The Student Room Group
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

Grammar and punctuation help?

Scroll to see replies

Reply 100
Avatar for Kyx
Kyx
6
Original post by Raskolnikov.
Wrong.


:no:
Original post by Kyx
:no:


He's correct.
Reply 102
Avatar for Kyx
Kyx
6
Original post by Student403
He's correct.


I am.
Original post by Kyx
I am.


In the context he provided, "whose" fits.
Reply 104
Avatar for Kyx
Kyx
6
Original post by Student403
In the context he provided, "whose" fits.


:no:
Original post by callum_law
You are speaking about your personal preference here, which is not useful. Em dashes are used in place of colons as well as semicolons. You used a semicolon in the third example, so logically you have to accept that in your own style an em dash would be appropriate too.

As an actual pedagogue, you should know better than this. Help with facts rather than talk about your personal style.


I was taught (when I was a copy editor) to use em dashes instead of a colon, but not a semi-colon. But this was house style, and as with so much grammar there are few "facts" and many "styles". The main rule in any writing is to make it clear.
Original post by Kyx
:no:


"Whose shall I say is calling?" means "Whose mother shall I say is calling?". It's fine to omit "mother", in the same way we omit "one" when saying "Which is correct?".
Reply 107
Avatar for Kyx
Kyx
6
Original post by Student403
"Whose shall I say is calling?" means "Whose mother shall I say is calling?". It's fine to omit "mother", in the same way we omit "one" when saying "Which is correct?".


Okay.
Original post by chazwomaq
I was taught (when I was a copy editor) to use em dashes instead of a colon, but not a semi-colon. But this was house style, and as with so much grammar there are few "facts" and many "styles". The main rule in any writing is to make it clear.


There are some ascertainable facts. If you say em dashes wouldn't really work in that fashion and fifteen leading academic house styles say they would work, that involves a particular element of fact.

The OUP house style prescribes a similar use of the en dash (as it doesn't like the em) to you, but in its style a colon would have been suitable and by extension so would an en dash (or em dash in our case). I can only assume your house style was similar.
Original post by callum_law
The OUP house style prescribes a similar use of the en dash (as it doesn't like the em) to you, but in its style a colon would have been suitable and by extension so would an en dash (or em dash in our case). I can only assume your house style was similar.


Well, we reserved the en dash for ranges when using numbers. But as say, these are just preferences. The general rule was avoid semi-colons (except for separating lists introduced with a colon), but this is all getting very pedantic!
Original post by chazwomaq
Well, we reserved the en dash for ranges when using numbers. But as say, these are just preferences. The general rule was avoid semi-colons (except for separating lists introduced with a colon), but this is all getting very pedantic!


That's true. This conversation is not exactly helping the thread.
Original post by callum_law
That's true. This conversation is not exactly helping the thread.


It is for those who can decipher it. :smile:
Reply 112
Avatar for Kyx
Kyx
6
I use the n-dash
Test me
Reply 114
Avatar for Kyx
Kyx
6
Original post by Anonbabes
Test me


Me and Charles are attending the conference.

What is wrong with the above sentence?
Original post by Kyx
Me and Charles are attending the conference.

What is wrong with the above sentence?


Do you put myself instead of me?
Reply 116
Avatar for Kyx
Kyx
6
Original post by Anonbabes
Do you put myself instead of me?


No

Keep trying :smile:
Original post by Kyx
No

Keep trying :smile:


We ( me and Charles) are attending the conference.
Reply 118
Avatar for Kyx
Kyx
6
Original post by Anonbabes
We ( me and Charles) are attending the conference.


That's a possibility :wink:
Original post by Kyx
That's a possibility :wink:


Conference needs a capital C?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you