Check out some similar questions!

plzhelpme · Apr 15, 2007, 05:51 PM

I have this assignment I need help on and it with commas, could anyone help me? Here it is...

Radio waves were discovered in 1888 and Guglielmo Marconi first used them to send messages in the 1890s. Although many claimed the credit, the first voice heard on the radio belonged to Reginald Fessendens. In 1906 Fessendens a physicist born in Canada spoke from Massachusetts to ships offshore. Generally speaking radio communication was most useful in rescues. The "wireless" was used for ship-to-shore messages. By 1903 radio was being used by airline pilots the police and military personnel. Commercial broadcasting began according to experts when a Pittsburgh station aired the 1920 presidential election results.

Please help me on it, I need to get my grade up...

Matt3046 · Apr 15, 2007, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by plzhelpme

i have this assignment i need help on and it with commas, could anyone help me? here it is...

Radio waves were discovered in 1888, and Guglielmo Marconi first used them to send messages in the 1890s. Although many claimed the credit, the first voice heard on the radio belonged to Reginald Fessendens. In 1906 Fessendens, a physicist born in Canada spoke from Massachusetts to ships offshore. Generally speaking radio communication was most useful in rescues. The "wireless" was used for ship-to-shore messages. By 1903 radio was being used by airline pilots, the police, and military personnel. Commercial broadcasting began, according to experts when a Pittsburgh station aired the 1920 presidential election results.

please help me on it, i need to get my grade up...

As a general rule any where you would pause as you were saying something, requires a comma.

plzhelpme · Apr 15, 2007, 06:32 PM

Thanks Matt, I need help with this on now, last one I promise...

Dear Thad

Ricardo and I were playing last week on the beach. While digging in the sand Ricardo found a large worn shell. At first we didn't think it was anything special but then I looked closer. On its side were some carved words and an old anchor. Ricardo and I immediately showed it to my mom. It reminded her of valuable examples of scrimshaw she had seen in Mystic Connecticut at a naval museum.
I'm hoping to find more shells when my family visits San Juan Puerto Rico to see relatives. I should be back by June 10 2000 my fourteenth birthday.

Your friend

Rosa

Please answer... thanks

Feprincess · Apr 16, 2007, 12:59 PM

Dear Thad,

Ricardo and I were playing last week on the beach. While digging in the sand, Ricardo found a large worn shell. At first we didn't think it was anything special, but then I looked closer. On its side were some carved words and an old anchor. Ricardo and I immediately showed it to my mom. It reminded her of valuable examples of scrimshaw she had seen in Mystic Connecticut at a naval museum.
I'm hoping to find more shells when my family visits San Juan Puerto Rico to see relatives. I should be back by June 10, 2000 my fourteenth birthday.

Your friend,

Rosa

Please answer... thanks

J_9 · Apr 16, 2007, 12:59 PM

Why don't you try to put the commas where you think they should be and I can tell you from there if you are right or wrong. However, we are not here to do your homework for you.

Feprincess is pretty much on target, doing your homework for you, but she missed a comma.

Matt3046 · Apr 16, 2007, 01:04 PM

You have got to do your own work.

Emland · Apr 16, 2007, 01:11 PM

Overview of Punctuation

Why are all your posts about using commas? It really isn't that difficult. Semicolons, now that's a @#A$!

Lowtax4eva · Apr 16, 2007, 01:25 PM

I didn't realize these boards got random spam, what is this

Emland · Apr 16, 2007, 01:27 PM

Comma spam?

The last sentence has a couple in the wrong spot. A good English textbook should tell you what is wrong.

Here is one on PDF SP 7084

J_9 · Apr 16, 2007, 01:32 PM

This is homework LT.

No this is not quite right.

Try this. Imagine that the comma is like a mini stop sign. With each comma pause and take a short quick breath, then read on. See if it makes sense.

It was right up until here:

It reminded her of valuable examples of scrimshaw, she had seen in Mystic, Connecticut at a naval museum.
I'm hoping to find more shells when my family visits, San Juan, Puerto Rico to see relatives. I should be back by, June 10, 2000, my fourteenth birthday.

