Common Mistakes in English (Made By Romanians, Of Course)
PUNCTUATION!.;,
Our Romanian commas are crazy. Commas everywhere! English commas have certain rules, though, like:
DETAILS
Russia, one of the largest countries on Earth, has a complicated history.
Silvia, the girl I befriended, is a citizen of Puerto Rico.
These two examples should always include commas between the parts in bold.
THE OXFORD COMMA
The final comma in a list of things:
I bought sausages, quesadilla, apples, and vinegar.
They ran, shouted, waved their arms, and fell to the ground.
AMBIGUITY
Make sure the comma is in the right place, or else the meaning might change:
- I dislike salesmen, like you: I think they’re all thieves.
- I dislike salesmen like you: I think they’re all thieves.
Number 1) means we both dislike salesmen, whereas the second sentence means I dislike you for being a salesman. So watch it!