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Patong Dong
Joined: 06 May 2003
Location: On Nut
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 Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 11:01 pm Post subject: Why the comma in "Who's calling, please?" |
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or can it go without? I always put in a comma as a general thumb when please is at the end of a sentence, but co-worker wants clarification. She has shown me a number of examples from introductory dependent phrases or clauses that require the comma; to when please is separated from the verb a comma is needed for clarification.
Any help? Is "Who's calling please?" perfectly acceptable? I have been shown examples of both in the past hour. My rule of thumb may just be a preference thing. |
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Nismo
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
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| Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 11:54 pm Post subject: |
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Because it has been shifted within the clause.
"Please tell me who's calling."
"Would you please tell me who's calling?"
"Please, would you tell me who's calling?"
"Would you tell me who's calling, please?"
If you had no comma there, then it would be processed as a direct object of the verb 'calling' rather than the direct object being ommited via ellipsis.
"Who's calling [me]?"
X "Who's calling please?" (please = a person?)
? "Who's calling 'please'?" (someone is calling out, "Please!") |
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young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 3:30 am Post subject: Re: Why the comma in "Who's calling, please?" |
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| Patong Dong wrote: |
or can it go without? I always put in a comma as a general thumb when please is at the end of a sentence, but co-worker wants clarification. She has shown me a number of examples from introductory dependent phrases or clauses that require the comma; to when please is separated from the verb a comma is needed for clarification.
Any help? Is "Who's calling please?" perfectly acceptable? I have been shown examples of both in the past hour. My rule of thumb may just be a preference thing. |
commas are used anytime it adds clarity to seperate a sentence. This is the rule in this case. "please" is just a polite ending and "who's calling" has the meaning of the sentence in it. You don't want to include please as part of the meaning. If you add please at the beginning of a sentence it adds meaning to the sentence, you want something. |
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detonate
Joined: 16 Dec 2011
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 6:11 am Post subject: |
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| mr. please needs to be called so tell me WHOS CALLING PLEASE |
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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 8:52 am Post subject: |
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| Nismo wrote: |
Because it has been shifted within the clause.
"Please tell me who's calling."
"Would you please tell me who's calling?"
"Please, would you tell me who's calling?"
"Would you tell me who's calling, please?"
If you had no comma there, then it would be processed as a direct object of the verb 'calling' rather than the direct object being ommited via ellipsis.
"Who's calling [me]?"
X "Who's calling please?" (please = a person?)
? "Who's calling 'please'?" (someone is calling out, "Please!") |
^^This is a nice explanation.
Another way to see this is from the example,
Eat children.
Eat, children.
Both are grammatically acceptable...but only one is socially acceptable...unless of course you live in a society fond of cannibalism.  |
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yodanole
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: La Florida
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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Haven't you read "Hansel and Gretel"?
"Eat children.
Eat, children.
Both are grammatically acceptable...but only one is socially acceptable...unless of course you live in a society fond of cannibalism". |
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Zackback
Joined: 05 Nov 2010
Location: Kyungbuk
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 2:14 pm Post subject: |
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| At the Narita airport a few years ago and I was looking for an excuse to approach one of the pretty ladies that work there. I saw a sign that said "No smoking room ahead". I looked in and saw people smoking so I approached the lady and said "Why are they smoking in there"? She said that it was the smoking room so I said why is it that it reads that the no smoking room is ahead. It took her a few seconds but she figured out a comma should have been after the word "smoking". Nice to see that cute smile on her face. |
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Patong Dong
Joined: 06 May 2003
Location: On Nut
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 4:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Great, thanks all. |
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slothrop
Joined: 03 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 5:06 pm Post subject: |
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edit
Last edited by slothrop on Fri May 11, 2012 5:35 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Nismo
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 5:59 pm 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'?
also, if you tilt your head sideways and read the title vertically, the colon looks like a pair of eyes looking off to one side, with the question mark serving as a furrowed brow. creepy. |
Or, more importantly, why is please used twice. Clearly this is an issue of style. The first please is not shifted, but the second is. It's like the properly situated please went through mitosis. |
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slothrop
Joined: 03 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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edit
Last edited by slothrop on Fri May 11, 2012 5:35 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 7:53 pm Post subject: |
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| It can differ in U.S. and British English. The U.K. style seems to omit commas more often. |
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slothrop
Joined: 03 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 8:00 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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Nismo
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Yaya wrote: |
| It can differ in U.S. and British English. The U.K. style seems to omit commas more often. |
Tell that to my English/Welsh/Northern Irish and real Irish co-workers. They use commas like they were going out of fashion. |
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detonate
Joined: 16 Dec 2011
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| Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 3:50 am Post subject: |
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| Zackback wrote: |
| At the Narita airport a few years ago and I was looking for an excuse to approach one of the pretty ladies that work there. I saw a sign that said "No smoking room ahead". I looked in and saw people smoking so I approached the lady and said "Why are they smoking in there"? She said that it was the smoking room so I said why is it that it reads that the no smoking room is ahead. It took her a few seconds but she figured out a comma should have been after the word "smoking". Nice to see that cute smile on her face. |
Playa play on! |
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