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Résultats 1 à 10 de 24 (page 1 de 3)
punctuation: spacing
As a general rule, in English there is no space before and one space after a punctuation mark. Exceptions follow. Period No space before or after a decimal period between numerals: 10.6 million Canadians $7.45 A space before and none after a decimal period not preceded by a numeral: a .22 calibre rifle A space after a period following a person’s initial: W. S. Avis No space before or after a period in multiple numeration: subsection 2.5.12 No space before or after a period that is followed by a comma or a closing quotation mark, parenthesis or bracket: John Fraser Jr., Ellen Putniak and George Zeller were nominated. (See Chapter 21.) No space before the periods following the capital letters in the official abbreviations of provinces and territories, and no space after such periods except the last one: P.E.I. Y.T. Ellipsis points A space before, between and after ellipsis points: There was little he could say . . . so he said nothing. Note: There is an alternative format for the ellipsis. It requires no spaces between the ellipsis points (…). However, a space is inserted before and after the ellipsis when it is used between two words (“Interviews … have”), between a comma and a word (“In fact, … we have”), or between end punctuation and the beginning of a new sentence (“fell drastically. … But”). Question mark and exclamation mark No space before or after a question or exclamation mark that is followed by a closing quotation mark, parenthesis or bracket: The delegate added, "Is it not high time we tightened our belts and dealt with the deficit?" Comma No space before or after a comma that is followed by a closing quotation mark: "Stop procrastinating," she said. The terms "interfacing," "conferencing" and "downsizing" are now part of the language of business. No space before or after a comma used to separate triads in numbers (see Note 2 in 5.09 Decimal fractions): $12,670,233 Colon No space before or after a colon used to express ratios or the time of day in the 24-hour system, or to separate chapter and verse, volume and page, act and scene in references to books, plays, etc.: a slope of 1:4 We arrived at 15:30 Psalms 39:5 Parentheses and brackets One space before and none after an opening parenthesis or bracket within a sentence; no space before or after a closing parenthesis or bracket that is followed by a punctuation mark: Please read the enclosed booklet (Using Your Modem); it will help you take full advantage of your new communication tool. No space before or between parentheses enclosing subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, etc., in citations from legislation: subparagraph 123(4)(b)(ii) Em dash, en dash and hyphen No space before or after these marks when they are inserted between words, a word and a numeral, or two numerals: I will support you in any way I can—even to the point of silence. —Eugene Forsey a few 90-cent stamps pp. 134–200 Oblique No space before or after an oblique used between individual words, letters or symbols; one space before and after the oblique when one or both of the items it separates contain internal spacing: n/a thesaurus / collocation dictionary Language and Society / Langue et société Apostrophe No space before or after an apostrophe within a word. One space before and none after an apostrophe used to indicate omitted figures in dates: the committee’s report the employees’ suggestions the class of ’79 Quotation marks One space before and none after an opening quotation mark within a sentence; no space before or after a closing quotation mark that is followed by a punctuation mark: The Minister spoke of "a full and frank discussion with all parties"; a resolution to the conflict is expected within the week.Source : Writing Tips Plus (difficultés et règles de la langue anglaise)
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commas in a date
Use a comma to separate the day of the week from the date and the day from the year: Friday, February 13 (but Friday the thirteenth) Monday, October 26, 2015 When the date appears in a sentence in the sequence month-day-year, a comma is needed after the year as well as before it (except when the comma is replaced by a stronger mark of punctuation): He worked in my department from May 20, 2001, until October 28, 2003, when he accepted another assignment. We planned to finish the project by January 8, 2009; however, we completed the work on December 15, 2008. But when the day is omitted, there is no comma either before or after the year: He worked in my department from May 2001 until October 2004. The Esplanade Riel pedestrian bridge opened in December 2003. When the date is written in the sequence day-month-year (a style more common outside of North America), commas are not used: He worked in my department from 20 May 2001 until 28 October 2003.Source : Writing Tips Plus (difficultés et règles de la langue anglaise)
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comma before because
