I have seen the compound words “en dash” and “em dash” sometimes appear with a hyphen (“en-dash”) and sometimes without. Are both the hyphenated and the unhyphenated forms correct? Answer There is no unanimity on the proper form of this term—at least not among U.S. authorities. Merriam-Webster’s Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary (2003) doesn’t include entries for … Read more
I’m confused about the punctuation around the phrase among others. I’ve come across a comma before, after it, two commas or brackets enclosing the phrase… I know related questions have already been asked, but they don’t seem to provide one clear answer for among others exclusively. Can anybody clarify which of these is the most … Read more
I am currently reading Ginger Man, by J.P. Donleavy, a paperback edition by Abacus (UK). I have noticed that in a lot of sentences that are typically questions, the question mark is missing. For instance, “Would you mind bringing me the bottle to replace the amount splashed in my face.” (page 119). Is this thing … Read more
I’m editing a paper and came across a sentence which uses an ellipsis to separate the main idea from a restatement as follows: The suspicion that the butler committed the murder was just that… a suspicion. My editing experience tells me that it would be better to use a colon: The suspicion that the butler … Read more
Consider the following statement: I have four assessments due in a weeks’ time. Here, the four assessments are due in one week. I am unsure if the apostrophe is placed correctly, i.e. is weeks’ or week’s more appropriate in this instance. Answer An apostrophe showing possession always goes after the thing that is doing the … Read more
I was writing the following sentence and I’m puzzled which one would be the correct sentence. In my humble opinion, the second sentence looks wrong as a comma is not required. The second part of the sentence "I received..," is an independent sentence, and it is better to use a conjunction like which, or that, … Read more
I cannot understand the usage of comma after “chapel” in this sentence: Its long, damp passages, its narrow cells and ruined chapel, were to be within her daily reach, and she could not entirely subdue the hope of some traditional legends, some awful memorials of an injured and ill-fated nun. Why is a comma used … Read more
I was writing a sentence, and I later realized that this sentence might need punctuation. Which one would be the correct sentence: with a comma or without a comma Below are the topics we will be covering on Day-1. Below are the topics, we will be covering on Day-1. I think a comma is required … Read more
Consider the following statement; He commented that,”I have such a miserable cold, your sarcastic remarks are hardly making any effect on me.” How to know the usage of ‘that’ here? Is ‘that’ redundant here? Also about punctuation; “I have such a miserable cold, your sarcastic remarks are hardly making any effect on me,” He commented. … Read more
I have the following sentence: Please first look at our wiki space or contact your local siteops before opening a ticket, if you would like us to look into an issue, or have a change request, please open a JIRA ticket. I was told I have grammar mistakes, especially with punctuation marks. Could someone please … Read more
