MSGID: 1:153/7715.0 f278d410   
   REPLY: 2:221/6.0 5f2724aa   
   CHRS: IBMPC 2   
   Hi Wayne -- on Aug 02 2020 at 23:40, you wrote:   
      
   WH> If I may, let me ask some questions.  My intuition says I should always   
   WH> isolate a vocative in between commas.  ``Hi, Anton.''  However, I pretty   
   WH> much never see anyone writing that way.  Isn't that a grammar rule?   
      
   The vocative comma use varies with formality. For a good explanation,   
   see https://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/hello-vocative-comma -- but the   
   quick and dirty explanation is that in informal writing it's optional.   
   IMO, the only time it absolutely must be used (in order to ensure clarity) is   
   in a   
   sentence such as "I'm fighting John" which is different from "I'm   
   fighting, John".   
      
   Gmail seems happy to fill in (autofill) text (at least in the Windows   
   version on a PC). If I address a message to Frank, and begin typing   
   Hi it writes "Hi Frank", but if I type Hi, it leaves the   
   text alone. Make of that what you will! :-)   
      
   WH> You wrote ``furthermore, [...]''.  That also matches my intuition.  But   
   WH> I often see people ignoring this comma.  Perhaps this is an optional   
   WH> comma.  Is it?  What is the book you go to to cite such rules?   
      
   This is called a conjunctive adverb, and the rule seems to be that you   
   always have a comma after a conjunctive adverb.   
      
   The books Ardith and I use most are the 2000 "New Fowler's Modern   
   English Usage" and the 2016 "Garner's Modern English Usage". Fowler's   
   tends more toward British usage and Garner seems more American. Here in   
   Canada, of course, we're bilingual. :-)   
      
      
   Cheers... Dallas   
      
   --- timEd/NT 1.30+   
    * Origin: The BandMaster, Vancouver, CANADA (1:153/7715)   
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