Grammar help please!!

[Bonobo]

I don't know if I need a comma or not in the following instance (after the "said" and before "removing"

Please help but tell me if you're not really sure.

"I don't love you anymore," I said, removing the ring from my finger.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. The comma is completely appropriate.

I would certainly use it.

[Bonobo]

3. Thank you, seriously! nt

[rug]

2. You do.

[Bonobo]

4. You too, Rug, thanks! nt

[NYC_SKP]

5. That second comma must be included. The first one after "anymore", however, is optional.

One could argue that it would be better to use a period there than a comma, or even an exclamation mark if one wants to indicate a more urgent tone.

[Bonobo]

6. Is that right?

I thought it HAD to be a comma there. I knew you could use a question mark or exclamation mark, but did not know it was OK to use a period.

[NYC_SKP]

12. There's nothing wrong with the first comma, but.... (Link)

It's just that it could also have been a period or an exclamation mark or a question mark.

Indeed, commas are most commonly used is such cases, and periods are more rare but not excluded from the mix, AFAIK.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/577/01/

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/577/02/

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/577/03/

[Bonobo]

13. Thank you for the links but I did not see any example

where it would suggest it is okay to have a period followed by a close quote and then continuing on with a "He said" type of ending.

Of course if the sentence ends with no "He said" then the period is obviously acceptable but I still am not sure you are right that it is okay to do the following:

"It's okay to use a period too." NYC_SKP said

I think, from everything I have seen that it can only be:

"It's okay to use a period too," NYC_SKP said.

Althout this is also ok:

"It's okay to use a period too!" NYC_SKP said
"It's okay to use a period too, right?" NYC_SKP said

[NYC_SKP]

14. Fair enough...

I couldn't find any examples either that indicate use of a period EXCEPT when the quote comes after the subject:

Bonobo wrote, "I cannot see any examples of that sort."

So without a source I should retract my observation.

Take care!

[frogmarch]

7. Both commas are correct.

"I don't love you anymore," I said, removing the ring from my finger.

[RebelOne]

8. Gotta agree, but anymore should be two words: any more. n/t

[frogmarch]

15. I think "anymore" is correct.

She is saying she no longer loves the other person.

"I don't love you any more" (two words) Examples: 1) I don't love you any more than I love John. 2) I don't love you any more than John loves you. 3) I don't love you any more than I did a year ago, and I don't love you any less, either.

[lastlib]

17. No it isn't.

You are correct that what she really means to say is, "I don't love you any longer." But "any more" is such a common idiom that it's more accepted. "Anymore" may be in the Oxford Dictionary as a compound word, but I wouldn't be inclined to accept it; logically (to me) it should be two words.

(Though I have no problem with "Nevermore"........go figure...)

[frogmarch]

18. That's news to me.

Thanks.

[Hutzpa]

27. It is correct

anymore IS one word based on the context. Besides since we are going by oxford dictionary and not lastlib's own dictionary,
I see no reason in accepting Oxford's definition.

[Rhiannon12866]

9. The way you've written it, and your placement of commas, is correct.

I wouldn't change a thing.

[cbrer]

10. Ain't no help for none of that!

[Honeycombe8]

11. The comma is needed.

The reason is: there's a word missing, so the comma takes the place of the word, so the reader knows to pause. Also, even if the missing word were inserted, it would be a partial sentence or something, beginning with "while," which requires a comma.

The sentence could also read:

I said, while removing the ring from my finger.


Without a comma, the reader may initially run the words together:

I said removing the ring....oh, wait, she's not saying "removing the ring." She is saying I said, WHILE removing the ring.....

[Avalux]

16. You may remove the comma affter 'anymore'. It's not needed and sentence flows better. n/t

[rug]

19. Ok, now that we've dealt with the comma, what's the rest of the story?

[Bonobo]

20. Well, I made up that quote as an example, but...

I AM working on a very exciting translation project. It is a Japanese to English translation of a game/novel.

It will take me about 3 months to finish and I would love to announce it here when it comes out!

I think it might make a nice splash

[rug]

21. Cool! Keep us, posted.

[HopeHoops]

22. It's correct as it is.

[ElboRuum]

23. Looks appropriate to me. n/t

[datasuspect]

24. or

No more ring, no more heart, but no more betrayal either.

'I don't love you anymore . . . ' I said.

[datasuspect]

25. or

It was a dark and stormy night.

We came back from the convoy with two less people, burned up more fuel, and no antibiotics. The raid was a complete bust.

I knew better than to "stick my dick in the cash register," but if you're human, you're human, and given the situation, a piece of ass seemed pretty nice at the time.

At the time. What a time!

Constant odor of putrefaction. Death smell everywhere, in your mouth, in your nose, in your spit, in your stool. Death, death, and more death.

I got used to it when they were still trying to process the corpses. We worked in 12 hour shifts peeling back pavement off parking lots, digging super long trenches.

But everyone just kept dying.

Still, once you lose everyone, lose everything, and some crazy murder junkie starts chasing you . . . what the hell? We traded rings and made a commitment to each other.

Could I say it? "I don't love you anymore." Simple enough. Remove ring from my finger.

[RebelOne]

26. My reply, since I am a retired copy editor.

Please help, but tell me if you're not really sure.

"I don't love you any more," I said, removing the ring from my finger.

Comma after help, and any more should be two words.