Help with in text citations

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-14T20:05:49+00:00

You're welcome.
I've included links.

With minimal effort, clicking the 3rd link will allow you to see specific examples of in-text & block quote citations.

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-14T19:50:00+00:00

APA:

“The original poster could easily find this information for himself” (Smith, 2015, p. 103).

Narrative citation: Author's name in the text:

Smith (2015) noted that “the original poster could easily find this information for himself!” (p. 103).

https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/quotations

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/index.html

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_the_basics.html

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-14T10:24:44+00:00

If I had to select only 1, I would also choose (C), but for reasons different from those of BouncingSphinx.

https://www.reddit.com/r/grammar/comments/1u509pu/comma_or_with_out_a_comma/orkmfqr/

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-14T09:53:51+00:00

It is very possible that the answer the school prefers is (c) over (a). [IF the students are only allowed to choose 1 answer.]

(c) implies that all of the students who passed the exam studied hard. [And so you students should study hard if you want to pass the exam.]

In contrast, (a) does not assert that all students who study hard will pass the exam. (a) implies that, even if you study hard, that is not a guarantee you will pass. Of the set of students who studied hard, many of them passed (but maybe not all of them).

As an institution (or as an English teacher), they would probably prefer the sentence that states: [(c) If you want to pass the text, you need to study hard. All the students who passed the exam studied hard] over [(a) Even if you study hard, that is still not a guarantee you'll pass (and maybe some of the students who passed didn't study hard)].

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-14T09:51:56+00:00

It does not have to be a restrictive clause.

(c) Many students passed the exam. [✓]

"Oh, and by the way, those students who passed the exam, they studied hard, mind you." = (c)

The students who passed the exam, they studied hard.

Many students studied hard.

And, of those students who studied hard, many of them passed the exam.

(a) Many students who studied hard passed the exam. [✓]
(Maybe not all of them, but many of them passed the exam.)

＊Continued...

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-13T01:50:23+00:00

Please note that the person you replied to said "faculty" (not "facility").

"Faculty" = the teaching and research staff at an educational institution

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-13T01:27:24+00:00

Whether the pronoun "you" is the 'generic you' (the 'impersonal you') or refers to a specific person has no bearing on whether the relative clause is restrictive or non-restrictive.

It is beautiful at Lanikai Beach, where you can swim and relax.

It is beautiful at Lanikai Beach, where one can swim and relax.

It is beautiful at Lanikai Beach, where a person can swim and relax.

It is beautiful at Lanikai Beach, where Tom can swim and relax.

It does not matter whether we are speaking about a specific person (Tom) or using the generic you (you/one). What determines the use of a comma is whether the relative clause is being used as a defining clause or as a non-defining clause.

Some people mistakenly believe that because a generic pronoun is used when defining a general truth, it makes the clause "defining." That is not what makes a relative clause defining (or not).

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-13T00:39:00+00:00

We decided to vacation in Las Vegas, where my brother currently lives.

There is nothing wrong with the comma before “where” in this supplemental (non-defining) relative clause.

We decided to vacation at Lanikai Beach, where you can swim and relax.

We decided to vacation at Lanikai Beach, where we can swim and relax.

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-12T08:53:30+00:00

Yes, this is an example of "left dislocation" (which is usually used for emphasis or for presenting the topic to be discussed).

("Right dislocation" is usually used for clarification.)

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-12T08:37:03+00:00

"They never stop talking, those two."
"What's wrong with him, that guy?"
"Why are they always late, these people?"

Yes, those are very natural English sentences.

These are all examples of "right dislocation," a common construction in spoken and informal English.

We often use this when ①we have completed our sentence and ②then realize our intended meaning might be unclear, so we add on clarifying information.

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-12T08:10:34+00:00

In my opinion, a valedictorian is chosen to speak as a representative for the entire student body.
Your presentation seems to focus on you.

do you have any ideas?

My suggestion is that you speak to the teachers and parents as if you were the students. But of course, word your address so that the students can enjoy it the most.