A dependent clause beginning with because gives the reason for the action in the main clause. As a result, it usually gives essential information and cannot be separated from the main part of the sentence by a comma. The cat went into the shed because it was frightened. Ms. Harris lost because she changed her position on a key issue. However, a problem arises when the main verb is in the negative: e.g. did not go in, did not lose. In that case, the meaning of the sentence depends on whether you use a comma. With a comma If you add a comma to the sentence, you create a separation between not and because: The cat did not go into the shed, because it was frightened. Ms. Harris did not lose, because she changed her position on a key issue. These sentences clearly mean that the cat did not go into the shed and that Ms. Harris did not lose. The because clauses give the reason why the main action did not take place. Without a comma If you omit the comma, however, you create a close link between because and not: The cat did not go into the shed because it was frightened. Ms. Harris did not lose because she changed her position on a key issue. The absence of a comma reverses the meaning: in this case, the because clause is eliminating a reason for the action in the main clause. The cat did go into the shed—but not because it was frightened; and Ms. Harris did lose—but not because she changed her position. Because the reader may not realize the significance of the absent comma, it may be better to reword these sentences to make the meaning completely clear: It was not out of fear that the cat went into the shed. Ms. Harris’ defeat was not due to the change in her position on a key issue.Source : Writing Tips Plus (difficultés et règles de la langue anglaise)
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absolute phrases
A phrase is a group of words that forms a unit simpler than a sentence. A phrase does not contain a finite (conjugated) verb. Most phrases modify a particular word in a sentence. However, an absolute phrase modifies an entire sentence instead of a single word: The birds having flown off, the cat climbed down from the tree. Unlike an ordinary phrase, the birds having flown off does not modify any word in the rest of the sentence, such as cat or climbed. This type of phrase is called absolute because it is self-contained: it usually has its own subject (in this case, birds) and does not need to attach to any word in the sentence. Structure of an absolute phrase Absolute phrases can have any of the structures shown below. Noun + participle Her work completed, Amanda flew home. [noun work + participle completed] We scrambled along the shore, the waves splashing at our feet. [noun waves + participle splashing] Noun + other modifier His mind on other matters, Jordan didn’t notice the growing storm. [noun mind + prepositional phrase on other matters] The children set off for school, faces glum, to begin the fall term. [noun faces + adjective glum] Pronoun + infinitive The audience filed out, some to return home, others to gather at the pub. [pronoun some + infinitive to return; pronoun others + infinitive to gather] Common expressions as absolute phrases Some participle and infinitive phrases are common expressions that are considered absolute. Since they do not need to attach to a particular word, they can be placed at the beginning (or end) of a sentence without dangling. Here are some examples: Financially speaking, Bob’s lifestyle changes worked well. Talking of music, have you heard the new band at Taco Jack’s? A storm is brewing, judging by the dark clouds. To get back to the main point, the budget needs to be bigger. The food was mediocre, to say the least. Punctuation tip As the above examples show, an absolute phrase is set off with a comma (or with a pair of commas if it occurs in the middle of the sentence).Source : Writing Tips Plus (difficultés et règles de la langue anglaise)
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The comma
Comma usage is in some respects a question of personal writing style: some writers use commas liberally, while others prefer to use them sparingly. Most modern North American style guides now recommend using fewer commas rather than more, so when faced with the option of using a comma or not, you may find it wise to refrain. For instance, the use of a comma before the and in a series is usually optional, and many writers choose to eliminate it, provided there is no danger of misreading the sentence, as in the following examples: We bought scarves, mittens and sweaters before leaving for Iceland. (comma unnecessary before and) We ate apples, plums, and strawberry and kiwi compote. (comma needed before and for clarity) Comma Usage Use a comma before a co-ordinating conjunction that joins independent clauses (unless the independent clauses are very short): I wrapped the fresh trout in three layers of newspaper, but my van still smelled like fish for the next week. (comma with two independent clauses) She invited him to her party and he accepted. (comma unnecessary with short clauses) Use a comma after an introductory adverb clause and, often, after an introductory phrase (unless the phrase is very short): After the hospital had completed its fund-raising campaign, an anonymous donor contributed an additional $10,000. (comma after introductory adverb clause) From the east wall to the west, the cottage measures twenty feet. (comma after introductory prepositional phrase) In the bottom drawer you will find some pink spandex tights. (no comma with short, closely related phrase) Use a comma to separate items in a series: