Commas

[Mel L]

Found this article on commas very helpful: Refresher Course: 17 Rules to Avoid Comma Confusion • Career Authors

I think it's probably geared to American English but I find it increasingly hard to distinguish. My own English is a funny sort of hybrid having grown up in Canada and the US, living in France and Switzerland and being most influenced by British English in recent years. I prefer streamlined writing with as little punctuation getting in the way, so generally avoid the Oxford comma (unless for clarity).

Not sure I agree with #2 or #4 on the list. Thoughts?

 

[Hannah F]

#2 and #4 are grammatically correct. If the sentence is short, however, it is acceptable to omit. e.g. Jane cooked and Peter laid the table.
In slightly longer sentences where the subject is the same in both independent clauses, it is also acceptable to omit the comma. (Though there will probably be a more succinct way of writing that sentence). If the subjects are different per independent clause, a comma should divide the clauses.

#11: Same rule for British English.

I would say one of the main faults in comma use is when people use it to indicate a pause. One may well want to take a breath at the comma, but it is not a pause-indicator. (This is also an example of a longer sentence with the comma inserted before 'but'.)
Another main fault is to use it instead of a full stop or semi-colon.

 

[Dorm Ant]

I prefer streamlined writing with as little punctuation getting in the way, so generally avoid the Oxford comma (unless for clarity).

Peasant.

 

[James Charles]

What is best in dialogue to show hesitation, a break in speech etc.?

He looked deeply into her eyes. "I love you, well, I mean, I did love you, well, not excactly love, but, now I hate you, mostly."

 

[Dorm Ant]

... Can work well. Or dashes.

"I love you. Well, I mean... I did love you - well not excactly love, but now I hate you... mostly."

 

[Mel L]

... Can work well. Or dashes.

"I love you. Well, I mean... I did love you - well not excactly love, but now I hate you... mostly."

I had an agent who did a review of an MS tell me simply: "Do not use the ellipsis." Hate any kind of categorical rule but I use it sparingly now!

 

[Mel L]

Peasant.

You forgot the 'l'.

 

[Dorm Ant]

I had an agent who did a review of an MS tell me simply: "Do not use the ellipsis." Hate any kind of categorical rule but I use it sparingly now!

It is used frequently in published novels. That's what I go on. So are dashes. Exclamation marks are not.

 

[Hannah F]

I had an agent who did a review of an MS tell me simply: "Do not use the ellipsis." Hate any kind of categorical rule but I use it sparingly now!

Some people use ellipses to indicate passage of time. That's what editors don't like because the author could have written something more substantial to indicate passage of time. Used in dialogue to show word omission or a gap where the character is delaying saying the next bit (for whatever reason) or at the end of the dialogue to show they've finished the sentence in their head or their thoughts have trailed off - those are all perfectly acceptable uses of ellipses.