Answer to todays Grammar Challenge on the sentence, Your sweatshirt is lovely, however, you have a mustard stain on the collar. ***** It happens every time. Without fail. I dont know why it continues to surprise me. Every time I post one of these grammar challenge sentences, at least one commenter raises an issue that I never would have considered. Recently, Ive worked really hard to avoid anything that might distract readers from the issue I intend to discuss, but it doesnt matter. Whatever I write, somebody finds an error that catches me off guard. In this case, I intended only a punctuation error. You might consider it a run-on error too--specifically a comma splice. But the simple repair is a matter of punctuation. When combining independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb (like however), use a semicolon before and a comma after. So, the first comma in this sentence should be replaced by a semicolon. Congratulations to the many of you who spotted this easily. Particularly good explanations by Wendy Pesile, Celia Kaltenbach-Crotteau and Jeremy Adams, who pointed out that breaking the sentence into two sentences would also solve the problem. I dont prefer that fix for stylistic reasons, but it would correct the run-on. Now in answer to other objections. 1) Several of you took issue with the expression you have, suggesting that it has or something to that effect would be an improvement. But there is nothing grammatically wrong with you have and it is a perfectly common idiom. Correct grammar does not require purely literal phraseology. It is no more correct to say Your pants have a hole than to say You have a hole in your pants. The former just sounds unusually formal for such an occasion. 2) At least one person advised me to reverse the order of the clauses. Another odd suggestion. It would subtly alter the meaning of the sentence, but the sentence is grammatically correct either way. 3) Several of you believe sweatshirts dont have collars. Picky, picky! :) The free online dictionary lists the primary definition of collar as The part of a garment that encircles the neck. I dont know what else youd call that part of a sweatshirt. I wonder if these were the same people who told me earlier this week that steaks should be grilled not cooked, when, by definition, grilling is a method of cooking. They arent two different things. :)
Posted on: Wed, 22 Jan 2014 20:31:06 +0000
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