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Person1: "I'm feeling quite rough today."
Person2: "That sucks - what's the matter?"

Is Person2 using correct punctuation, or should there be a comma to separate the statement and the question?

Rwd
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    I would use a period (full stop.) Both are complete sentences. "That sucks. What's the matter?" – Lumberjack Nov 05 '13 at 20:50
  • I might use the dash: It's stronger than a comma but weaker than a full stop, indicating a change of direction in the sentence while still carrying the overall sentiment. – Bradd Szonye Nov 06 '13 at 01:56
  • Of course he is using correct grammar. Commas are punctuation. (Or do you actually have any beef with the grammar? Then you must clarify what it is.) And no, using a hyphen there makes no sense whatsoever. Not in English, not in any language. If anything, you were aiming for a dash. – RegDwigнt Nov 06 '13 at 12:37
  • @RegDwigнt I don't know why I put "grammar", thanks for pointing it out. Yes, you are right in thinking I was aiming for a dash. – Rwd Nov 07 '13 at 14:11

2 Answers2

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“That sucks” and “what's the matter?” are independent clauses. Joining them with a comma is a comma splice, which is generally considered a style error in English. Dashes, colons, semicolons, and full stops (periods) are all acceptable punctuation for separating independent clauses:

That sucks. What's the matter?
That sucks; what's the matter?
That sucks: what's the matter?
That sucks—what's the matter?

The different punctuation marks indicate subtle differences of intonation and meaning. The full stop indicates two separate, complete thoughts, whereas the semicolon is a weaker break indicating two related thoughts. A colon introduces the second clause as an expansion or explanation of the first. A dash may represent a more abrupt break, or it may simply be used as a visually distinct alternative to a semicolon or colon. Any of them may be appropriate for the example sentence, depending on the exact shade of meaning intended.

Bradd Szonye
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Person 2 is speaking two sentences. There should be a period.

Person1: I'm feeling quite rough today. Person2: That sucks. What's the matter?

"That sucks." is a complete sentence. "What's the matter?" is a complete sentence.

Flimzy
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    A full stop isn't the only way to separate two independent clauses. Colons, semicolons, and dashes can all serve well in that role, especially when the two clauses together form a complete thought. – Bradd Szonye Nov 06 '13 at 02:00