Playing in a band can be exciting, but many people do not realize the hardships involved: constant rehearsals, playing until 2 a.m., handling drunken audience members, and transporting heavy equipment to and from gigs. (the comma preceding and is optional unless needed to prevent misreading) Use commas to set off non-restrictive elements and other parenthetical elements. A non-restrictive modifier is a phrase or clause that does not restrict or limit the meaning of the word it is modifying. It is, in a sense, interrupting material that adds extra information to a sentence. Even though removing the non-restrictive element would result in some loss of meaning, the sentence would still make sense without it. You should usually set off non-restrictive elements with commas: The people of Haiti, who for decades have lived with grinding poverty and mind-numbing violence, are unfamiliar with the workings of a true democracy. A restrictive modifier is a phrase or clause that limits the meaning of what it modifies and is essential to the basic idea expressed in the sentence. You should not set off restrictive elements with commas: Those residents of Ottawa who do not hold secure, well-paying jobs must resent the common portrayal of the city as a land of opportunity. Note that you can use two other punctuation marks to set off non-restrictive elements or other parenthetical information: parentheses and dashes. Enclosing parenthetical information in parentheses reduces the importance of that information: Mr. Grundy’s driving record (with one small exception) was exemplary. Placing parenthetical information between dashes has the opposite effect: it emphasizes the material: Mr. Grundy’s driving record—with one exception—was exemplary. As a general rule, you should set off parenthetical information with commas. Superfluous Commas Equally important in understanding how to use commas effectively is knowing when not to use them. While this decision is sometimes a matter of personal taste, there are certain instances when you should definitely avoid a comma. Do not use a comma to separate the subject from its predicate: [WRONG] Registering for our fitness programs before September 15, will save you thirty percent of the membership cost. [RIGHT] Registering for our fitness programs before September 15 will save you thirty percent of the membership cost. Do not use a comma to separate a verb from its object or its subject complement, or a preposition from its object: [WRONG] I hope to mail to you before Christmas, a current snapshot of my dog Benji. [RIGHT] I hope to mail to you before Christmas a current snapshot of my dog Benji. [WRONG] She travelled around the world with, a small backpack, a bedroll, a pup tent and a camera. [RIGHT] She travelled around the world with a small backpack, a bedroll, a pup tent and a camera. Do not misuse a comma after a co-ordinating conjunction: [WRONG] Sleet fell heavily on the tin roof but, the family was used to the noise and paid it no attention. [RIGHT] Sleet fell heavily on the tin roof, but the family was used to the noise and paid it no attention. Do not use commas to set off words and short phrases (especially introductory ones) that are not parenthetical or that are very slightly so: [WRONG] After dinner, we will play badminton. [RIGHT] After dinner we will play badminton. Do not use commas to set off restrictive elements: [WRONG] The fingers, on his left hand, are bigger than those on his right. [RIGHT] The fingers on his left hand are bigger than those on his right. Do not use a comma before the first item or after the last item of a series: [WRONG] The treasure chest contained, three wigs, some costume jewellery and five thousand dollars in Monopoly money. [RIGHT] The treasure chest contained three wigs, some costume jewellery and five thousand dollars in Monopoly money. [WRONG] You should practice your punches, kicks and foot sweeps, if you want to improve in the martial arts. [RIGHT] You should practice your punches, kicks and foot sweeps if you want to improve in the martial arts.Source : HyperGrammar 2 (notions de base de la grammaire anglaise)
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telephone extensions
Put a comma between the main telephone number and the extension, and put the abbreviation Ext. before the extension number. Please contact Lisa Steward at 613-555-0415, Ext. 126. In formal correspondence, you may write Extension out in full.Source : Writing Tips Plus (difficultés et règles de la langue anglaise)
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addresses: official languages
