How NOT to MAI! 1

[lisaharris]

My sister works for a large bank and received an email this morning. I think the writer is slightly comma-happy! It was sent using three different text colors and formatted using the Comic Sans font. Definitely not a good impression from a bank manager.

"Good morning,

As you know, three of our co-workers, kathleen, Nicole, and Lynne, are departing for other departments and opportunities. We have snacks, and drinks over on Debbie's desk, so please come and enjoy!


We wish you the best of luck, in your new positions! "



__________
Veni, Vidi, Visa: I came, I saw, I charged it.

 

[2ffat]

Commas, can, be, a, bit, overused, sometimes.


James P. Cottingham
[sup]I'm number 1,229!
I'm number 1,229![/sup]

 

[Stella740pl]

I see only one unneeded comma, the one after 'snacks'.
I also don't like Oxford commas in general, like the one after 'Nicole', but this is common usage.

Other than that, I think that all other commas are where they belong - but it may be me. I come from a different background. In Russian, we use many more commas than it is accepted in English - except the Oxford one.

 

[CajunCenturion]

I see only two superfluous commas, three if you count the Oxford comma. Only the commas after "snacks" and "luck" are wrong. Now as far as the three different colors, that's a horse of a different color.




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[Turkbear]

Hi,
I agree with Stella - there are commas to clarify and provide the logical pause between clauses.
The problem with that mail is the structure of the sentence not the commas. Maybe this form would convey the same info:

We have drinks and snacks over by Debbie's desk to say farewell to our co-workers Kathleen, Nicole and Lynne, who are departing to pursue other opportunities.





To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

 

[Stella740pl]

CajunCenturion, I agree with you now - I just missed the last sentense completely!

 

[CajunCenturion]

Something else didn't sit right, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Now I see what it is. The first paragraph is written to everyone, but the second, just to the departees. That second paragraph should read:

We wish you them the best of luck in your their new positions!

--------------
Good Luck
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read
FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[mcongdon]

One that always gets me at my place of employment is a sign regarding recycling cans from the soda machine:

"Please, Do Not Put Cans, That Are Not From The Machine, In the Bag"

I'm often tempted to change it, but I don't because it makes me smile everytime I see it.

 

[AnotherHiggins]

That reminds me of a job I had at a restaurant when I was in college.

We had a couple of managers who.... Well, you know the type - It was the first time in their lives that they had any authority whatsoever and they hastened to [gray](ab)[/gray]use it.

Whenever one of them posted a notice for employees, I would correct it in red marker.

I wonder why I wasn't ever offered a promotion there

[tt][blue]-John[/blue][/tt]
[tab][red]The plural of anecdote is not data[/red]

Help us help you. Please read FAQ 181-2886 before posting.

 

[Welshbird]

We had signs in the ladies lavatories at my last place which said

Please leave these lavatories as you would wish to find them.
Paper and brushes are provided

Eventually I added a second sign beneath that which read

for the artistically minded

Fee

"The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea." Isak Dinesen

 

[sha76]

I like!

We have "A clean loo is a happy loo"! I'm sorry? A happy loo?

"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[2ffat]

We had one in the men's bathroom that read

We aim to please.
You aim, too, please.

James P. Cottingham
[sup]I'm number 1,229!
I'm number 1,229![/sup]

 

[Grenage]

You aim, too, please.

Wouldn't the first comma be superfluous?

"We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area" - Major Mike Shearer

 

[kjv1611]

My guess is that the second comma there is adding an extra pause on purpose, so as to set off the "too" vs "to" on purpose. But that's just my guess.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[gbaughma]

I always liked "Welcome to our ool. Notice there is no 'P' in it. Please keep it that way."

(Seen at a private swimming pool)



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[GSCaupling]

I've seen

[blue]"If you sprinkle when you tinkle,
be a sweetie and wipe the seatie." [/blue]

This was in a unisex bathroom.

GS

[Green]******^*******
[small]I[/small] [small]Hate[/small] [♥] [small]Ambiguity.[/small][/green]

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

I've alwyas been fond of:
"We don't swim in your toilet.
Please don't pee in our pool."

"Dyin'? Boy, He can have this little life any time He wants to. Do Ya hear that? Are ya hearin' it? Come on. You're welcome to it, Ol' Timer. Let me know You're up there. Come on. Love me, hate me, kill me, anything. Just let me know it... I'm just standin' in the rain talkin' to myself."

 

[MeGustaXL]

Shouldn't the comma after co-workers be a semicolon?

You aim, too, please.

Chris

So you ride yourselves over the fields,
and you make all your animal deals,
and your wise men don't know how it feels...

Ian Anderson

 

[Stella740pl]

Shouldn't the comma after co-workers be a semicolon?

If you mean the original post, then no, it shouldn't.

You aim, too, please.

Wouldn't the first comma be superfluous?

No, it wouldn't.

 

[p5wizard]

Something else didn't sit right, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Now I see what it is. The first paragraph is written to everyone, but the second, just to the departees. That second paragraph should read:

We wish you them the best of luck in your their new positions!

Maybe that was intentional,

We wish you the best of luck in your new positions!

the rest of the department has now been given the sack, but they, in their happy partying mood, haven't yet found out. ;-)


HTH,

p5wizard