it is hyphenated. In this case, we say “year TRAILING OFF WITH THE WORD "SO" Trailing Off with the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells November 13, 2018 The Dash, The Ellipsis Leave a Comment. There is a difference of opinion about the function of the word “so.”. Some think it is a coordinate conjunction like the word “and,” in which case it would take nothing in front of it as it has no subject and verb after it. "YOU HAD TO BE THERE" AND THE WORD "AGAIN" There are some words that you just have to hear in context to know the correct punctuation. Such is the case with the word again.. If the word again begins a sentence, it is a conjunctive adverb, and it has a comma after it. Again, I need to ask you to wait until I finish my

question.

THE WORD "THOUGH"

The Word “Though”. The word “though,” when it is alone in the middle of the sentence, is surrounded by commas. I think he knew, though, that this was the end. He was standing, though, near the door. At the end of the sentence, it takes a comma in front of it. He was leaning against it, though. I didn’t really understand it MORE ON THE WORD "SO" More on the Word “So”. Margie Wakeman Wells September 4, 2012 The Comma, The Semicolon 4 Comments. There is a difference of opinion among the “authorities” — Gregg, Morson, CMOS, et cetera — regarding the nature of the word so. Some view it as a coordinate conjunction like and and or. Others view it in the category with

therefore

FIGURES AT THE BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE Figures at the Beginning of a Sentence. Margie Wakeman Wells November 10, 2014 General, Uncategorized Leave a Comment. The rule about numbers at the beginning of a sentence is and always has been about one- or two-digit numbers. The “reason” for the rule is so that these small numbers do not get “lost in the shuffle” of the words.

THE WORD "PLEASE"

The Word “Please”. Margie Wakeman Wells July 19, 2012 The Comma Leave a Comment. The word please takes punctuation according to where it is in relation to what it modifies. At the beginning of what it modifies, it takes no punctuation after it. Please put that notice

into the bulletin.

NUMBERS ARCHIVES

The Ordinal Number. Margie Wakeman Wells June 19, 2015 General, Numbers Leave a Comment. All dates are in figures. The rule in English is that the ordinal is NOT added to the date after the month. . It occurred on June 2 late in the afternoon. . The date is May 4, 2015. . We visited him on July 1 of last year. LEARNING - MARGIE HOLDS COURT Margie offers a variety of live online classes: one-hour classes on specific topics, two- to four-hour classes on topics that require a little more study, and twenty-hour classes on both grammar and punctuation. Many of these classes are preapproved for CEUs. These classes are given throughout the year and utilize the teachable

platform along

THE WORD "THOUGH"

The Word “Though”. The word “though,” when it is alone in the middle of the sentence, is surrounded by commas. I think he knew, though, that this was the end. He was standing, though, near the door. At the end of the sentence, it takes a comma in front of it. He was leaning against it, though. I didn’t really understand it

THE WORD "PLEASE"

The Word “Please”. Margie Wakeman Wells July 19, 2012 The Comma Leave a Comment. The word please takes punctuation according to where it is in relation to what it modifies. At the beginning of what it modifies, it takes no punctuation after it. Please put that notice

into the bulletin.

"FULL-TIME"

The dictionary shows full-time hyphenated as an adverb. He works full-time. She was there full-time. As an adjective, it follows the rules: Hyphenate it as a direct adjective; do not hyphenate it when it is not in front of the noun. He has a full-time job. His job is full time. Part-time follows these same rules. Happy punctuating! Margie

COMPOUND QUESTION

Compound Question. When someone asks two questions and uses “or” in between, there are two options: Put a comma/semicolon before the “or” that separates the two sentences and a question mark at the end; or make it into two questions. When the questions are lengthy or there is a lot of other punctuation, it is probably best to break them THE COMMA AND "MY QUESTION IS..." The Comma and “My Question Is”. What follows “is” is a predicate nominative that renames the subject. My name is Margie. My response was that he was incompetent. My question is where did he go? The last one is the exact pattern of the first two, where no one would

want a comma.

FIGURES AT THE BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE Figures at the Beginning of a Sentence. Margie Wakeman Wells November 10, 2014 General, Uncategorized Leave a Comment. The rule about numbers at the beginning of a sentence is and always has been about one- or two-digit numbers. The “reason” for the rule is so that these small numbers do not get “lost in the shuffle” of the words.

MORE ON HYPHENATION

First, it is a claim. Then, it is a death claim. Last, it is a death claim that is wrongful. I, personally, don’t think this one works. It makes more sense to say that it is a “claim” about “wrongful death.”. Thus it would be hyphenated: “wrongful-death claim.”. The same with “front-seat passenger.”. It "SUCH AS" - MARGIE HOLDS COURT The phrase “such as” is punctuated according to the rules of essential/nonessential. The sciences such as chemistry and physics are

viewed to be

"THE YEARS IN 2000" PROBLEM Good morning, In Fergus Falls, MN, this morning, headed for Bismarck, ND, and then Grand Forks — two groups of fabulous North Dakota reporters. This question came up on my page on Facebook: “More and more since we have entered the year 2000 and beyond, people are starting to shorten the years as they say them. It’s not 2007;

it’s 2-0-7.

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We are delighted to see you here on www.margieholdscourt.com. This is the “all about good English” website. You are here because you care about grammar and punctuation, because you want to learn more, because you love a lively debate about where to put that comma or what that number form should be! Maybe you are here to read the blog. We hope so; but whether you want to follow the blog, ask an English question, book Margie for a seminar, or buy the most definitive book in the court reporting field on punctuating the transcript, you have come to the right place. Look around the site. Check out the book — a general description of how it’s organized, the table of contents, samples from some of the chapters — and the workbook — section samples, the table of contents, how it coordinates with the text. And with just a click of the mouse, you can place an order for the text, the workbook, or the

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Maybe you are interested in _Word Pears, Pares, Pairs_. Where do you go to find that “other” spelling of “rabbit”? The dictionary is not always helpful for the obscure “other” spelling of a word since you wouldn’t be looking in the dictionary if you already knew how to spell it. Here you have word pairs together — parts of speech, definitions, examples of how they are used, and the idioms involved. It can be yours with just a click of the mouse or in hard

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