Should I have put a comma in my post?

[Milkybar_Kid]

Hello,

I just posted this sentence on the forum:

However, finding native English speakers is a little bit trickier. I’m not really a bar person and most of the meet-ups I’ve been to–granted, not many-have had more Taiwanese people in attendance than native English speakers.

Do you think I should have put a comma here:

However, finding native English speakers is a little bit trickier. I’m not really a bar person[color=#FF0000],[/color] and most of the meet-ups I’ve been to–granted, not many-have had more Taiwanese people in attendance than native English speakers.

Sometimes the use of commas is so confusing.

Thanks

[Ermintrude]

I’m more horrified that you use unspaced hyphens instead of spaced en dashes or Yankish ems. Make an editor cry, why don’t you?

[Hokwongwei]

@Ermintrude

I’m more horrified that you use unspaced hyphens instead of spaced en dashes or Yankish ems. Make an editor cry, why don’t you?

Ma’am, there aren’t enough thumbs in the world to give you the 讚s you deserve.

Yes, you should have a comma. Why? I’m sure there’s a good reason which I don’t know, but the rule is simply that when two independent clauses are joined by a conjunction, a comma should proceed said conjunction.

[Tiger_Mountaineer]

@Ermintrude

I’m more horrified that you use unspaced hyphens instead of spaced en dashes or Yankish ems. Make an editor cry, why don’t you?

Irksome, yes, but since when are spaced en dashes Limey and ems Yankish? And which style guides suggest spaced ens for parenthetical interjections? IIRC em dashes are used for parenthetical phrases, not ens, and whether to space them or not is a question of house style or AP vs Chicago.

As for your question Milkybar—since answering OP’s questions is always priority numero uno here—Hong is correct, except that in cases where the first independent clause is very short, the comma may be considered optional by some: “He winked and the girl smiled back.” Yours is a bit too long though.

[hansioux]

Surely if we were supposed to use the en and em dashes they would be in the keyboard’s starting lineup?

[the_bear]

@hansioux

Surely if we were supposed to use the en and em dashes they would be in the keyboard’s starting lineup?

ex-fucking-actly

[antarcticbeech]

I reckon the sentence reads better without the comma.

How do you type en-dashes and em-dashes on a laptop keyboard?

[Hokwongwei]

@hansioux

en and em dashes

I’m embarrassed to admit I had no idea those had formal names.

[hansioux]

[quote=“antarcticbeech”]I reckon the sentence reads better without the comma.

How do you type en-dashes and em-dashes on a laptop keyboard?[/quote]

I think copy and paste is the only way to do it without a special software installed.

• Hyphen
  – En dash
  — Em dash

[Milkybar_Kid]

En dash (–) = Alt + 0150
Em dash (—) = Alt + 0151

(on a Windows machine)

Make an editor cry, why don’t you?

Can anyone recommend a book or style guide that will ensure my writing doesn’t make editors cry?

[Ermintrude]

[quote=“Milkybar_Kid”]En dash (–) = Alt + 0150
Em dash (—) = Alt + 0151

(on a Windows machine)

Make an editor cry, why don’t you?

Can anyone recommend a book or style guide that will ensure my writing doesn’t make editors cry?[/quote]

En is space, hyphen, hyphen, space. Em is hyphen, hyphen for the pre-loaded shortcuts.

It depends what you are aiming for. Different houses use different style guides. Where I used to work, we used Hart’s Rules, with additional house guides for different publications. Hart’s is a good little guide if you want to read like a literate Brit. Lots of other guides from the US and I’m sure other places that follow the norms of writing in different Englishes.

Irksome, yes, but since when are spaced en dashes Limey and ems Yankish? And which style guides suggest spaced ens for parenthetical interjections? IIRC em dashes are used for parenthetical phrases, not ens, and whether to space them or not is a question of house style or AP vs Chicago.

Dunno, they just generally are, although you’ll always find exceptions.
It’s not that important if you ain’t a pro, I guess. I was joshing with the OP upthread. I edit well enough but when I write I forget verbs, let alone commas.

[Tiger_Mountaineer]

[quote=“antarcticbeech”]
How do you type en-dashes and em-dashes on a laptop keyboard?[/quote]

Also, in Microsoft Word, auto-correct will change double dash “–” to an em dash when no spaces on either side.

For en dashes (I had to look this one up), it’s ctrl+numpad minus, and ctrl+alt+numpad minus for em dash.

[urodacus]

Far simpler with a pen. And ink, of course. And paper, I guess, if we’re going that far.

[Gilgamesh]

[quote=“Tiger Mountaineer”][quote=“antarcticbeech”]

For en dashes (I had to look this one up), it’s ctrl+numpad minus, and ctrl+alt+numpad minus for em dash.[/quote][/quote]

I think this only works on keypads that have the extra number pad on it (like a desktop keypad).

[Chris]

When typing in plain text, an em dash is written as two hyphens, with no spaces on either side.

[antarcticbeech]

My nice new notebook has some lovely features but a number pad is not one of them. I’ll try the spaces.

Blah blah blah – blah blah – blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah–blah blah–blah blah blah.

[quote=“hansioux”]I think copy and paste is the only way to do it without a special software installed.

• Hyphen
  – En dash
  — Em dash[/quote]

Blah blah blah – blah blah – blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah—blah blah—blah blah blah.

I suddenly feel the need for a siesta after that. :snore:

[Ermintrude]

That’s beautiful, antbeech.

[Milkybar_Kid]

Is there really any need for a comma in this sentence here?

Open the sites[color=#FF0000],[/color] and skim them to find out if the information will work for your project.

Surely opening and skimming the sites is all part of the same process that leads to finding the required information.

Sincerely,

Confused