1. lameri

    lameri New Member

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    Is the comma right in here?

    Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by lameri, Aug 29, 2011.

    (Background from context: I assumed things would go all right so I decided to sleep in the next day)
    ----
    How many times have I wished I hadn’t slept in, I had made no assumptions…
    ----

    I can't think of what else to write in order to connect the two ideas:
    1) How many times I wished I hadn't slept in.
    2) How many times I wished I had made no assumptions.
    Thank you very much!
     
  2. Melzaar the Almighty

    Melzaar the Almighty Contributor Contributor

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    It's a mightily confusing sentence even with context. And the explanation. :p I think some thats would clear it up, and a semicolon:

    How many times have I wished that I hadn't slept in; that I had made no assumptions...

    Semicolons exist to connect ideas. :)
     
  3. art

    art Contributor Contributor

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    First-up, ask if the bit about making assumptions is necessary. It can be assumed that you stayed in bed because you made those assumptions.

    If you think it's necessary and wish to retain the sort of sentence you have here, I would suggest swapping those two ideas around since the assumptions precede the staying in bed.

    So, perhaps:
    How many times have I wished that I had made no assumptions and not slept in
     
  4. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    comma aside, it makes no sense to me... you need to give us the sentence before it and the one after, so we can see it in context...
     

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