Dec 22, 2004 02:58
19 yrs ago
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comma usage
English
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Linguistics
grammar
Which of the following is correct, in particular, is the comma needed after New York?
a. My family stayed in Albany, New York and Atlanta, Georgia
b. My family stayed in Albany, New York, and Atlanta, Georgia
a. My family stayed in Albany, New York and Atlanta, Georgia
b. My family stayed in Albany, New York, and Atlanta, Georgia
Responses
+9
4 mins
Selected
My family stayed in Albany, New York, and Atlanta, Georgia
Preferably with a comma after the parenthetical "New York."
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
JCEC
: In American English
3 mins
|
| agree |
bigedsenior
: but not always. it is a matter of style
1 hr
|
| agree |
humbird
: If there is no comma after New York, it looks like there is a city called "New York and Atlanta" in Georgia.
2 hrs
|
| agree |
Jirina Nevosadova
3 hrs
|
| disagree |
Charlesp
: simply, we don't put a comma inbetween two items
6 hrs
|
| agree |
Joao Andre Madeira
: New York is an extra clause and could be taken out. As such it should be between commas :)
7 hrs
|
| agree |
NancyLynn
10 hrs
|
| agree |
Ian M-H (X)
: http://www.utexas.edu/visualguidelines/punctuation.html "Place a comma between the city and the state name, and another comma after the state name, unless ending a sentence."
12 hrs
|
| agree |
Rutie Eckdish
15 hrs
|
| agree |
Cilian O'Tuama
20 hrs
|
| agree |
Refugio
2 days 54 mins
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you Norbert. I think the keyword in your answer is "parenthetical". Madjoao and Cilian also helped explain why this is not a "list" comma. Thanks to everyone else too."
5 hrs
My family stayed in Albany, New York and Atlanta, Georgia
There are two cities, and we don't use a comma between two items.
Albany, New York AND Atlanta, Georgia.
If you mean three cities, New York being New York City, add the word City, but still for clarity, leave out the comma.
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Note added at 6 hrs 30 mins (2004-12-22 09:28:44 GMT)
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based on the asker note \"Just for clarity, New York here is the state, i.e. there two cities only.\"
I am certain the extra comma would be wrong to include.
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Note added at 4 days (2004-12-26 08:25:51 GMT) Post-grading
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I still hold by my answer.
No comma is necessary, and when none is necessary adding one only risks confustion; simplicty is better and clearer.
Albany, New York AND Atlanta, Georgia.
If you mean three cities, New York being New York City, add the word City, but still for clarity, leave out the comma.
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Note added at 6 hrs 30 mins (2004-12-22 09:28:44 GMT)
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based on the asker note \"Just for clarity, New York here is the state, i.e. there two cities only.\"
I am certain the extra comma would be wrong to include.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2004-12-26 08:25:51 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
I still hold by my answer.
No comma is necessary, and when none is necessary adding one only risks confustion; simplicty is better and clearer.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jane Gabbutt
: I have to agree - in a list there is not usually a comma before "and". Maybe the Americans think differently though?
1 hr
|
| agree |
senin
3 hrs
|
| neutral |
Ian M-H (X)
: You're right: we don't normally use a comma between two items. Nor does one usually come before "and". But here the state names could be removed and US sources seem to be consistent in recommending a comma.
7 hrs
|
| disagree |
Cilian O'Tuama
: in Albany (New York) and Atlanta (Georgia) - here the commas serve the same function as the brackets and you DO need one after NY (otherwise the one before NY is unpaired)
15 hrs
|
| disagree |
Refugio
: Who is "we"??
1 day 19 hrs
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Discussion