Follow the guidelines below when translating addresses from one official language into the other. (Note that an address can often be left untranslated.) Street types While the official name of a thoroughfare should not be translated, words indicating a type of public thoroughfare may be translated into the other official language because they do not form part of the official name. 375, rue Deschambault = 375 Deschambault Street 515 Main Street = 515, rue Main (not 515, rue Principale) When a thoroughfare name is translated from French, capitalize it in accordance with English usage: 100, boulevard de Maisonneuve = 100 De Maisonneuve Boulevard However, when the word is considered to be part of the official name of the thoroughfare (e.g. avenue preceded by a number [1re, 2e, Fifth, 25th, etc.], chaussée, chemin, montée, Circle, Square), do not translate it. Enquiries concerning the official name of a thoroughfare should be directed to the appropriate municipality. Note that according to Canada Post’s Addressing Guidelines, in addresses appearing on envelopes and parcels, only the terms rue (Street), avenue (Avenue) and boulevard (Boulevard) should be translated. Municipalities Names of municipalities should be left in their official form and not translated. Names of French municipalities should retain any accents that are part of the official name in French. Saint John (Nouveau-Brunswick) [not Saint-Jean] Montréal, Quebec [not Montreal] Provinces and Territories The names of provinces and territories are translated. In English, a comma is used to set off a place name from that of the province or territory, whereas in French, parentheses enclose the name of the province or territory. English style: Vancouver, British Columbia; Montréal, Quebec French style: Vancouver (Colombie-Britannique); Montréal (Québec)Source : Writing Tips Plus (difficultés et règles de la langue anglaise)
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commas with coordinate elements, serial commas
Elements of equal rank or relation in a sentence are said to be coordinate. The coordinate elements may be words or phrases in a series, or they may be entire clauses. On this page Words, phrases and dependent clauses Omitting the final comma Appositives with coordinate elements Independent clauses Adjectives Antithetic expressions Words, phrases and dependent clauses Items in a series may be separated by commas: Complacency, urbanity, sentimentality, whimsicality They may also be linked by coordinating conjunctions such as and or or: the good, the bad and the ugly economists, sociologists or political scientists On his camping trip, Nathan slept in a tent, cooked over a fire and canoed for miles. Cheryl didn’t explain where she had gone, what she was doing or when she would be back. Omitting the final comma Opinions differ on whether and when a comma should be inserted before the final and or or in a sequence. In keeping with the general trend toward less punctuation, the final comma is best omitted where clarity permits, unless there is a need to emphasize the last element in the series. This comma is usually omitted in the names of firms and always before an ampersand: Cohen, Hansen and Larose Deeble, Froom & Associates Ltd. On the other hand, it is usually inserted if the items in the series are phrases or clauses of some length, if emphasis is desired, or if omission of the comma might lead to ambiguity or misunderstanding: She embraced him once again, turned away, and then walked out the door forever. [comma for emphasis] Tenders were submitted by Domicile Developments Inc., East End Construction, Krista, and Ryan and Scheper. [comma for clarity] A comma is also required before etc.: He brought in the wine, the glasses, etc. Note, however, that the last item in a series is not followed by a comma (unless the sentence requires a comma for another reason): Alan packed sandals, shorts and T-shirts but forgot socks and sunscreen. but Alan packed sandals, shorts and T-shirts, but he forgot socks and sunscreen. (In this example, a comma is required before “but” because it is joining two independent clauses.) Appositives with coordinate elements A more complex situation occurs when apposition commas are used together with coordinating commas, as illustrated below: Carla Tavares, a recent MBA graduate, three students and a technician set up the experiment. The sentence should be rephrased so that no non-restrictive appositive occurs within a coordinate element: A recent MBA graduate named Carla Tavares, three students and a technician set up the experiment. Alternatively, semicolons may be used to separate elements in a complex series: Jane Stewart, MP for Brandt, Ont.; Stan Keyes, MP for Hamilton West, Ont.; John Nunziata, MP for York-South Weston … Independent clauses A comma is normally used to separate two main clauses in a compound sentence when they are joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, yet or for): “They are often called individualists, and in economic matters they were, but in social matters, the dominating concept was that of good neighbourliness.” (M. M. Fahrni) If the clauses are short or closely related, the commas may be omitted before and, but, or or nor: He opened the letter and then he read the contents. Life is short but art is long. Coordinate clauses not joined by a coordinating conjunction are usually separated by a heavier mark of punctuation than the comma: “Canadian poetry must now be judged by achievement; it does not need to be criticized for not being like other poetries.” (Margaret Atwood) A comma will suffice, however, if the clauses are short, or if the writer wishes to emphasize a contrast or lead the reader on to the following clause as quickly as possible: There are good regulations, there are bad regulations. It was not the duration of the pilot project that caused concern, it was the size of the project team. It is a common error to confuse a simple sentence having a compound predicate with a compound sentence requiring a comma between clauses. Note the difference between the following examples: She