Comma conundrums & other punctuation perplexities

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Comma conundrums & other punctuation perplexities

Members: 316
Latest Activity: Aug 27, 2022

PUNCTUATION DISCUSSIONS:

Below are permanent links to some major discussions on punctuation. If you don't find a discussion that applies to your question, start your own.

APOSTROPHES
CAPITALIZATION
COLONS
COMMAS
"GRAMMAR GIRL - QUICK & DIRTY TIPS"
HEIGHT
HYPHENS
INTERRUPTIONS
NUMBERS
OBJECTIONS
PARAGRAPHING
QUOTATION MARKS
SEMICOLONS
WEB SITES (rules)

Discussion Forum

Punctuation with objections 5 Replies

Started by Jennifer L. Terreri. Last reply by Jennifer L. Terreri May 23, 2017.

Commas 11 Replies

Started by Marla Sharp. Last reply by Chris Jan 21, 2017.

Writing out shortened/abbreviated numbers 2 Replies

Started by gemini35. Last reply by gemini35 Mar 17, 2016.

Comment Wall

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Comment by Brenda Rogers on May 8, 2009 at 15:34
A.m. really hits my eye like a fist. I use AM at the beginning of sentences.
Comment by Quyen on May 8, 2009 at 15:19
I use "The Gregg Reference Manual" by William A. Sabin as my grammar and punctuation bible. It says a.m.

So, THE WITNESS: A.m.
would be my preference. :)
Comment by Veronica Kubat on May 8, 2009 at 15:12
I do like Marla's:

THE WITNESS: A.m.
Comment by Veronica Kubat on May 8, 2009 at 15:12
Thank you, Brenda. Now I know better. But what do you do at the beginning of a sentence? If a.m. is correct mid-sentence, what is correct to start a sentence?

:-)
Veronica
Comment by Jennie Ann on May 4, 2009 at 9:53
Thanks for all the great responses. One reference book I have says: "Do not capitalize a.m. or p.m., even when written out." Of course, it did not say what to do when it appears at the beginning of a sentence. I knew the collective body of experts on this forum would lead me in the right direction! :>)
Comment by Brenda Rogers on May 4, 2009 at 8:55
I've seen it either capped without periods or lowercase with, not capped and periods. Morson's has those two options. I found these in dictionaries:

A.M.

ABBREVIATION: 1. airmail 2. or a.m. Latin anno mundi (in the year of the world) 3. also a.m. or a.m. ante meridiem

4 ante meridiem —often not cap and often punctuated

So A.M. stands for airmail, and a.m. or AM for ante meridiem. I haven't seen A.M. supported anywhere to reflect time.
Comment by Veronica Kubat on May 4, 2009 at 8:47
I use A.M. at the beginning of a sentence. I have been capping both A.M. and P.M. lately throughout the transcript. Is that wrong? And if so, why? I like it better, but I can see where an application of A.M. may mean something else. I don't know if it would ever be confusing, though.

V.
Comment by Brenda Rogers on May 4, 2009 at 7:44
Having said that, I take rules as guides and then do what I see fit. So when I said "isn't correct," it didn't mean that I'm telling you not to do it; only that TPTB say it isn't correct.
Comment by Marla Sharp on May 4, 2009 at 7:37
I'd go with "A.m." at the beginning of a sentence. It should follow the rule like everything else.
Comment by Brenda Rogers on May 4, 2009 at 7:32
Per Morson's, A.m. or AM.
"a.m." isn't correct, and I think A.m. looks ridiculous, so I use AM at the beginning of sentences even though I use a.m. elsewhere.
 

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