- It is very tedious, in my opinion, to type on a flat screen.
- The blog--even after the extensive upgrade we purchased last quarter--was still slow to load on mobile devices.
- The most widely accessible option, according to the magazine, is still the print version.
- The company that provides the fastest downloads is still XYZ.
- Norman, who arrived at the classroom before the computers were turned on, noticed the change in temperature right away.
- A more extended listing (see Appendix B) has been compiled by XYZ Press.
Note that the representation of the long dash--the em dash--as two hyphens or as "space hyphen space" are only acceptable when the software you are using does not support the standard long dash character.
Other respondents had varying opinions on whether the interruptions should be marked with parentheses rather than commas. Here are some additional thoughts on that:
On number 3, the words "according to the magazine" are an independent comment on the entire sentence, and they indicate that the magazine is the source of the entire statement. You are not necessarily saying that you agree with the magazine's opinion. If you put those words inside parentheses, then you are making the assertion yourself, and merely citing the magazine as a supporting source.
On number 2, it is difficult for me to see how the information about an upgrade could be seen as totally parenthetical and placed in parentheses. It is not merely reference or support material. I think the person who wrote the sentence is expressing outrage, or at least disappointment, that the blog is still slow. The interruption carries a good bit of the point of the sentences, and thus needs emphasis, rather than de-emphasis.
To those readers still waiting for more on the who/whom issue, here is an update. Many respondents treated the exercise as a standard challenge rather than giving an opinion. Some said it is not an opinion, but a matter of following a well-established grammar rule. Others agree with me, that this rule is so often broken in spoken English, that following it in written English can result in awkward constructions. Once I untangle all the opinions and calibrate the right/wrong answers, I'll give a full report. In the mean time, more data is needed.
Here is the who/whom challenge again. Please answer each one, this time, by indicating the way you most often say it or hear it said, rather than the way you calculate is the right answer by analyzing whether the usage is nominative or objective (subject or verb). What I am trying to get at is whether actual everyday usage follows any logic. Give a try to punctuating the interruptions in the sentences below. Feel free to post your answers as comments below.
Who are you giving the scholarship to, after all?
- Who is that young man in the cap and gown?
- Who spilled the grape punch on the white carpet?
- Who are we celebrating here--him or his parents?
- Who do you think we should elect as the class president?
- Who did the instructor select as the first to play a recital piece?
- Who do we want for our soloist at the concert?
- Who should they give the award to?
- Who is the party for, anyway?
- Who's your favorite nephew?
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