At 03:58 AM 9/22/2004, Stewart McCoy wrote:
>If we corrected each other's mistakes in English, we'd be here all
>day.


Indeed.


>1) One should not normally begin a sentence with "But", since "but"
>is a word used to co-ordinate two parts of a sentence.


..i.e. a conjunction.


>3) Throughout that passage there is a distinct absence of commas,
>which are used to separate subordinate clauses from the rest of the
>sentence.


Commas are also used to separate introductory phrases.  As "Throughout that 
passage" is an introductory phrase preceding the main clause of the 
sentence, it should also be separated by a comma.


>I'm sorry to be somewhat abrasive, but you did say you preferred to
>be corrected.


I am not remotely abrasive, only having a bit o' fun.  I think most of us 
are better editors than writers.  I know I am.  (I'm also a better editor 
than I am a musician.)

When in doubt, I consult:

Strunk, W. Jr. & E.B. White. 1979. The Elements of Style, 3rd ed. Macmillan 
Publishing Co., Inc., New York.

In a gently ribbing spirit,
Eugene 



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