investigated the matter and then wrote a detailed report. (simple sentence) She investigated the matter, and then the committee began its work. (compound sentence) Where the clauses of a compound sentence are joined by a conjunctive adverb (such as however, instead, meanwhile, otherwise, similarly, so, still, then, therefore or yet), a semicolon is called for: The climbers had planned to scale the rock face; however, it was too sheer. Adjectives A series of adjectives modifying a noun may or may not be coordinate. The adjectives are coordinate if their order does not affect the meaning, in which case they should be separated by a comma. If they are not coordinate, that is, if one adjective modifies the phrase formed by the following adjective(s) plus the noun, then they should not be separated by a comma: a rich, creamy sauce but a naive domestic burgundy Adjectives of both types may of course occur together: a tender, succulent young chicken The rule stated above, however, is not an infallible guide. When in doubt omit the comma, as in: The plain honest truth is that he is a liar. The final adjective in the series should not be separated from the following noun by a comma: Nations require strong, fair, open, decisive government. Antithetic expressions Antithetic expressions are usually separated by a comma: This proposal is not to be tossed lightly aside, but to be hurled with great force. However, short expressions of this type may not require a comma: The more wit the less courage.Source : Writing Tips Plus (difficultés et règles de la langue anglaise)
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commas in geographical names and addresses
Use a comma to separate a place name from a date: Hull, February 13 Similarly, a comma separates a place name from the name of a province or the abbreviation for that province, and the province’s name or abbreviation is normally followed by a comma within the body of a sentence or sentence equivalent: Mont-Carmel, Prince Edward Island, was originally known as Le Grand Ruisseau. We arrived at Corner Brook, N.L., the following day. Use commas to separate address components, as illustrated: The parcel must be delivered to 340 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0P8, within two business days. Note that the postal code is followed, but not preceded, by a comma when the address forms part of a sentence.Source : Writing Tips Plus (difficultés et règles de la langue anglaise)
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et cetera, etcetera, etc.
(A similar topic is discussed in French in the article etc./et cetera) The Latin term et cetera (“and the rest”) is usually written as two words in Canadian English. However, the one-word spelling etcetera is also correct. The abbreviation for this term is etc. (Note that the c comes last; the misspelling ect. is a common error.) Because it has become part of the English language, this term is not placed in italics, whether it is written in full or abbreviated. Use Et cetera and its more common abbreviation, Etc., are used to show that a list of at least two items is incomplete. The list may include either things or people: Karen tries not to eat chips, chocolate, et cetera, even though she loves junk food. Bart had read many bestselling Canadian authors: Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Laurence, Wayson Choy, etc. Etc.can also be used at the end of a bulleted list: Michael Ondaatje Margaret Laurence Wayson Choy etc. Since the expressions for example and such as already indicate that a list is incomplete, et cetera and Etc.should not be used at the end of a list introduced by either of these expressions or by the abbreviation e.g. Incorrect: Al often picks locally grown fruit, such as apples or strawberries, etc. Correct: Al often picks locally grown fruit, such as apples or strawberries. Correct: Al often picks locally grown fruit: apples, strawberries, etc. Note: Some guides suggest avoiding the use of etc. in formal writing. As an alternative, you can use such as to introduce a list, or follow the list with a phrase such as “and so on”: Maneesha loves any sports activities involving water, such as sailing, swimming and surfing. Maneesha loves any sports activities involving water: sailing, swimming, surfing and so on. Comma with et cetera A comma is used before et cetera and its abbreviation, etc.: I dislike doing yard work: mowing the grass, trimming the hedge, et cetera. When this term appears in the middle of a sentence, it takes a comma after it as well as before it: Yard work can fill up the summer; mowing the grass, trimming the hedge, etc., takes a lot of time. Period after etc. The abbreviation Etc. always ends with a period, regardless of any additional punctuation that may follow: Karen tries not to eat chips, chocolate, etc., even though she loves junk food. Avoid using feminine or masculine pronouns to personify animals, events, ships, etc.: [followed by a list of examples] Travellers should not carry sharp objects in their carry-on luggage (scissors, pocket knives, nail clippers, etc.). If etc. ends a sentence that takes a period, only one period is used: At the staff picnic, the employees ate, played football, chatted, etc.Source : Writing Tips Plus (difficultés et règles de la langue anglaise)
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