Re: Typos in English manual

[Carl Sorensen]

On 7/31/10 5:51 PM, "Wols Lists" <address@hidden> wrote:

>  On 31/07/10 22:50, Michael S. Morales wrote:
>> On 7/31/2010 10:31 AM, Neil Puttock wrote:
>>> 
>>> I had a vague recollection that this was part of the doc policy, and
>>> it's certainly listed here:
>>> 
>>> http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2007-09/msg00486.html
>>> 
>>> * Do not use abbreviations (don't, won't, etc.).  If you do, use a
>>>    comma after it:
>>> 
>>>      blabla blabla, i.e., blabla blabla
>>> 
>>> I don't know why it's not in CG though.
>>> 
>>> Cheers,
>>> Neil
>>>   
>> 
>> From what I've learned about using "i.e.," you can use it like:
>> 
>> "He can read very well, i.e. [...]"
>> 
>> So, the comma goes before the i.e., but not after because "est" (is)
>> acts as a verb and it's not necessary. However, "i.e." sometimes also
>> translates as "in other words," so a comma would be necessary there
>> because it's a prepositional phrase.
>> 
> You've just articulated what I was thinking, but a comma imho isn't
> necessary after the prepositional. To provide a horribly stilted example
> fully in English - "he drove a motorised conveyance, for example a car,
> that is a Ford."

> 
> Do you put a comma after "that is"? Either way, it feels right. I'd be
> inclined to say "don't stick a comma after a full stop", and yes I know
> that the dot isn't really a full stop at this point but the sequence
> "dot comma" still feels wrong.
> 

According to wikihow, " For American English usage, you should always put a
comma right after both 'i.e.' and 'e.g.', as shown in the examples above.
For British English usage, Do Not put a comma right after either 'i.e.' or
'e.g.'".

See http://www.wikihow.com/Use-%22i.e.%22-Versus-%22e.g.%22


This also matches with my understanding (but I'm a native American speaker).

Here's another site that cites six style guides, five of which recommend the
comma and one of which (the British one) suggests we not use the comma.

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ie-eg-oh-my.aspx

Our standards are American english (at least in spelling), so I recommend we
stick with the comma following both i.e. and e.g.

Of course, we might want to consider (for the sake of non-native english
speakers) actually deprecating both i.e. and e.g., and replacing them with
"that is" and "for example".

Just my 2 cents.

Carl