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The Comma bomb

T

Turk

Well-Known Member
Not sure when it all started, but my use of comma's is getting out of hand. In the early days, I was just a casual user, only putting one or two, into a sentence. Here I am many years later, becoming a hard core user. Im ashamed to admit it, but sometimes, I generate a sentence, long enough to fit 7 or 8 comma's in. There's nothing like the high of an 8 comma fix. As a result now, when I have to write a very short sentence, with no comma's, im having punctuation withdrawls. My son has started intensive intervention strategies, which involves him reading back my work to me, in a somewhat mocking manner. He reckons, that to read anything I write sounds like William Shatner, in his star trek role, on weed. As cruel as his impersonations are, im forced to admit, that im a comma junkie. As part of my therapy, you will see posts of mine, with comma's missing. This is an intentional act, where im forced to look at my posts, knowing they can never be changed. Im also worried though, as my withdrawal, may push me onto harder punctuations, like full stops and exclamation marks. Does anyone else suffer from this over use of punctuations. Knowing im not the only one, would go a long way into, helping me with my recovery.
 
A little quick guide for how to use commas for anyone who is interested:

Purdue OWL: Commas

In case anyone has been told that you use a comma about where you would take a breath if you were speaking a sentence out loud, that's not true (I've heard of some English teachers who teach that, amazingly enough).
 
In fact, when I write, I find myself over-using commas as well. It helps me keep my thoughts concise and organized. When I'm done writing, I go back and "correct" the writing; though sometimes, when it's super-casual (as on here), I just go ahead and leave them in. :)
 
Turk, why did you create this thread? Now my head is going to explode. :confused:

Sometimes I really wish I didn't have a grammar and spelling checker in my brain.
 
Overuse of punctuation?????????????

It's clearly a problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But then, again, if you like commas, I can't see, any problems with writing, like, William Shatner speaks!!!!!!!
 
This thread made me realise that I have a strange writing habit - I use way too many dashes and ellipses...

I did them both there and even though it was intentional in that particular instance I probably would've written it like that even if I wasn't thinking about it. I'm probably going to be obsessing over it every time I write a message here and never do it again now that I've pointed it out.
 
In my case ... I was overusing the "..." ... i put ... everywhere ... like ... this ... and it never stops ... I'm not quite sure when it started ... probably on Internet Relay Chat back in the 90s ... anyway ... i just love the ... ... but its so annoying for the others ...

Anyway ... :)

I realized how bad it was when I started to use Twitter. I was always running out of space and I had to start erasing all those "..." :) I improved quite a bit, but I'm still very addicted to them. :)
 
Commas are pretty cool, I also like to sprinkle them about my sentences liberally; as are ellipses... @Archer36 one way to still get your fix with in short messages with lazy grammar rules is to leave off a dot.. I'm guilty of this (I also sometimes want to nest brackets(like how you can in maths(see)) but I try not to(not sure if this is a grammar rule(or more just about keeping it readable)))

Meanwhile, I used a semicolon above, so above all else I'll be quietly panicking about whether I used it right.. (but this being the Internet I've already moved on after hit "post" (possibly to look at cat pictures(because Internet(Internet........)))!
 
Why did I read this? Now I'm noticing you guys's commas, though I never did before.

Like that period when I started noticing noses and they looked so wierd, and I was just seeing them noticing them all the time. My poor head.

now I'm even seeing my own commas.
 
Many people have commented on your use of commas, but I have to address the misuse of the apostrophe you place in "comma's." The apostrophe as you have used it indicates possession, and you really mean commas, plural. Please skip the apostrophe when you use a plural unless it also indicates possession. You wasted four spaces in your original post with unnecessary apostrophes. Apostrophes in contractions are an entirely different subject. I wonder if other languages are as confusing as written English.
 
Turnip said:
That's the topic, we're not picking on his grammar (at least I wasn't)

Did you consider he might work as a grocer? Or that he might know the rules you explained but just made mistake?
Click to expand...

There is no reason to suggest anyone in any profession should be ignorant of basic English skills. Grammar, spelling and punctuation are addressed throughout public school education.
 
I also use commas way too much and keep adding stuff to the same sentence. Just how my minds work I guess, it has too many thinking layers. :) Later I will have to re-read it all and try to brake up some sentences (or add stuff between brackets and add a few dots...). When others are writing with lots of commas, I really don't mind. It actually makes reading and understanding it a lot easier. ;)
 
Mitch said:
I also use commas way too much and keep adding stuff to the same sentence. Just how my minds work I guess, it has too many thinking layers. :) Later I will have to re-read it all and try to brake up some sentences (or add stuff between brackets and add a few dots...). When others are writing with lots of commas, I really don't mind. It actually makes reading and understanding it a lot easier. ;)
Click to expand...
I have always been an "English" snob and try to write as well as I can. I think this obsession is part of my Aspieness. We were taught facts that had to be applied to written and spoken English and because I love rules, I followed them.
 
Aspieistj said:
Many people have commented on your use of commas, but I have to address the misuse of the apostrophe you place in "comma's." The apostrophe as you have used it indicates possession, and you really mean commas, plural. Please skip the apostrophe when you use a plural unless it also indicates possession. You wasted four spaces in your original post with unnecessary apostrophes. Apostrophes in contractions are an entirely different subject. I wonder if other languages are as confusing as written English.
Click to expand...

Oh there was no mistake. They are my comma's. In fact, im working on my version of extra comma's, to be used for that reflective moment, that needs a longer pause.
 
Oh here's a thought. Been thinking about my love affair with commas. I dont really like change or when things end. Could it be that a comma, is the extension of my want, for things not to end. If I could only figure out a way, to apply comma logic, to real life situations. Nothing would have to end.
 
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