Sophie, For all of the talk about seeing things in and out of context, how can you place judgment on this writing? Maybe the student had written: I'm a friendly guy, as most people can tell you. Maybe we've been friends for 20 years. Maybe I've just met you. Either way, I won't hesitate to strike up a conversation. It doesn't matter what we have in common; we always will have something to talk about. I'll make sure of it. Also, authorial intent aside, some things are just plain wrong. The boy with the blue cape. That is a sentence fragment, no matter what my intent was. Ben > ---------- > From: Sophie Johnson > Reply To: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar > Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2001 9:44 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: A comma-splice? > > Ben: > (i) a semi-colon or a colon possibly, because either can perform a > full > stop's role in certain contexts; > (ii) em-dash absolutely not: it is not a sentence marker. > > But what is the point of punctuating a sequence that fails to make > sense, > one sense, and the sense the writer intends? > > Sophie > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Ben Potter <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2001 11:59 PM > Subject: Re: A comma-splice? > > > Sophie, > > A full stop is not necessarily "essential." The two sentences appear > to > be related enough to warrent an em dash or a semicolon. > > > ---------- > > From: Sophie Johnson > > Reply To: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar > > Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2001 6:45 AM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: A comma-splice? > > > > The comma cannot splice two independent sentences. A full stop > between > > them is essential: > > > > It doesn't matter what we have in common. We will always have > > something to talk about. > > > > But that is the least of this student's problems. The more severe > one > > is in his non-sequitor. I should want to refer his `sentence' back > to > > him with a question something like: Did you intend to say: `Whether > or > > not we have anything in common, we will always have something to > talk > > about' ? (Authorial intent has to be established before the > > punctuation of its statement can become an issue!) > > > > (Ed ... are you indulging a spot of leg pulling here?) > > > > Sophie > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Ed Vavra > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2001 7:43 PM > > Subject: A comma-splice? > > > > I'd appreciate your comments about the last sentence in the > > following. In particular, I would like to know if you consider it a > > comma-splice, and, if so, what you would do about it (if anything) > in > > a student's writing? > > > > With all these people I have at least one thing in common, > > either hair or eye color, or even disliking or liking the same > people. > > It doesn't matter what we have in common, we will always have > > something to talk about. > > > > Thanks, > > Ed V. > > > > > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web > interface > at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web > interface at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/