You've got a degree in English? Come in and correct us!

[floridarolf]

Do you have a degree in English or think you ought to have one? Please teach us the grammar. My postings here are grammar-wise mostly fired from the hip. If it would come to marks I'd do better.

Here are my two questions:

- When do I set a comma appart from an apposition? - Do I really have to use an apostrophe in the genetive? If not, (comma right?) please rant!

[utahguy]

Pick up "The Elements of Style," by Struck & White

[utahguy]

Go phonetically.

[Drango]

Is the correct usage "bite me" or "BITE ME?.

[utahguy]

I tried setting a comma appart from an apposition once, dang near threw out my back.
'specially during springtime: Those commas get REAL randy towards those appositions.

[dirtboy]

Welcome to FR, floridarolf. Given that your native language, German, uses the train-wreck approach to link adjectives to nouns, I think wayward commas are the least of your concerns.

[Xenalyte]

If by "genitive" you mean "possessive," I can help you. You use an apostrophe-S in the possessive: "Floridarolf's thread garnered more than one smart-ass remark."

Old-timers will tell you that a noun ending in S doesn't take an S after the apostrophe, as in "Those were Jesus' sandals you tried on, you blasphemer," but the trend of late is to use the apostrophe-S because you pronounce an extra syllable - Jee-zus-uz.

[SoothingDave]

When do I set a comma appart from an apposition? - Do I really have to use an apostrophe in the genetive? If not, (comma right?) please rant!

Please excuse the usual gang of jokers here. Most English speakers don't think about the language in technical terms and only have very bad memories of trying to learn things like "genitive" and "apposition" in school.

For your questions:

Yes, apostrophes are used to indicate possession. Fred's hat. The town's park.

If the noun is plural we add not an "'s" but just the apostrophe. The teachers' lounge. The players' locker room.

There are, of course, always exceptions, mostly dealing with plural nouns that don't end in "s." Don't worry about that for now.

Commas are used, in general, to seperate items in a list or to indicate that additional clauses are being added to the meat of a sentence. Fred's ball is red. Fred's ball, which he received from his father for a Christmas present, is red. Fred's ball is red, which is his favorite color.

The comma prepares us to pause in our thought and signals us that a new idea is coming. Some people use too many, some people use too few. If you re-read a sentence and find your train of thought getting confused, you probably need a comma somewhere, to seperate thoughts.

Compare: Some people use too many commas some people use too few.

Some people use too many commas, some people use too few.

As for your question about the use of "a" or "an" with a word starting with "h," it all depends on whether the "h" is silent or not. We say "an hour" but "a harmonica."

Finally, if you are going to post this type of message again (and I see nothing wrong with trying to learn English well), identify yourself as a non-native speaker. Otherwise, people are going to assume you are just trying to be funny or that you are some type of nutjob.

SD

[Xenalyte]

Some people use too many commas, some people use too few.

And some of us would use a semicolon instead of a comma in that sentence, to avoid a run-on, which it deeply saddens me to point out you have committed.

[SoothingDave]

And some of us would use a semicolon instead of a comma in that sentence

D'oh! I was trying not to belabor our German friend's understanding of the purpose of commas. But you got me.

SD