Capital C or not capital c ? or can some explain comas

[SpikieMikie]

In the sentence; "However, the county's industrial heritage, the demographic of the county's population and a long-held reputation for having a thriving night-time economy, can perhaps help explain the phenomena".
Is the c in county's a small c or capital C ?

Also, can someone explain commas, I think I over use them as I tend to punctuate how I speak rather than writing in correct English.

Thanks,

Mikie.

[bednobs]

small c
lose the comma after economy
In my opinion.
However you are bound to get loads of different answers

[welshlibranr]

Yes, I agree with bednobs, small c and the comma after economy isn't necessary............................others may think differently though!!.........................Welsh

[SpikieMikie]

Thanks bednobs... I wrote them with a small c and then thought no.. im referring to the county, and therefore they should be capital C's...

Also, if I lose the comma after economy, how do I place the emphasis subtly on the word 'can', as I would during normal speech, without using italics which would over emphasise it ?

thanks

[mrs.chappie]

I'd leave the comma in, as it makes the sentence easier to read and understand (well it does for me).

[bednobs]

cmma in or out is ok, the sentance reads the same and means the same (to me) with or without. If yu are worried about too many, just get rid of that one

[TCL-MUMPING]

I would insert "its" and omit "the county's" as we know the subject. I would put a comma after the "can" and "perhaps" as there is a pause at those points. I would also write "to explain" rather than just "explain".

[welshlibranr]

If you want to emphasis the word 'can' then I would put the comma after that word, it then prompts a short stop, hard to explain really, but as bednobs said it's fine either way really.......................welsh

[jno]

punctuating how you speak is just what punctuation is for, really, though people read more slowly than they listen so sometimes they're more prepared to work their way through a knotty sentence on a page. TCL's advice seems good to me.

[Buenchico]

I can think of absolutely no reason why a capital letter would be required, for the word 'county', in your sentence. It's definitely lower case.

While I might not use commas in exactly the same way as you do, I'm pleased to see that you're trying to write as you speak. It makes things so much easier for the reader ;-)

My use of English, here on AB, is far from perfect but I've learnt that it's best to break long sentences into two or more shorter ones.

For example, your second paragraph (above) requires a 'sentence ending' after the first five words. Since 'can' is asking a question, a pedant might insist upon the use of a question mark. But most guides to the use of English would probably advise a 'hard' end to the sentence (with a full stop) or a 'soft' ending (with a semicolon). See here:
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Arts-and-Litera ture/Question699383.html

Learning how to use colons and semicolons correctly can reduce the need for a large number of commas. (Incidentally, you've used a semicolon incorrectly in your first sentence; it should be a colon).

There are loads of online guides to using commas. This is one of the simpler ones:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/grammar/ punctuation/commas/factsheet1.shtml

Chris

PS: English is an evolving language. My school teachers would have been maddened by my use of a conjunction ('but') at the start of a sentence, above. However it now seems to be acceptable, even in 'serious' publications. So, as long as your writing can be understood, I wouldn't worry too much about the finer points of the language ;-)

[SpikieMikie]

thanks for the suggestions, I do like TCL-MUMPING's double comma aroound perhaps as that shifts the emphasis from can to perhaps, which is a longer word and makes the sentence sound stronger....

[SpikieMikie]

Thanks all. Buenchico, thats a pretty long, helpful answer. Unfortunately, I had a fairly relaxed English teacher who used to be more interested in what you were writing, rather than how you were writing it.

Funny though, I always do stick to never starting a sentence with the words 'and' or 'but'.

[Branocophile]

I've always thought a good rule for commas is 'when in doubt, leave 'em out'. And don't forget - never use a preposition to end a sentence with! The poet John Clare had a most refreshing attitude to punctuation. If I can track down his definitive advice on the matter, I'll post it.

[Branocophile]

Got it! enjoy!

"I am gennerally understood tho I do not use that awkward squad of pointings called commas colons semicolons etc and for the very reason that altho they are drilled hourly daily and weekly by every boarding school Miss who pretends to gossip in correspondence they do not know their proper exercise for they even set grammarians at loggerheads and no one can assign them their proper places for give each a sentence to point and both shall point it differently."

[carrot99]

I wouldn't have can - I'd have could or may and I'd get rid of `of its population' as that's what demographic would infer anyway. Other than that I'm with TCL. I'd end up with:

"However, the county's industrial heritage, its demographic and long-held reputation for having a thriving night-time economy could, perhaps, help to explain the phenomena."

[TCL-MUMPING]

"And God said, Let there be light, and there was light." Genesis (I don't use "and" or "but" at the start of a sentence.)

[carrot99]

TCL - isn't it enough that God had paparazzi recording his every move - they wouldn't have studied English at Oxford now, would they?

[TCL-MUMPING]

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:" He said "us" and "our" so there must have been someone else there....

[Ice.Maiden]

Grin - but to answer Spikie, "county" is a common noun. Only proper ones begin with a capital letter - such as countries, months of the calendar, etc.

[carrot99]

There was otherwise I don't understand how it was possible for Adam and Eve's son Cain to go off to the Land of Nod to find a wife!!

"And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who came upon should kill him."