Disclaimer: English Kinda Thing

The sole purpose of the "English Kinda Thing" is to document my attempts to correct my own mistakes in standard English usage and to share the resources I find. In no way do I attempt to teach nobody English through these blurbs--just as I intend not to teach nobody to be a neurotic and psychotic handicap in Ratology Reloaded or Down with Meds! :-)

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Comma, no comma in "Philosophy Scholar XYZ ABC?"

Spent the whole night trying to figure out whether I need them commas when writing a paragraph like...

"Philosophy scholar XYZ ABC stated that..."

After spending the whole night plowing through the Chicago Manual of Style online, 4-5 hours later, I find the answer... finally... I found the answer to my question in the following quote.


6.23Restrictive and nonrestrictive appositives

A word, abbreviation, phrase, or clause that is in apposition to a noun (i.e., provides an explanatory equivalent) is normally set off by commas if it is nonrestrictivethat is, if it can be omitted without obscuring the identity of the noun to which it refers.
K. Lester’s only collection of poems, An Apocryphal Miscellany, first appeared as a series of mimeographs.
This year’s poet laureate, K. Lester, spoke first.
Ursula’s husband, Jan, is also a writer.
Ursula’s son, Clifford, had been a student of Norman Maclean’s. (Ursula has only one son.)
If, however, the word or phrase is restrictivethat is, provides essential information about the noun (or nouns) to which it refersno commas should appear.
O’Neill’s play The Hairy Ape was being revived. (O’Neill wrote a number of plays.)
The renowned poet and historian K. Lester scheduled a six-city tour for April.
Caligula’s sister Drusilla has been the subject of much speculation. (Caligula had more than one sister.)



Well, since XYZ ABC provides essential information to the noun "philosophy scholar," there is no need for comma before and after the name of the philosophy scholar.  In other words, it should be "Philosophy scholar XYZ ABC stated..."

Taking me 4-5 hours to get to this conclusion?  Now I will never forget it!  lol

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