Timeline for comma usage: "My sister Hannah" vs "My sister, Hannah"
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
5 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Aug 12, 2016 at 13:29 | comment | added | BillJ | In your other example "My wife Lucy", "Lucy" is integrated but not restrictive so you don't actually need the commas. There is no entailment that you have more than one wife; the integrated construction simply provides a succinct way of saying that the person concerned is my wife and is named "Lucy". | |
| Aug 12, 2016 at 13:25 | comment | added | BillJ | The difference is that in 1. "Hannah" is an integrated (restrictive) appositive - the absence of commas is the giveaway. We understand that of your sisters (you may have more than one) it is only "Hanna" who is ten years old. In your third example, "Hannah" is a supplementary (non-restrictive) appositive. This time, the presence of commas is the giveaway. Here, we understand that (probably) you have only one sister and she is ten years old. Your example 2. with only one comma is ambiguous and best avoided. | |
| Aug 12, 2016 at 13:05 | vote | accept | thegreentea | ||
| Aug 12, 2016 at 12:27 | answer | added | stangdon | timeline score: 1 | |
| Aug 12, 2016 at 12:12 | history | asked | thegreentea | CC BY-SA 3.0 |