Nope, the comma makes not one whit of difference.

Post #223,630 by CRConrad 9/8/05 2:43:04 AM Reply	Nope, the comma makes not one whit of difference. Both variants, with or without the comma, mean exactly what Rand intended them too: That the four nights in Sydney ARE FOLLOWING -- i.e, _A_F_T_E_R_ -- some other nights elsewhere. THe only way to change that into its opposite is, not by inserting or removing commas, but changing "following" to its opposite: "Four nights in Sydney[,] follwed by some other nights elsewhere". HTH! [link\|mailto:MyUserId@MyISP.CountryCode\|Christian R. Conrad] (I live in Finland, and my e-mail in-box is at the Saunalahti company.) Your lies are of Microsoftian Scale and boring to boot. Your 'depression' may be the closest you ever come to recognizing truth: you have no 'inferiority complex', you are inferior - and something inside you recognizes this. - [link\|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=71575\|Ashton Brown]
Post #223,661 by jb4 9/8/05 11:05:52 AM Reply	You're right, and you're wrong Here's the original sentence: Early October if it happens, and four nights in Sydney following four in Aukland and four in Fiji. "And" binds closer than "following", so the sentence parses: [...]four nights in Sydney following (four in Aukland and four in Fiji). which means the stated (which may be different than intended) itinerary is: Auckland, then Fiji, then Sydney And yes, the proposed insertion of a comma doesn't matter. And why the hell do we even care? Rand has scheduled one helluva trip, I'm envious, and I hope he and the SO have a wonderful time! jb4 shrub●bish (Am., from shrub* + rubbish, after the derisive name for America's 43 president; 2003) n. 1. a form of nonsensical political doubletalk wherein the speaker attempts to defend the indefensible by lying, obfuscation, or otherwise misstating the facts; GIBBERISH. 2. any of a collection of utterances from America's putative 43rd president. cf.* BULLSHIT
Post #223,756 by static 9/8/05 7:55:42 PM Reply	Look at the evidence. Other people on the board read it as Sydney first. Thus, to some people, your interpretation is incorrect. I actually found it ambiguous. However, I omitted to say that the comma can introduce an implied "the" in the first variation, altering the meaning to what I have already posted. I know you have a well-deserved reputation for being a stickler for and being highly knowledgeable about English grammer (despite it not being your first language), but in this case I believe you are mistaken. Particularly as English is my first language and studying how it works and how it has developed has always interested me. Wade. d-_-b
Post #223,804 by pwhysall 9/9/05 1:08:25 AM 9/9/05 1:09:18 AM Reply	If English is your first language... ...then you should learn to spell "grammar". Grammer sits on the porch, sucking her teeth and reminiscing about the war. Edit: Oh, and CRC's 100% correct, BTW. Peter [link\|http://www.ubuntulinux.org\|Ubuntu Linux] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Home] Use P2P for legitimate purposes! Edited by pwhysall Sept. 9, 2005, 01:09:18 AM EDT Expand All History

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