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YouWriteOn Message Board > Literary Forums > Professional Writing Tips and Techniques - New Help Search Recent Posts
Help please, commas and 'and'
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emma mahony
 01 Jul 2009, 15:17 #63292 Reply To Post
Hello,

Can any of you word smiths help me with a punctuation dilemma please?

I know that commas are used to separate clauses when they are joined by 'and' but I can't figure out whether the following are separate clauses:

Does the following sentence need a comma before the 'and'?

In a far corner, a cat sprang to attention, arching its sleek back and spitting out a long, slow, 'Hssss.'

Likewise:

The small one scanned the building and pointed his wounded fingers to an upstairs window that had been left slightly ajar.

Thanks, emma in a dilemma


slavandria
 01 Jul 2009, 15:23 #63294 Reply To Post
Quote: emma mahony, Wednesday, 1 Jul 2009 15:17
Hello,

Can any of you word smiths help me with a punctuation dilemma please?

I know that commas are used to separate clauses when they are joined by 'and' but I can't figure out whether the following are separate clauses:

Does the following sentence need a comma before the 'and'?

In a far corner, a cat sprang to attention, arching its sleek back and spitting out a long, slow, 'Hssss.'

Likewise:

The small one scanned the building and pointed his wounded fingers to an upstairs window that had been left slightly ajar.

Thanks, emma in a dilemma




commas are not needed before 'and' in either case.
Jen

"There are books of which the backs and covers are by far the best parts." Charles Dickens
emma mahony
 01 Jul 2009, 15:40 #63297 Reply To Post
Quote: slavandria, Wednesday, 1 Jul 2009 15:23
Quote: emma mahony, Wednesday, 1 Jul 2009 15:17
Hello,

Can any of you word smiths help me with a punctuation dilemma please?

I know that commas are used to separate clauses when they are joined by 'and' but I can't figure out whether the following are separate clauses:

Does the following sentence need a comma before the 'and'?

In a far corner, a cat sprang to attention, arching its sleek back and spitting out a long, slow, 'Hssss.'

Likewise:

The small one scanned the building and pointed his wounded fingers to an upstairs window that had been left slightly ajar.

Thanks, emma in a dilemma




commas are not needed before 'and' in either case.


Thanks a miliion Jen. I'm trying to be very thorough, and I've gone and totally confused myself!
pam123writing
 01 Jul 2009, 15:55 #63298 Reply To Post
Jen's right. No commas in each of those cases. Good to see you back on the boards, Emma. Are you re-doing Nine Lives Are Not Enough?
emma mahony
 01 Jul 2009, 17:01 #63302 Reply To Post
Quote: pam123writing, Wednesday, 1 Jul 2009 15:55
Jen's right. No commas in each of those cases. Good to see you back on the boards, Emma. Are you re-doing Nine Lives Are Not Enough?


Yup, I'm about to send it out to a potential publisher, after lots of re-writing. I've been slaving over the synopsis and covering letter for the last few weeks. How are you getting on yourself, anything new for me to read??
pam123writing
 01 Jul 2009, 18:47 #63324 Reply To Post
Quote: emma mahony, Wednesday, 1 Jul 2009 17:01
Quote: pam123writing, Wednesday, 1 Jul 2009 15:55
Jen's right. No commas in each of those cases. Good to see you back on the boards, Emma. Are you re-doing Nine Lives Are Not Enough?


Yup, I'm about to send it out to a potential publisher, after lots of re-writing. I've been slaving over the synopsis and covering letter for the last few weeks. How are you getting on yourself, anything new for me to read??


That's brilliant, Emma. I wish you all the very best. I've a short on site that's at 18 today and I'm having 3steps published at the moment by Legend, just waiting for an email to say it's available so feel quite excited about that. Tonight I'm about to re-load a revised and renamed version of the sequel.
timellis
 01 Jul 2009, 20:49 #63330 Reply To Post
I agree with Pam and Jen, no commas needed in either case. Good luck with those damned cats, Emma !
unclearthur
 01 Jul 2009, 22:20 #63343 Reply To Post
Personally, I'd lose the comma after 'In a far corner'. It slows things up without any real need. Depends on the pace of the rest of the paragraph, though.

Jonathan
This post was last edited by unclearthur, 01 Jul 2009, 22:22
www.cavalrytales.co.uk
emma mahony
 02 Jul 2009, 12:30 #63383 Reply To Post
Quote: pam123writing, Wednesday, 1 Jul 2009 18:47
Quote: emma mahony, Wednesday, 1 Jul 2009 17:01
Quote: pam123writing, Wednesday, 1 Jul 2009 15:55
Jen's right. No commas in each of those cases. Good to see you back on the boards, Emma. Are you re-doing Nine Lives Are Not Enough?


Yup, I'm about to send it out to a potential publisher, after lots of re-writing. I've been slaving over the synopsis and covering letter for the last few weeks. How are you getting on yourself, anything new for me to read??


That's brilliant, Emma. I wish you all the very best. I've a short on site that's at 18 today and I'm having 3steps published at the moment by Legend, just waiting for an email to say it's available so feel quite excited about that. Tonight I'm about to re-load a revised and renamed version of the sequel.


Great stuff, I'll take a look at your no. 18er when I have a chance and then the sequel. I'd say it will be great to have the published book in your hand. I've had lots of catalogues on contemporary art published and each time I get to see the finished object, I'm over the moon!

emma mahony
 02 Jul 2009, 12:33 #63384 Reply To Post
Quote: timellis, Wednesday, 1 Jul 2009 20:49
I agree with Pam and Jen, no commas needed in either case. Good luck with those damned cats, Emma !


Hi Timeless (sic)- good to hear from you. I'm sorry to read about your heart attack, but it sounds like you are well on the road to recovery and a more sedentary literary lifestyle. Looking forward to you new stuff.
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