Month: April 2008

The Oft-Forgot Second Comma

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Find the error in this sentence:

"On July 4, 1776 a printed copy of the Declaration of Independence was presented to the Continental Congress."

Answer: The rules of English grammar dictate that you use a comma after both the day and the year, and the second comma is not optional.

Now this sentence:

"He grew up in Phoeniz, Arizona and still lives there."

Answer: The rules of English grammar dictate that you use a comma after both the city name and state name, and again the second comma is not optional.

These rules are so often abused that when I see someone who correctly uses the second comma, I figure that person probably knows English grammar pretty well.  Either that, or s/he is just comma happy.

Cubs Goof on ‘Let’s Play Two’

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Either the Curse of the Billy Goat is at it again, or my eyes were deceiving me.  I just watched a clip of the Chicago Cubs’ unveiling (on opening day) a statue to the great Ernie Banks.

Banks was famous for saying, "Let’s play two."  Fittingly, the Cubs decided to put that saying on the pedestal holding Banks’s statue.  However, and here’s where I’m not sure if I saw things wrong or if Mr. Goat has prevailed again, they spelled it (in all caps), "LETS PLAY TWO," with no apostrophe.

Thats no good.