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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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 Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 8:57 am Post subject: |
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| slothrop wrote: |
raymond carver, considered by many to be the greatest american short story writer since the second world war, titled his first book...
Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?: Stories
why is there no commas surrounding the first 'please', but one preceding the second 'please'? |
Not sure if you really wanted an answer to this or not...but in case you do....here it is.
The first 'please' is being used as an adverb...and the general rule with adverbs is that if they are next to the verb they modify, then they don't take a comma.
In this example, 'please' is next to the verb...so no comma.
If the adverb is separated from the verb...by a phrase for example...then commas are used.
Will you please, for the love of god, be quiet?
The second 'please' is being used as an interjection.
In general, interjections are set off by a comma.
So in the example sentence, he is demonstrating two uses of the word 'please' and using correct punctuation for both.
'Please', of course, can also be used as a verb, but he doesn't offer that up as example in that particular sentence.
It would please me if you would please be quiet, please!
Hope this answer is pleasing to you.  |
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slothrop
Joined: 03 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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edit
Last edited by slothrop on Fri May 11, 2012 5:34 am; edited 1 time in total |
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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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| Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah...I can see where you are coming from.
It can be viewed as an interjection in that position as well...but in the adverb slot next to the verb...and therefore follows the rules of adverbs. Some view this as an adverb...debatable to be sure. |
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mohair_blues
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Location: Bundang
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| Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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why the comma in:
"Let's eat, Grandma." |
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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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| Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 10:01 pm Post subject: |
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| mohair_blues wrote: |
why the comma in:
"Let's eat, Grandma." |
Let's eat Grandma. (means...they want to eat Grandma)
Let's eat, Grandma. (means...they want to eat with Grandma) |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat May 05, 2012 2:39 am Post subject: |
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| The Cosmic Hum wrote: |
| mohair_blues wrote: |
why the comma in:
"Let's eat, Grandma." |
Let's eat Grandma. (means...they want to eat Grandma)
Let's eat, Grandma. (means...they want to eat with Grandma) |
SOOOO funny. |
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