Difference between the sentences

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My sister, Mary, is clever.
My sister Mary is clever.

Is there any difference between the sentences?

Thanks.

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Type: Question • Score: 7 • Views: 656 • Replies: 28

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@tanguatlay,

Commas again? What do YOU think?

2 Replies

@Mame,

My! Sister Mary is clever.

1 Reply

@Mame,

Mame wrote:

Commas again? What do YOU think?

I have a problem with punctuation. I wonder why the commas are in the sentence. That's one of the disadvantages of being a non-native.

3 Replies

Do the commas make any difference? I'm puzzled. English grammar is very confusing. I inserted commas without knowing why. I have seen both versions.

1 Reply

@tanguatlay,

It's lack of usage, the two commas make the name a separate clause that when removed does not change the sentence in any significant way.

50 years that would be correct, but now a lot of people don't bother.

That's all it is.

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@izzythepush,

Lol! Good one Smile

0 Replies

@tanguatlay,

You should read at least one of those Comma links I sent you before coming here. Commas are sometimes used as an aside, as parentheses, to bracket (as Izzy said) information that's not critical to the sentence.

I live in the house, which my mom bought, at the top of the hill.

Here giving directions to the house; who bought it is irrelevant.

Please do some reading or homework, or at least visit a decent grammar/punctuation site before asking the same questions. People would be more inclined to help if you posted your question and gave your rationale for asking.

1 Reply

@tanguatlay,

Quote:

Commas again? What do YOU think?

"Commas, again?" Whoda thought two words could constitute a run-on sentence? But they do.

0 Replies

Mary: "How did your sister manage to make that delicious pie without baking soda?"

Joe: "My sister, Mary, is clever."

1 Reply

@tanguatlay,

Quote:

I wonder why the commas are in the sentence.

Commas separate clauses that could be written separate complete sentences. Semi-colons separate a complete sentence from a separate independent clause.

1 Reply

@bobsal u1553115,

And commas can be used to mark natural pauses in spoken language.

3 Replies

@hightor,

Complicated, of course, by the fact hardly anybody speaks in grammatically correct sentences these days.

1 Reply

@tanguatlay,

sorry

0 Replies

@tanguatlay,

I posted then pulled this reply as I'm unsure about the first comma, still am ?

After over 60 years of mangling the English language, my take would be

Without commas it is unambiguous, you have a sister called Mary and she is clever

After inserting the 1st comma

Mary is not necessarily your sister, you could be addressing another sister(Jane) and telling Jane, Mary is clever

After placing the 2nd comma

"is clever" becomes a question, so your asking Jane if Mary is clever

1 Reply

@izzythepush,

izzythepush wrote:

It's lack of usage, the two commas make the name a separate clause that when removed does not change the sentence in any significant way.

50 years that would be correct, but now a lot of people don't bother.

That's all it is.

Thanks.

0 Replies

@hightor,

hightor wrote:

And commas can be used to mark natural pauses in spoken language.

Thanks.

0 Replies

@izzythepush,

izzythepush wrote:

It's lack of usage, the two commas make the name a separate clause that when removed does not change the sentence in any significant way.

50 years that would be correct, but now a lot of people don't bother.

That's all it is.

Thanks.

0 Replies

@hightor,

hightor wrote:

Mary: "How did your sister manage to make that delicious pie without baking soda?"

Joe: "My sister, Mary, is clever."

Thanks, hightor!

"My sister Mary is clever."
"My sister, Mary, is clever."

Do the sentences have the same meaning?

0 Replies

@Mame,

Mame wrote:

You should read at least one of those Comma links I sent you before coming here. Commas are sometimes used as an aside, as parentheses, to bracket (as Izzy said) information that's not critical to the sentence.

If I am correct, I have not received any comma links. If I am not wrong, would you be so kind as to send them to me? Many thanks!

3 Replies

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