Are commas below correct, please?
In the solution, we except
From the beginning, we search for
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2Does this answer your question? Comma after introductory phrases kiamlaluno's answer is (alternative style-guides' demands being ignored) definitive. Of course, academic institutions may require adherence to such differing style choices, but the only answer then is to consult the relevant authority. ELU deals with standard ... er ... standards. – Edwin Ashworth Jan 17 '20 at 19:52
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It's not easy to comment on those incomplete sentences. In the first one is there something else following, that is excepted, or is it the solution which is excepted? In the second, is it the beginning which we search for, or something not yet stated? – Weather Vane Jan 17 '20 at 19:52
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Hm. I take back the 'definitive' part. The next answer made a lot of sense, too. – Edwin Ashworth Jan 17 '20 at 20:00
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@EdwinAshworth thanks it helps – Archie Jan 17 '20 at 20:04
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Context needed. – Hot Licks Jan 17 '20 at 21:34
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We except, itself, is wrong. It should either be we accept or we excepted (although both would still be unusual). – Jason Bassford Jan 18 '20 at 15:53
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The commas are correct. The spelling of "except" is worrisome. If you are using "except" as a verb following "we", the spelling should be "accept". For example, "in the solution, we accept that x is a constant." The word "except" means to omit or not to include something such as "we, except for Bill, all went to the store."
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1@Hot Licks Yes, it is true that except could indeed be a verb in that instance. Context or rest of the sentence is indeed needed. – Beverly Tiding Jan 17 '20 at 22:59
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@HotLicks It would need to be in the past tense. The passive sense of excluding something isn't used in the present tense. – Jason Bassford Jan 18 '20 at 15:55
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@JasonBassfordSupportsMonica - It is excepted in this journal article. Therefore the present tense is appropriate. – Hot Licks Jan 18 '20 at 16:08
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@HotLicks By past tense I am referring to the formation of the verb: excepted, not except. When is the last time you ever read a sign saying "buses except"? – Jason Bassford Jan 18 '20 at 16:15
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@JasonBassfordSupportsMonica - I've never seen a sign saying "buses excepted". But in technical writing it's common to describe the currently-discussed subjects in present tense. – Hot Licks Jan 18 '20 at 17:02
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@JasonBassfordSupportsMonica - Encyclopaedia Britannica: While the heroism of the Montenegrins has been lauded by writers of all countries, the Albanians - if we except Byron's eulogy of the Suloits - still remain unsung. – Hot Licks Jan 18 '20 at 17:07
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@HotLicks Here's one example. And here's another. It's also used for taxis, bicycles, and days and hours of the week. It's at least everywhere in Canada and, from what I just found, Australia. I still have no idea how anybody could say X except. Except for X, yes. But that's a different construction. – Jason Bassford Jan 18 '20 at 21:05
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@JasonBassfordSupportsMonica - Yeah, but those Canajians talk weird. – Hot Licks Jan 18 '20 at 21:28
