Greetings Ardith!

 Brer Ardith Hinton wrote to Brer Roy Witt about Quotation Marks...  2A.:

 AH> Hi, Roy!  Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

 AH>>  I had a university instructor... probably USAian, I guess,
 AH>>  based on what I learned in later years... who criticized
 AH>>  me for using "too many commas".  Brits tend to use commas
 AH>>  with greater frequency than USAians do.  :-)

 RW>>  Ah-Ha! This is something that has been raging in Fidonet
 RW>>  for years.

 AH>             Yes... I'm reminded of the two French teachers I worked
 AH> with years ago who argued interminably over whether Parisian French
 AH> or French-Canadian is more "correct".  It seems to me that a lot
 AH> depends on the circumstances.  :-))

Especially where you hang your hat. 8^)

 RW>>  My wife Nancy is a special education teacher, teaching
 RW>>  modern English (not Brit) to those who have a learning
 RW>>  problem.

 AH>             Uh-huh.  She lives in the States, her students live in
 AH> the States, therefore she teaches USAian English.  So far we are on
 AH> the same page....  :-)

Well, there is a difference between California English and Texas English.
More like a regional thing, like east coast English and west coast
English.

She was educated in San Diego and so the English spoken there is quite
different from the English spoken here in Texas.

 RW>>  She has always said that commas are something to use to
 RW>>  indicate a pause in text.

 AH>             That's a "rule of thumb" Canadian teachers use too.  And
 AH> as I told my junior high school students, we also use various other
 AH> punctuation marks to indicate longer pauses and/or changes in vocal
 AH> pitch.

True.

 AH>             Here is an example which went over like a lead balloon in
 AH> my grade eight classes because the kids couldn't hear the difference:

 AH>                   Who do you think you are, anyway?

 AH>                   Who do you think you are -- Anyway?

 AH> I don't blame Nancy, you see, if she doesn't try it with her
 AH> students.... ;-)

She may, but her's is as a specialist in teaching those who're handicapped
in the use of the language. The above would go over their heads and all
you would get is a blank look on their faces.


         R\%/itt - K5RXT

 On Ward's exalted throne, he is still seated on nothing but his big arse.



--- GoldED+/W32 1.1.5-31012
--- D'Bridge 3.98
 * Origin: South-Texas Area Hub - Gulf Coast Backbone (1:387/22)