comma=because

[Lynne Murphy]

I think a semicolon would be more appropriate.

Lynne

--On Wednesday, January 24, 2001 8:57 am -0800 James Smith
<jsmithjamessmith at YAHOO.COM> wrote:

> Maybe it's just not knowing how to use a colon.  I
> think "..." or a dash would also work if the writing
> is approximating speech.
>
>
> --- Greg Pulliam <pulliam at IIT.EDU> wrote:
>> Does it seem to anyone else that the type of "comma
>> splice" exemplified in
>>
>> "We can probably wait on the software for now, I
>> don't think it will
>> be a problem."
>>
>> (where the comma takes the place of "because" or
>> "since") is becoming
>> more and more common in written correspondence?
>> This is the third or
>> fourth instance I've seen in less than a week,
>> leading me to think
>> that it may be moving toward respectability.
>>
>> --
>> -
>> Greg
>>
>> greg at pulliam.org
>> http://www.pulliam.org
>
>
> =====
> James D. SMITH                 |If history teaches anything
> SLC, UT                        |it is that we will be sued
> jsmithjamessmith at yahoo.com     |whether we act quickly and decisively
>                                |or slowly and cautiously.
>
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M Lynne Murphy
Lecturer in Linguistics
School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences
University of Sussex
Brighton BN1 9QH
UK

phone +44-(0)1273-678844
fax   +44-(0)1273-671320