Do I need to put a comma here?

[human_male]

Hi there. Can someone tell me if it's required to place a comma before someone's name (or title) when addressing them in a dialog?

Like "Gosh you have a tremendous penis, Human." As opposed to "Gosh you have a tremendous penis Human."

Is either one ok or do you need that comma?

Ta very much.

 

[neonlyte]

Hi there. Can someone tell me if it's required to place a comma before someone's name (or title) when addressing them in a dialog?

Like "Gosh you have a tremendous penis, Human." As opposed to "Gosh you have a tremendous penis Human."

Is either one ok or do you need that comma?

Ta very much.

Comma in most cases. I think

 

[starrkers]

You need the comma.

 

[_Lynn_]

You need the comma.

I agree.

 

[rgraham666]

Yep. Need the comma.

Otherwise it sounds like the speaker is talking to someone who has a pet "tremendous penis-human" rather than telling a human they have a tremendous penis.

 

[human_male]

Thank you kindly.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I would even place a comma after Gosh. Or maybe even a period or exclamation point.

Though I could be wrong on that.

 

[impressive]

I would even place a comma after Gosh. Or maybe even a period or exclamation point.

Though I could be wrong on that.

If you're wrong, then so am I.

Human, I can tell you that the absent comma separating a term of address is THE most common error of punctuation I find while editing.

 

[cloudy]

If you're wrong, then so am I.

Human, I can tell you that the absent comma separating a term of address is THE most common error of punctuation I find while editing.

Agreed.

 

[rgraham666]

If you're wrong, then so am I.

Human, I can tell you that the absent comma separating a term of address is THE most common error of punctuation I find while editing.

I find I make that error a fair bit.

I think it's because, when spoken, I don't really hear that comma.

 

[egelante]

Hi there. Can someone tell me if it's required to place a comma before someone's name (or title) when addressing them in a dialog?

Like "Gosh you have a tremendous penis, Human." As opposed to "Gosh you have a tremendous penis Human."

Is either one ok or do you need that comma?

Ta very much.

Now, you see, I just adore punctuation, and I daily lament the loss of things like the Oxford Comma... so your sentence could well have appeared as:

"Gosh! you have tremendous penis, human - I've never seen one like it; it's truly marvellous."

Just so that I could add clauses & punctuation.

Perhaps I need to get out more.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I refuse to use semicolans(?). They just annoy me from an asthetic standpoint.

 

[human_male]

Thanks again. Another one I forgot is would I capitalise the S in stranger here?

"What are you doing in town, stranger?"

If the person's just calling the other person "stranger" because they're a stranger, it's not their name.

Thanks again.

 

[rgraham666]

Thanks again. Another one I forgot is would I capitalise the S in stranger here?

"What are you doing in town, stranger?"

If the person's just calling the other person "stranger" because they're a stranger, it's not their name.

Thanks again.

Don't capitalize. Only names are capitalized. As far as I know.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Don't capitalize. Only names are capitalized. As far as I know.

Rob is right, IMHO.

So is Thee (hope this doesn't go to his head) about the comma after, gosh. I defer to the expertise of Imp, and damn near anyone else, but I believe a comma is strongly recommended, if not required, after beginning a sentence with an exclamation. For instance: Damn, but he's ugly. -- Oh, shit. -- No way, Jose'.

Rumple Foreskin

ps: UK and US rules on comma usage vary slightly, mainly involving quotes.

 

[bluebell]

Funny bunny penis

Yep. Need the comma.

Otherwise it sounds like the speaker is talking to someone who has a pet "tremendous penis-human" rather than telling a human they have a tremendous penis.

Dude. Still laughing about this.

 

[Weird Harold]

Don't capitalize. Only names are capitalized. As far as I know.

Names and titles.

I would capitalize "Stranger" because it's being used as either a title or a nick-name in that context.

I suppose it's a matter of interpretation or semantics whether it should be capitalized, but I would capitalize for the same reason I'd separate it with a comma -- it's addressing a person by name or title.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Names and titles.

I would capitalize "Stranger" because it's being used as either a title or a nick-name in that context.

I suppose it's a matter of interpretation or semantics whether it should be capitalized, but I would capitalize for the same reason I'd separate it with a comma -- it's addressing a person by name or title.

Good point, Harold. In the end, that's the sort of issue a copy editor would need to resolve, not to be "right" so much as to insure consistency.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

"Gosh you have a tremendous penis, Human."

This is correct Human, assuming the comma would not be mistaken for your penis, of course.

 

[wehstar]

I find I make that error a fair bit.

I think it's because, when spoken, I don't really hear that comma.

I think that happens to me a lot too. I had to sit out grammar classes in school in order to do remedial mathematics.

 

[Stella_Omega]

"Gosh you have a tremendous penis, Human."

This is correct Human, assuming the comma would not be mistaken for your penis, of course.

Many times you can figure out your punctuation by isolating the three or four words that make up that part of the sentence. for instance;
"Gosh you have a"

I would put a comma after "Gosh" and, yes indeedy, one after "penis".

"No way Josè" is a tricky one. If I'm using it in a paragraph of rhetoric, no comma, because the phrase is the entire epithet. But if I'm using it in dialogue, I put a comma before "Josè" because that's the way speech inflection makes it sound.


And I think semicolons are gorgeous.

 

[LadyCibelle]

Many times you can figure out your punctuation by isolating the three or four words that make up that part of the sentence. for instance;
"Gosh you have a"

I would put a comma after "Gosh" and, yes indeedy, one after "penis".

"No way Josè" is a tricky one. If I'm using it in a paragraph of rhetoric, no comma, because the phrase is the entire epithet. But if I'm using it in dialogue, I put a comma before "Josè" because that's the way speech inflection makes it sound.


And I think semicolons are gorgeous.

Stella said that semicolons are gorgeous...I can die happy!

 

[Stella_Omega]

Stella said that semicolons are gorgeous...I can die happy!

Couldn't you live happy instead?

 

[LadyCibelle]

Couldn't you live happy instead?

For you? I'll live, not only happy be eggstatic too.

 

[cloudy]

Just for the record: I regularly use semi-colons. They're a necessary part of the language.