62
votes
Is an "are" omitted in this sentence
I think there is a word missing in the sentence, but not the one you think it is.
I would expect
Three things in life that, once lost, are hard to build up.
Once lost is a "small clause", ...
- 76.5k
36
votes
Accepted
“Let for each 𝑗” vs. “For each 𝑗 let”
Mathematician here.
Your proofreader is right.
The revised version is how this is normally written. I would understand your original text, but it would make me stumble. You should avoid wording that ...
- 7,123
20
votes
Accepted
Why is a comma necessary after "holding" in "based on, or holding, the belief"?
I don't think it is required, but it just makes the sentence easier to understand. Keep in mind that the 2 commas work together to offset the "or holding" phrase; it would be a mistake to ...
- 556
18
votes
Do I have to use a comma after it in "We appreciate it when..."
I'd say definitely no. The main reason I'm saying that is because I read a lot in English and have never seen anyone place a comma in front of when like that, provided that we're talking about ...
- 37.7k
18
votes
Accepted
Is there a comma splice in this sentence: "My family went to Australia, then they emigrated to Canada"?
This is the standard punctuation for two related clauses in which the second begins with the adverb "then" meaning "next" or "after that". Dictionaries provide lots of ...
- 228k
14
votes
Do I have to use a comma after it in "We appreciate it when..."
The correct answer depends on the context. A comma can be used here to introduce a parenthetical clause.
We appreciate it, when we catch a taxi, if the driver opens the door for us.
But if the ...
13
votes
He is picky about food(,) so he only eats what he likes
Punctuation should be understood as being less about "rules" than about "clarity". In this case, the comma is optional. A comma is generally used before a conjunction that links two independent ...
- 228k
10
votes
not well-educated
As ably explained by @James in his answer, it is far better to describe someone as they are rather than for something that they are not.
Most of the sentences you list just would not be heard. But ...
- 108k
10
votes
Why is a comma necessary after "holding" in "based on, or holding, the belief"?
It would also be correct to write the sentence without any commas: “Based on or holding the belief ....” The reason the authors didn’t write it that was is probably that the sentence becomes much ...
- 8,501
9
votes
Accepted
What is the meaning of "raised to some power" in the following sentence?
When you raise something to some power, you are performing exponentiation. In other words, raising x to the power k is simply xk.
I assume that your excerpt comes from this article on moment. In the ...
- 45.4k
9
votes
Accepted
Do I have to use a comma after it in "We appreciate it when..."
Personally (as a native English speaker living in Berlin), if somebody were to write "We appreciate it, when..." (with a comma) I would automatically assume that the writer was a German native speaker....
- 206
9
votes
not well-educated
Can one write those sentences - Yes.
Should one write those sentences - No.
There may be times when it is important to describe people by saying what they are not, e.g. "The suspect is not armed." ...
- 6,574
9
votes
To use a colon or comma
The colon is correctly used (it is placed where the word 'namely' could be used instead), and positioned (it follows words that could stand alone as a complete sentence, and precedes something ...
- 74.2k
9
votes
Is an "are" omitted in this sentence
If you put in all the assumed words, you would have this:
(There are) three things in life that, once (they have been) lost, (are) hard to build (back) up.
- 3,078
9
votes
“Let for each 𝑗” vs. “For each 𝑗 let”
Your proofreader is correct. Another alternative I might accept would be:
Let a permutation ℎ_𝑗 : 𝐿 ↪ 𝐿 be given for each 𝑗 < 𝑛.
I’m less likely to Write a sentence with mathematical ...
- 8,501
8
votes
Accepted
Is "But, I later realized, have no car" grammatical?
I was excited about driving up to Manchester...
OK.
But, I later realized, have no car.
If we consider only the last line then, after removing the "parenthetical clause", we get "But have ...
- 837
8
votes
Where should I put a comma in this sentence?
Unless there is some specific reason to emphasize the ongoing aspect, I would prefer to see something become with a bare infinitive over the continuous version to see something becoming. That will ...
- 8,323
7
votes
“Let for each 𝑗” vs. “For each 𝑗 let”
You ask what is wrong with it. Nothing is "wrong", but the proofreader's version is definitely much better.
If you break up both phrases into their clauses, you get this:
Let for each �...
- 1,027
7
votes
Where should I put a comma in this sentence?
It is a poor sentence. Try reading it aloud - you need to start with full lungs. How about this: "The president of the association, speaking about a topic she had dedicated much of her life to, ...
- 171
6
votes
Do I have to use a comma after it in "We appreciate it when..."
Whether or not to use a comma between clauses depends on whether the second clause is dependent. This construction would almost forcibly lead to a dependent clause, so you would not use a comma.
This ...
- 4,660
6
votes
Is an "are" omitted in this sentence
You also asked "What are the functions of commas"
In this context the commas are a sign of a side remark, a parenthetical statement that is used to provide further information. If you were reading ...
- 1,521
6
votes
Accepted
Comma with OR in a verb list containing in an introductory phrase
The New York Times stylebook
"In general, do not use a comma before and or or in a series."
(quoted in wikipedia)
It is not the case that American English always uses an Oxford comma, ...
- 228k
6
votes
With and without a comma
I didn’t open the door when he was here.
I would take this to mean "I didn't open the door while he was here" and you are right in saying you could have opened the door at other times.
I ...
- 8,512
6
votes
Using a comma instead of "and" when you have a subject with two verbs
When we have phrases joined together by words such as and or but , this is referred to as coordination. Words like and and but are called coordinators (or 'coordinating conjunctions'). Notice that ...
6
votes
Accepted
Surfing social media is one of the most, if not the most popular ______ among my friends => pastime or pastimes?
Surfing social media is one of the most, if not the most, popular pastimes among my friends.
This is the most natural way to express it in English.
- 207
5
votes
What is the meaning of "raised to some power" in the following sentence?
You ask:
If a comma appears in the middle ... is it a representation of the
conjunction and subject omitted?
To augment Max's answer:
"a moment is ... the distance to some point....raised to ...
- 132k
5
votes
Why sometimes it is correct not to put a comma after an if-clause?
In that case I would say the comma is just there for clarity. You can easily interpret a simple, short sentence, but a longer one with no commas would be harder to comprehend.
- 151
5
votes
Accepted
What are all these commas used for?
The main thing that makes that sentence so hard to follow is that it contains so many clauses, lists, and parenthetical asides. Each one of those features requires at least one comma. So, yes, there ...
- 11.6k
5
votes
Accepted
When do we put a comma before "so that"?
You do not put a comma before "so that". Refer to this thread on wordreference, for example: https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/comma-before-so-that-conjunction-she-pulled-him-to-the-side-so-that....
- 186
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