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Even if most English speaking people know what the word comma means, it is
not necessarily called the same in other languages. A visual clue is always
a good thing.
Jane:
I would err on the side of caution and include a comma in brackets after the
word "comma." One of our field techs suggested that I do this for
"ellipsis," and I think it was a good suggestion ["an ellipsis ( ... )
following a menu item indicates that additional sub-menus are available"].
A comma is a more common term, but still, I'd use the word and the mark --
i.e., "separated by a comma ( , )."
*************************
Jane asked:
In a manual, where name_pairs are separated by a comma, is it
appropriate to
include a comma in brackets after the word 'comma'?
Like this:
The name_pairs are separated by a comma ( , ).
Catheryn Mason, Technical Writer
Infinitec Communications
cmason -at- infinitec-com -dot- com
Winner, 1999 IABC Bronze Quill Award of Excellence for Technical Writing
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