Commas (Part Five - The End)

[Green Leaves]

Yes, that's what I have been doing too...just trying to remember to check it out all the time. The "tabs" is a good idea, but I already have my tabs "taken". Fingers in too many pots, I guess.

I think also part of my problem is handling in my mind all that I need to remember to check out--between the fibro and my meds my memory is not what it should be.

Yes, Ann, if you REALLY don't mind posting when there is a new lesson, I'll take you up on it. I really hate bothering you with it, so if it's a lot of trouble for you, I'll take my chances. But I don't want to miss out on your wonderful, informative lessons. They have truly been a help to me in my writing and I thank God I found you, and Jan as well.

My email is carol.penhorwood@juno.com. I don't mind posting that here because they could find it in my web page anyway.

I have been blessed this week in being invited to be a contributing author to THE CYPRESS TIMES with my own poetry page so I have been busy with that as well. But God is blessing and I am so grateful. There are so many hurting "out there" and that is where my heart is. I just pray that God will use my writing to encourage those in pain of various sorts.

[Anja]

Not a problem, Carol. Anyone else?

[Green Leaves]

I just realized I haven't completed this lesson. I'll try to get to it tomorrow, okay? I've been working on a lot of different projects and it just slipped my mind.

Thanks,

Carol

[Green Leaves]

Okay, here goes. Since I love to share stories about my grandchildren, I'll use a story that I've written for Jan's lesson as the base.

*****

Carol got up to clear the table she had so carefully laid for she and her husband. "Amy called today," she said. "Little Eli was showing his daddy how to put together a transformer. You know, Marty, those toys that turn from men into machines or something. I think the ones named Insecticons may actually be a series."

"Yeah, and just how did he do that?"

"Eli told him you just have to follow the 'indrections'."

"He got his grandma's creativity," said Marty with a twinkle in his blue eyes, "and her glib tongue as well."

Carol rinsed his plate and loaded it in the dishwasher. "Let's face it. Our little ones don't stand a chance. The way I twist words around, I'll soon be publishing my own dictionary."

[Anja]

A tiny error in the first sentence, regarding a pronoun that's in the SUBJECTIVE CASE rather than the NOMINATIVE CASE.


"Eli told him you just have to follow the 'indrections'."

The rule for Quotes within Quotes is the period goes inside both sets of quotation marks.

If you need a better explanation for either of these, ask away.

[Green Leaves]

Thanks, that's good to know!

Was it right to put "indrections" in quotes like that? I wasn't sure.

I am learning so much from your class, Ann. Can't tell you how much I appreciate your lessons.

I also wanted to say that I may be away for about ten days or so helping my youngest daughter pack and move. But I'll be back! (I wouldn't leave until Friday.)

[Green Leaves]

A tiny error in the first sentence, regarding a pronoun that's in the SUBJECTIVE CASE rather than the NOMINATIVE CASE.


"Eli told him you just have to follow the 'indrections'."

The rule for Quotes within Quotes is the period goes inside both sets of quotation marks.

If you need a better explanation for either of these, ask away.

Would you explain further on the subjective and nominative case? I'm not sure I understand what I did wrong. Thanks.

[Anja]

It was perfectly fine to put "indirections" in quotes. As long as you remember to put the period in the correct place.

"Eli told him you just have to follow the 'indirections.'"

I made an error in explaining your error. You used the Subjective Case instead of the OBJECTIVE CASE.

Starting over with the definition, then.

Nominative Case: The category of nouns used as the "grammatical subject" of a sentence. Think of the word "nom," which means "name." So nominative means the "name of something"... whether its a pronoun, actual name, or noun. Subjective just means related to being Nominative.

Don't get hung up on terms... but focus on the correct usage.

The pronouns in these sentences are used nominatively.

I went to town.
She went to town.
He went to town.
They went to town.
And so on....

Objective case: nouns that are the "objects" of verbs. Objects "receive" the action.

These pronouns are used objectively.

Carol gave it to me.
Carol gave it to her.
Carol gave it to them.
Carol gave it to us.


And that prompts the question about the "you" and "me" rule. Or when to use the nominative or objective case of other pronouns.


Mary and I went to town.

Carol went with Mary and me to town.

Carol went with her and Mary to town.


The test to know which case to use? Remove the "other person" from the sentence. Which sounds proper?


I went to town... OR... ME went to town.

Carol went with I to town... OR... Carol went with ME to town.

Carol went with HER to town... OR... Carol went with SHE to town.

Get the idea?

Does that help with your sentence now?

Carol got up to clear the table she had so carefully laid for she and her husband.

[Green Leaves]

Boy, do I feel dumb!

I'm sorry, Ann, all this time I was looking at the wrong sentence. I was applying it to this sentence:

"Eli told him you just have to follow the 'indrections.'"

and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with the pronouns!

You said very clearly the first sentence and I missed it.

****

Yes, absolutely I see my mistake there and should have known better. It should be:

Carol got up to clear the table she had so carefully laid for her and her husband.

Right?

Thank you for pointing this out and taking the time to go over the rules again. I needed to hear them again anyway because I often get them mixed up.

Reinforcement is always good...especially for me. Thanks.

[Anja]

You've got it!

(I'm going to start a new thread with the nominative / objective information, just so you know you're not seeing things... And don't feel bad about anything... we all get fuzzy about stuff.)