Take that short breath after the word scrimshaw then read on. Did it make sense? Probably not. Also, understand that the comma should always go after cities and states.

Does it make sense to pause after the word visits? Should you keep the comma or remove it?

Here is another one:

I should be back by,

Does it sound right if you pause after saying by? Probably not.

Just a few tips for you.

Lowtax4eva · Apr 16, 2007, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by Feprincess

Dear Thad,

Ricardo and I were playing last week on the beach. While digging in the sand, Ricardo found a large worn shell. At first we didn't think it was anything special, but then I looked closer. On its side were some carved words and an old anchor. Ricardo and I immediately showed it to my mom. It reminded her of valuable examples of scrimshaw she had seen in Mystic Connecticut at a naval museum.
I'm hoping to find more shells when my family visits San Juan Puerto Rico to see relatives. I should be back by June 10, 2000 my fourteenth birthday.

your friend,

Rosa

please answer....thanks

Just a thought... I'm no english major or anything but "While digging in the sand, Ricardo found a large worn shell." I don't think this needs a comma, the sentence fragment "while digging in the sand" is not a full sentence on its own, it has no subject, and I was always told a comma can be placed between 2 sentences that are placed together to form a single statement.

For example if it was "While we were digging in the sand, Ricardo found a large worn shell." this would be OK, I think therefore this comma can be removed.

Just a thought.

Emland · Apr 16, 2007, 01:37 PM

A good rule to remember, too, is if you can pull out the word/s between the commas and the sentence still makes sense then you have it right.

I tend to over comma and put one whenever I pause for thought. I then have to go back and trim them back!

plzhelpme · Apr 16, 2007, 01:37 PM

Dear Thad,

Ricardo and I were playing last week on the beach. While digging in the sand, Ricardo found a large worn shell. At first we didn't think it was anything special, but then I looked closer. On its side were some carved words and an old anchor. Ricardo and I immediately showed it to my mom. It reminded her of valuable examples of scrimshaw she had seen in Mystic, Connecticut, at a naval museum.
I'm hoping to find more shells when my family visits San Juan, Puerto Rico, to see relatives. I should be back by June 10, 2000, my fourteenth birthday.

Your friend,

Rosa

Please answer... thanks

Lowtax4eva · Apr 16, 2007, 01:38 PM

Yeah the post was modified and has actually been posted at least 4 times that I've seen today, I just realized I answered this in another thread a while back

J_9 · Apr 16, 2007, 01:39 PM

Beautiful!!

Lowtax4eva · Apr 16, 2007, 01:39 PM

I was always taught if the block of text before and after the comma are both complete sentences then its OK.

Emland · Apr 16, 2007, 01:46 PM

We have some serious comma drama!

J_9 · Apr 16, 2007, 01:58 PM

First, lets keep thin in one post. No need to keep posting new posts, okay?

Well, I see one mistake in your first sentence. Are you using the little pause trick?

Second sentence is GREAT.

Third sentence has the right number of commas, one is just in the wrong place.

Fourth sentence beginning with Generally speaking is missing a comma.

The last sentence beginning with Commercial broadcasting is missing a comma.

Feprincess · Apr 16, 2007, 02:05 PM

Where did I miss one?
I didn't change any of the structure although it's worded strangley.
I put the comma after "while digging in the sand" to add commentary on what he was doing.
You can use a comma with a subordinate clause(one that cannot stand on it's own) and a coordinate clause.

Why don't you do this one first and we'll tell you about it.

J_9 · Apr 16, 2007, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by plzhelpme

Radio waves were discovered in 1888, and Guglielmo Marconi first used them to send messages in the 1890s. Although many claimed the credit, the first voice heard on the radio belonged to Reginald Fessendens. In 1906, Fessendens a physicist, born in Canada spoke from Massachusettes to ships offshore. Generally speaking radio communication was most useful in rescuses. The "wireless" was used for ship-to-shore messages. By 1903, radio was being used by airline pilots, the police, and military personnel. Commercial broadcasting began according to experts, when a Pittsburgh station aired the 1920 presidential electin results.

please place commas where needed, please

Move the comma from behind the word physicist to right after the man's name and see how that sounds.