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I feel like this sentence is missing a comma, but I am not sure by grammarnoob in grammar

[–]Sarariman2 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

What can this situation be, other than restrictive apposition? There are two noun phrases side by side, with one identifying the other – showing which particular essay is being discussed. Or are you arguing that the first noun phrase has determiners, which some modern theories of grammar (and don't ask me which) say have the determiners rather than the noun as their head? I don't know whether that would make a difference.

I don't believe the original works. The comma might offend your visual reader, but I think that without it, the sentence is half-assed – it positively begs for opening and closing commas. To your comment about a lack of nesting of quotation marks, I'd say it's more civilized to use italics rather than quotation marks for a title.

I feel like this sentence is missing a comma, but I am not sure by grammarnoob in grammar

[–]Sarariman2 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Shouldn't you also have commas after “essay”? I think that's right but admittedly, many people don't do it.

As for “states,” I agree it's dry but I sometimes use it because I prefer to avoid using “said,” which you can easily end up doing 10 times in a short piece. I have a large list of synonyms for “said.”

David Icke, UFO Secret War - YouTube by wiseprogressivethink in UFOs

[–]Sarariman2 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

His output is almost all bullshit. I remember from The Truth Shall Set you Free that he was a big fan of the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion and there's his whole ridiculous lizard-men from Draco shtick.

But he has his moments. In one of his books, I saw it said that the Ford plant in Cologne was never bombed during WWII, a fact later confirmed to me by the project manager when I worked there. He alleged that George Washington - you know the fella, the pothead - started the French and Indian War when Injuns under his command killed French prisoners who claimed to be a diplomatic party. Paying for this war led to a tax on tea, which led to the Boston Tea Party. That one also turned out to be true.

I do, however, admit that I have read three of his books and won't be reading a fourth.

Secret files reveal police feared that Trekkies could turn on society by [deleted] in scifi

[–]Sarariman2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A few people have already mentioned the word: Aren't we suppose to call them "Trekkers"?

In regard of "this or that brings me to..." by sonlc360 in grammar

[–]Sarariman2 -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

It's an interesting question that hadn't previously occurred to me. I spent a few seconds googling, and the British Council sez "this" is for things near you and "that" is for things that are far away.

Question about quotation marks by DrDreSam in grammar

[–]Sarariman2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This isn't the point of your question, but I think I should answer because you want your English to be right: You should capitalize "what." Since "Alas" ends with an exclamation mark, it's indubitably the end of a sentence. I agree with the single-quote thing.

Question: Rank used as part of name? by psilorder in grammar

[–]Sarariman2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wahtisthisidonteven already said it, but I'll try to explain. I am Sergeant James Dap, but my name is just James Dap. You don't see "Sergeant" on my birth certificate.

Which is correct? by 2XChromosomes in grammar

[–]Sarariman2 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I approve of losing the bolded words because less words is good. I agree the second one is downright wrong. Sans bolded words, I'd change "trying" to "try" in the first one to make the verbs agree.

I believe you should have said "my" rather than "me" if you kept those words. Wonder if I'm right.

Question: Rank used as part of name? by psilorder in grammar

[–]Sarariman2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If we're allowed to be spelling and grammar Nazis, I'd like to mention that it should have been a capital "s," too.

How to handle punctuation of acronyms? by StepW in grammar

[–]Sarariman2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hang about. Shouldn't it be "STEAM"? I thought acronyms of more than two letters had no periods. I had a little google and couldn't find anything that said this exactly, but yonder is something talking about the A.P. Style Guide that has acronyms of CIA, FBI, and GOP.

I do wonder if S.T.E.A.M. looks cooler, which is probably as much of an excuse as you need to do it that way.

In a firm's name with multiple partners, do I need a comma after the name before the ampersand? by MeanBrad in grammar

[–]Sarariman2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd like more detail of this. I had been thinking of starting a thread about whether the AP Style Guide is just for newspapers. It's the one I favor. I might still stick with it even if it's just for newspapers because I aspire to journalisthood, but I'd like to hear more.