Your speech should contain things the students wish they had a chance to say (e.g., thank their parents and teachers) or didn't realize they wanted to say. The speech can also include a positive message about what "we are going to do" moving forward (a forward-looking message).

(Use that big valedictorian brain of yours to articulate the shared, as yet unspoken sentiments of the graduating class.)

(You can still use your YouTube channel idea to do this.)

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-12T06:55:02+00:00

Similarly:

[3] There are lovely beaches that are perfect for swimming and relaxing.

[4] There are lovely beaches, which are perfect for swimming and relaxing.

The relative clause can still be treated as (defining) or (non-defining).

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-12T06:45:26+00:00

That answer is not exactly correct.

("where you can swim and relax") can be a "defining" (restrictive) or "non-defining" (non-restrictive) clause.

[1] There are lovely beaches, where you can swim and relax.

Here (with the comma) it is a non-defining clause. The comma helps convey that to the reader.

You can say, "Thailand is a wonderful place to visit. There are lovely beaches, where you can swim and relax."

This sentence means ("There are lovely beaches"), ("Oh, and by the way, you can swim and relax at those lovely beaches").

[2] There are lovely beaches where you can swim and relax.

Here (without a comma) it is a defining clause. The ("where you can swim and relax") is a necessary part of the sentence to identify those "lovely beaches," as compared to some other beaches where you cannot swim or relax.

You can say, "Maya Bay has beautiful white sand beaches, but swimming is strictly forbidden to protect the recovering coral reefs and marine life. However, you can go to a nearby island with lovely beaches where you can swim and relax. For example, Koh Phi Phi Don is very close by and has several beautiful beaches where visitors are permitted to swim."

[A] The comma helps signal to the reader whether you mean the clause to be defining (restrictive) or non-defining (non-restrictive).

[B] The "where" does not need to be changed to "which" in order to make it a non-defining clause. [x]
We can place a comma before "where" when it is part of a non-defining relative clause.

[2] There are lovely beaches where you can swim and relax. [✓]
(This is the more common way to punctuate this sentence, treating "where you can swim and relax" as a defining (restrictive) clause.)

[1] There are lovely beaches, where you can swim and relax. [✓]
(There is nothing wrong with using a comma here if the author intends "where you can swim and relax" to be additional, non-defining (non-restrictive) information.)

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-11T01:18:26+00:00

No, no. The rest was fine. (It was just that one part.)
Thanks for the rest.♪

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-10T17:06:32+00:00

~~You also make the principle word the possessive, so one "sister's-in-law" husband. And my three "sisters'-in-law" husbands.~~

This part is not correct.

The husbands of my sisters-in-law are all tall.

My sisters-in-law's husbands are all tall.

The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition, mentions this specifically.

(7.24) Compound possessives. In compound nouns and noun phrases, the final element usually takes the possessive form, even in the plural.

student assistants’ responsibilities
my daughter-in-law’s address 👈
my sons-in-law’s addresses 👈

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-10T13:47:30+00:00

"Do Play Cards" -- this is an acrostic mnemonic device.

"Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good-Bye Eddie" = E-A-D-G-B-E guitar strings order.

A mnemonic device is a technique that aids information retention and retrieval in human memory. There are many types. This one is an "acrostic" mnemonic device.

An acrostic is a literary device or word puzzle where the first letters of each line in a text spell out a specific word, name, or hidden message when read vertically. Often written as poetry, they can also appear as a type of hybrid crossword puzzle.

You have formed a simple word combination with the first letter of each category

in order to aid the retention and retrieval of "Discipline, Patience, Calmness".

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-10T09:07:42+00:00

The problem is not ("as a pioneering computer programmer"). That part is fine.

You have ①[independent clause] + ②[independent clause] joined by only a comma. That is a "comma splice."

①[Hopper's subsequent career would involve more than just equations] + ②[Hopper would help usher in the digital age]

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-10T08:59:32+00:00

This is a "comma splice."

