Nit picky comma question

[IllMil]

Sorry if this is not the right area, but this is a question that I always struggle with.

In the following sentence, for example:

The painting shows Lincoln and his wife, Mary, sitting at Ford's Theatre.

Do you need commas to set off Mary? Seeing how he only has one wife, I want to take the commas out, but I've seen this written both way so many times, I really don't know. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Ace]

If there is only one you need the commas.

For example: John and his brother Bill walked to school.

John and Bill are the subjects of the sentence and his brother modifies Bill

Or: John and his brother, Bill, walked to school.

John and his brother are the subjects and the commas tell you that John has more than one brother. Here Bill is describing the brother.

On "wife" you would need the commas, though I could take it or leave it since it's understood you generally have one spouse at a time.

 

[Steak Snabler]

No, you need the commas precisely because he has only one wife. "Mary" is essentially an independent clause; you can take Mary and the two commas out with having to clarify which wife you're talking about.

If he had more than one, you wouldn't need commas.

Example:

"George W. Bush's brother Jeb is governor of Florida; his brother Neil is co-chairman of Crest Investment."

I think I'm right anyway ...

 

[ScribePharisee]

Applying this to another issue:

We typically say
Joe Franks of Lexington, Ky., won the contest.

Or
Joe Franks, 21, of Lexington, Ky., won the contest.


Most avoid saying Joe Franks, of Lexington, Ky., but the argument for using commas is that there "may" be more than one Joe Franks. True. But why don't you see the use of commas in the first example I citeD?

 

[zebracoy]

From the AP Stylebook (Which may now be wrong, because this is the 2004 edition):

From the essential phrases, nonessential phrases entry:

PUNCTUATION: Do not set an essential phrase off from the rest of a sentence by commas: [...] They ate dinner with their daughter Julie. (Because they have more than one daughter, the inclusion of Julie's name is critical if the reader is to know which daughter is meant.

Set off nonessential phrases by commas: [...] They ate dinner with their daughter Julie and her husband, David. (Julie has only one husband. If the phrase read and her husband David, it would suggest that she had more than one husband.)

From the commas entry:

WITH HOMETOWNS AND AGES: Use a comma to set off an individual's hometown when it is placed in apposition to a name (whether of is used or not): Mary Richards, Minneapolis, and Maude Findlay, Tuckahoe, N.Y., were there.

If an individual's age is used, set it off by commas: Maude Findlay, 48, Tuckahoe, N.Y., was present.

 

[mustangj17]

If there is only one you need the commas.

For example: John and his brother Bill walked to school.

John and Bill are the subjects of the sentence and his brother modifies Bill

Or: John and his brother, Bill, walked to school.

John and his brother are the subjects and the commas tell you that John has more than one brother. Here Bill is describing the brother.

On "wife" you would need the commas, though I could take it or leave it since it's understood you generally have one spouse at a time.

See Ace, you are good enough to work at the Plain Dealer.

 

[Ace]

If there is only one you need the commas.

For example: John and his brother Bill walked to school.

John and Bill are the subjects of the sentence and his brother modifies Bill

Or: John and his brother, Bill, walked to school.

John and his brother are the subjects and the commas tell you that John has more than one brother. Here Bill is describing the brother.

On "wife" you would need the commas, though I could take it or leave it since it's understood you generally have one spouse at a time.

See Ace, you are good enough to work at the Plain Dealer.

And a fat lot of good that does me.

 

[ScribePharisee]

From the AP Stylebook (Which may now be wrong, because this is the 2004 edition):

From the essential phrases, nonessential phrases entry:

PUNCTUATION: Do not set an essential phrase off from the rest of a sentence by commas: [...] They ate dinner with their daughter Julie. (Because they have more than one daughter, the inclusion of Julie's name is critical if the reader is to know which daughter is meant.

Set off nonessential phrases by commas: [...] They ate dinner with their daughter Julie and her husband, David. (Julie has only one husband. If the phrase read and her husband David, it would suggest that she had more than one husband.)

From the commas entry:

WITH HOMETOWNS AND AGES: Use a comma to set off an individual's hometown when it is placed in apposition to a name (whether of is used or not): Mary Richards, Minneapolis, and Maude Findlay, Tuckahoe, N.Y., were there.

If an individual's age is used, set it off by commas: Maude Findlay, 48, Tuckahoe, N.Y., was present.

Yeah, but it's not always known if there's more than one daughter.

 

[Drip]

Whatever happened to when it doubt, leave it out?

 

[Ace]

Whatever happened to when it doubt, leave it out?

That may be a smart rule of thumb for one-night stands, perhaps, but not copy editing.

 

[Drip]

Whatever happened to when it doubt, leave it out?

That may be a smart rule of thumb for one-night stands, perhaps, but not copy editing.

?

 

[Ace]

Whatever happened to when it doubt, leave it out?

That may be a smart rule of thumb for one-night stands, perhaps, but not copy editing.

?

Think about it.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Whatever happened to when it doubt, leave it out?

That may be a smart rule of thumb for one-night stands, perhaps, but not copy editing.

?

Think about it.

Keep it in your pants, Ace ...

 

[zebracoy]

Yeah, but it's not always known if there's more than one daughter.

So .... call back? Read the media guide?

 

[Ace]

Whatever happened to when it doubt, leave it out?

That may be a smart rule of thumb for one-night stands, perhaps, but not copy editing.

?

Think about it.

Keep it in your pants, Ace ...

Thanks, Pops.