comma before 'if' / after 'please' [conjunction; adverb]
- Thread starter kritika
- Start date
ywf is right, you don't need a comma before if, but you do need a comma after Please.
Please, confirm if John would be able to monitor calls for Quantum today.
Please, confirm if John would be able to monitor calls for Quantum today.
You need no commas.
'Please confirm if John would be able to monitor calls for Quantum today.'
Rover
'Please confirm if John would be able to monitor calls for Quantum today.'
Rover
Agree.
Really? I mean, it's not that I don't believe you or Panjandrum... it is just that I've always seen (and written) please followed by a comma.
Would you say no commas for this particular sentence or in general?
Thanks for your help.
Also agree, Metztli. And would say 'in general'.
Where have you seen it? I'm trying to think of when I would follow "please" with a comma.
From dictionary.com:
–adverb 1. (used as a polite addition to requests, commands, etc.) if you would be so obliging; kindly: Please come help.
Thank you! I won't do it ever again.
It all depends
There are instances where a comma would be put after please, particularly if you are emphasising the use of it in a request (or writing the sentence that I've just written...). For example:Please, if you must play music late at night, keep the volume down.
Please, when walking in the gardens, keep to the path and do not stray onto the grass.
But in the original sentence queried, "Please confirm if John would be able to monitoring calls for Quantum today" - no comma is needed, although the word "monitoring" should be changed to "monitor".
Last edited:
In fact inIt all depends
Please, if you must play music late at night, keep the volume down.
Please, when walking in the gardens, keep to the path and do not stray onto the grass.
But in the original sentence queried, "Please confirm if John would be able to monitoring calls for Quantum today" - no comma is needed, although the word "monitoring" should be changed to "monitor".
Please, if you must play music late at night, keep the volume down.
we have "please keep the volume down" as the uncomma'd basic phrase (I think I just invented a word there), with "if you must play music late at night" inserted as a parenthesis and so that is indicated with the commas.
One of the links in the sticky thread at the top of the forum is good on commas.
http://www.informatics.sussex.ac.uk/department/docs/punctuation/node00.html
There are others
US English, Capital Community College Foundation:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/marks.htm
US English, the Owl at Purdue University:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/566/01/
US Government Printing Office:
Start at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/stylemanual/ and search for punctuation.
1. Certainly. And many more than two. 'I bought peas, carrots, beans, artichokes, fennel, asparagus and beetroot.'
2. Yes. That's fine.
Rover
2. Yes. That's fine.
Rover
I'm interested that both timpeac and Rover answered "yes" to the second question in post 14; I'd have answered "no"...
I think, though, that we're all agreed in practice:
It was done on Monday by Tim.
It was done on Monday, by Tim. (if you want to make "by Tim" sound like an afterthought, or perhaps if you want to emphasise it.)
I think, though, that we're all agreed in practice:
It was done on Monday by Tim.
It was done on Monday, by Tim.
(if you want to make "by Tim" sound like an afterthought, or perhaps if you want to emphasise it.)