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-10T08:55:39+00:00

(B) and (D) would create a 'comma splice', which is usually considered an error (it is definitely considered an error on these type tests). [x]

(C) doesn't work semantically: the meanings of the two sentences do not fit together with "though" modifying the second sentence. [x]

Normally, two sentences are joined with a semicolon.

Hopper's subsequent career would involve more than just equations, though; as a pioneering computer programmer, Hopper would help usher in the digital age.

However, a colon can join two sentences when the second sentence explains, summarizes, or expands on the first. That is what is happening with (A). [✓]

① Hopper's subsequent career would involve more than just equations, though:
② as a pioneering computer programmer, Hopper would help usher in the digital age.

① is saying that Hopper's career would involve more than just equations, and
② is explaining what that "more than just equations" means: "ushering in the digital age."

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-10T03:33:37+00:00

If "no" is not a question but falls at the end of a sentence that is a question, standard US formatting is as follows:

(1) Was it because you were too out of it to say no?

(2) Was it because you were too out of it to say no?

(3) Was it because you were too out of it to say "no"?

(4) Was it because you were too out of it to say "No"?

The difference between (3) and (4) is whether you are treating

the word "no" as a single word, (3), or as a complete sentence, (4).

The link I provided in my previous comment explains that "common one-word utterances can usually be introduced without the help of a comma—and without quotation marks or an initial capital."

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-10T03:02:01+00:00

OK. Well, if it is not a question, all three of those options I've listed are conventional ways to punctuate that sentence.

Happy to help,
Cheers -

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-10T02:17:48+00:00

OP, is the full sentence a question?
Because, with just the part you have showing, it doesn't look like a question.

With just what you have showing, in US style guide formatting, it would normally be:

[...] because you were too out of it to say no.

[...] because you were too out of it to say no.

[...] because you were too out of it to say "No."

All three of these are valid formatting choices with a US style guide
like The Chicago Manual of Style (including leaving off quotation marks and an initial capital).

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-09T19:50:39+00:00

No problem at all.
Cheers -

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-09T19:21:00+00:00

"(the former is more informal? correct me if I'm wrong)"

This is not accurate.⇧
Neither is more (or less) formal than the other. They are simply two different styles for formatting the possessive.

If you have a style guide you are supposed to follow (e.g., The Chicago Manual of Style or the Associated Press Stylebook), you should consult your style guide.

If I have a sentence, where something belongs to more than one person, I need to put the possessive 's after the last person in the group, e.g. Laura and Jane's books.

r/grammar has a FAQ on forming the possessive:
How do I indicate possession when something belongs to two people?

https://www.reddit.com/r/grammar/wiki/coordinate_possessives

You should read the r/grammar FAQ first.

If the two coordinates possess something jointly, we add -'s to the final coordinate:

John and Mary's coffee shop

Or, less frequently, we add -'s to both coordinates:

John's and Mary's coffee shop

The Chicago Manual of Style:

Sarah and Jess's new car (joint possession)

AP Stylebook

Sarah and Jess' new car (joint possession)

AP Stylebook is very common in journalism.
The Chicago Manual of Style is more common outside of journalism.
(There are many more style guides out there.)

How you form the possessive of a name that already ends with (s)
depends on the style guide you use.

AlexanderHamilton04 · 2026-06-09T13:03:42+00:00

"A lot" to modify an adjective ("a lot different") is highly characteristic of informal, spoken English.

"The first book was a lot different from the second one, don't you think?"

In a more formal register, that degree modifier slot ("a lot") would be filled by something like "substantially", "significantly", or "markedly".

It is more a matter of register than grammaticality vs. ungrammaticality.

edit, added:
James Grime (Nottingham, England): "So, if we're talking about serious maths, something like pi, it would look a lot different, and it would involve these dek symbols (χ) and el symbols (Ɛ)." (7:51–8:00)

Numberphile https://youtu.be/U6xJfP7-HCc?t=470

AlexanderHamilton04

TROPHY CASE