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Calling all grammar pedant's
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Hyphens are a major headache. The general rule is to hyphenate a modifier before a noun, but not after a noun, so 'an up-to-date thread', but 'this thread is up to date'.
Hmm. I've come round (?around) to the view that no.1 is right after all (,').
The direct speech itself comprises of a complete sentance innit's own right and therefore the full-stop belongs to it. (This converts to a comma when placed inside a longer sentence ending with 'she said'.)
"innit's own right"
A fine typo for a grammar thread
Theirs nuffing rong with my grammor or spelyn. They do'nt no wot there torkin abowt.
Vampire Weekend. Official grammar geek band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW7bB8D_mAY
Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?
Indeed.
Tl;dr
May I state for the record that I think that the Oxford comma is wrong.
There, I've said it.
(I mean for single words, of course.)
Context is all.
Where I work were are told that where there's doubt, read the sentence out loud and then decide which sounds better.
oxford comma sounds much posher.like they have a pineapple up their arse
That's a typo though - obviously...
Typo aside, I'm not sure the sentence reads very well.
The sentence reads perfectly well. Thank you.
Given the context, I would argue that that should be:
The sentence reads perfectly well, thank you.
I would accept that as an alternative
The Oxford comma is the comma before 'and' or 'or' in a list of three or more items. Apparently it has been Oxford University Press's house style to use it for the last 100 years or more. (And Cambridge University Press's style not to, of course.)
It ensures the items in the list all have equal emphasis, and can prevent ambiguities such as this:
'... the bishops of Winchester, Salisbury, Bristol, and Bath and Wells.'
OK question:
On Mastermind, the quiz master says; the person with the fewer passes.....
Why not fewest? Fewer doesn't sound right.
Thanks!
Fewer if there are only two contestants on equal points, Corky, and fewest if there are three or more.
I assume it's because there's only two people being compared.
On reflection, I'm inclined to agree with Corky - I'd say fewest because it's the passes that are being counted, and there could be any number of those. But the Mastermind quizmaster would (with some justification) argue that it's the contestants who are being compared. It's a grey area.
Hi Literatin and XFR Bear - fab thanks!
That was bugging me..
Magnus Magnusson always made a point of saying, "The person with the fewer or fewest passes..."
Bother. Only 6/10.
Whilst we are on a mini-thread of antagonising grocers, who else refuses to utilise the aisle in Tesco for "10 items or less"?
Indeed. Should be 10 items or fewer.
More often. Or maybe less.
???????? Gideon. I love you for that.