Curious.... Why: do people use a comma: "Nice pictures , George." and not write "Nice pictures George." Did I miss something in English class? So many people use a comma.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

do people use a comma:

"Nice pictures, George."

and not write "Nice pictures George."

Did I miss something in English class?
So many people use a comma.

wrangler5 Loc: Missouri

"Eats, shoots and leaves" is NOT the same as "eats shoots and leaves." There's a whole, delightful book on it.

MrMophoto Loc: Rhode Island "The biggest little"

Something I saw in Playboy magazine a looooooong time ago showed how the placement of a comma can change the entire meaning of a sentence:

Not getting any better, come home.
Not getting any, better come home.

Dan' de Bourgogne

Longshadow wrote:

do people use a comma:

"Nice pictures, George."

and not write "Nice pictures George."

Did I miss something in English class?
So many people use a comma.

This is for me an highly interesting thema! I would like to know what is the "official" correct way to write.
Comma or no comma?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

wrangler5 wrote:

"Eats, shoots and leaves" is NOT the same as "eats shoots and leaves." There's a whole, delightful book on it.

Love it!

The English language is difficult enough(,) without being bastardized.

Throw the cow over the fence some hay.

Dan' de Bourgogne

MrMophoto wrote:

Something I saw in Playboy magazine a looooooong time ago showed how the placement of a comma can change the entire meaning of a sentence:

Not getting any better, come home.
Not getting any, better come home.

Yes, I feel the difference in the case above here...
And what about this below
...The teacher says, the pupil is lazy...vs...The teacher, says the pupil, is lazy...
I don't know if it works in english...but it does in french and also in german
Le maître dit, l'élève est faignant...vs...le maître, dit l'élève, est faignant
Der Lehrer sagt, der Schuler ist faul...vs...der Lehrer, sagt der Schuler, ist faul!

Gott verdamm mi noch ine Mol ...english ist immer so schwierig!

Et le français??? Encore bien pire

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Dan' de Bourgogne wrote:

Yes, I feel the difference in the case above here.... (show quote)

Ya, das is sehr gut.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

MrMophoto wrote:

Something I saw in Playboy magazine a looooooong time ago showed how the placement of a comma can change the entire meaning of a sentence:

Not getting any better, come home.
Not getting any, better come home.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

The use of the comma before the name is grammatically correct. Look it up in any grammar book.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

kpmac wrote:

The use of the comma before the name is grammatically correct. Look it up in any grammar book.

Looks funny.
That must be what I missed, isn't that right kpmac?
I never use a comma under those conditions.
I usually take commas as a separator, or a pause.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

kpmac wrote:

The use of the comma before the name is grammatically correct. Look it up in any grammar book.

Maybe it was the way we were taught as everyone I know (so far) does not use the comma.....

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

kpmac wrote:

The use of the comma before the name is grammatically correct. Look it up in any grammar book.

Wow, I guess I'm that old.
My wife used to be an Executive Assistant, she said the comma is correct also.

Dang, I never used the comma in this case...

Probably never will either.

She also said that it doesn't matter these days anyway as all grammar has gone out the door...

wjones8637 Loc: Burleson, TX

My college English Comp. teacher gave us the rule to say the sentence ad if e paused add a a coma. He was an interesting character. Flunked out of the college mainly due to English classes, joined the air force, became an outdoor writer, returned to the college as an English prof.

Bill

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

wjones8637 wrote:

My college English Comp. teacher gave us the rule to say the sentence ad if e paused add a a coma. He was an interesting character. Flunked out of the college mainly due to English classes, joined the air force, became an outdoor writer, returned to the college as an English prof.

Bill

I guess that's the way I was taught. I don't pause.
Nice shots Jack.

I keep thinking of it as a closing salutation with a missed carriage return.

Nice shots,
Jack

pendennis

Longshadow wrote:

do people use a comma:

"Nice pictures, George."

and not write "Nice pictures George."

Did I miss something in English class?
So many people use a comma.

"George" is the object of a direct address. A comma is always used to separate the addressee from the statement.

Yes, there are a lot of comma splices used today, in fact, too many. But, we also have a lot of grammatical mistakes in not using commas when proper and necessary.