Punctuation question...

Aug 10, 2001
10,420
2
0
Ignoring its stupidity, is the following sentence punctuated correctly?

There are three kinds of people in this world: 1) people who just like cheese; 2) people who like cheese and crackers; and 3) people who like cheese, crackers, and porn.
 

BornStar

Diamond Member
Oct 30, 2001
4,052
1
0
I can't speak for the second sentence, but the first is definitely correct.

its: possesive

it's: it is
 

kranky

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
21,020
156
106
I think it should read "1) People who like just cheese" and then I'd remove the comma before "and porn".
 

RSI

Diamond Member
May 22, 2000
7,281
1
0


<< Ignoring its stupidity, is the following sentence punctuated correctly?

There are three kinds of people in this world: 1) people who just like cheese; 2) people who like cheese and crackers; and 3) people who like cheese, crackers, and porn.
>>

I'm unsure how the ";" works for this, if it's just like a comma. If so, your sentence appears OK to me. Mind if I ask why?
 

RSI

Diamond Member
May 22, 2000
7,281
1
0


<< I think it should read "1) People who like just cheese" and then I'd remove the comma before "and porn". >>

Ok I missed that/forget to mention that. I believe the last comma is unnecessary or incorrect. Good point by Kranky.
 

BornStar

Diamond Member
Oct 30, 2001
4,052
1
0


<<

<< I think it should read "1) People who like just cheese" and then I'd remove the comma before "and porn". >>

Ok I missed that/forget to mention that. I believe the last comma is unnecessary or incorrect. Good point by Kranky.
>>



I think that it's unnecessary but not incorrect. As far as I know, it's perfectly OK to have that in there. I've talked to numerous english teachers on the subject and I always get different answers. In elementary school I was taught that the comma was supposed to be there. To each his own.
 
Aug 10, 2001
10,420
2
0


<< I think it should read "1) People who like just cheese" and then I'd remove the comma before "and porn". >>


That's what I thought, but then it sounded like I was saying that there is a cheese called "just cheese."

As for the comma before "and porn," it's actually more correct for the comma to be there (although many writers would leave it out).

I was most concerned about the semi-colons, though.
 

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,204
66
91
Without that last comma I would think that there wound be an implication that "crackers and porn" are a twosome, only to be done together.
 

Spendthrift

Senior member
Oct 22, 2001
500
0
0
the semi-colons are fine, although id leave the numbers out. they arent necessary and i dont know about their correctness.

think about changing it to

"There are three kinds of people in this world: people who like cheese; people who like cheese and crackers; and people who like cheese, crackers, and porn."

the semi-colons keep the sentence from having too many commas; they provide clarity.
 
Aug 10, 2001
10,420
2
0


<< the semi-colons are fine, although id leave the numbers out. they arent necessary and i dont know about their correctness.

think about changing it to

"There are three kinds of people in this world: people who like cheese; people who like cheese and crackers; and people who like cheese, crackers, and porn."

the semi-colons keep the sentence from having too many commas; they provide clarity.
>>


Yeah, I don't really need the numbers.
 

HappyPuppy

Lifer
Apr 5, 2001
16,997
2
71
It's your first sentence that is incorrect. (Its')

Incorrectomundo.

It's=it is.

Its=possessive.

Its' does not exist.