Comma Comments

I have spent most of the day putting in a comma and the rest of the day taking it out.
— Oscar Wilde

(I liked this quote even though my problem with commas isn't the same as Oscar's.  I tend to pepper every paragraph with them whether they are needed or not.)

Comments

[missmellifluous]

Gertrude Stein didn't like commas. She called them the 'slaves of the sentence' and no one thinks slaves are a good thing. She also said, "commas were unnecessary, the sense should be intrinsic and not have to be explained by commas and otherwise commas were only a sign that one should pause and take breath but one should know of oneself when one wanted to pause and take breath."
p179 The Autobiography of Alice B Toklas, Gertrude Stein.
*chuckle chuckle*

[Karen @ Simply A Musing Blog]

If you're the queen of commas, I've got to be the queen of the ellipses. sigh. As much as I try to use them sparingly...see?

[missmellifluous]

ps I am more of the Oscar variety. I agonise over the placement of my commas and still don't get them right! So much so that on my approach to his door one of my lecturers at uni once pulled me up abruptly, but in good humour, saying, "This is not another question about a comma is it, K_____?" Somewhat nonplussed and much to his amusement, I had to admit it was.

[Shanna]

Great quote. I so relate.

[mummymac]

I'm so guilty too, I think, if in doubt, just add an extra one in!!!!

;-)