Comma/ in sentence (1)

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Comma/ in sentence
Message from a_limon posted on 09-07-2012 at 20:48:12
Hello!

Could you tell me please whether ~~it needs to put comma~~ a comma is needed after the word "car" in the sentence?
He watched for the blue car standing near the shop "Matryoshka".
Thank you in advance.

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Edited by lucile83 on 09-07-2012 21:02

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Edited by lucile83 on 11-07-2012 18:02

Re: Comma/ in sentence by ariane6, posted on 09-07-2012 at 21:26:48
Hello !

Who/what do you think was standing near the shop?

Re: Comma/ in sentence by jonquille, posted on 09-07-2012 at 21:31:52
Hi a_limon,

I will try to see if I can answer this question clearly.

He watched for the blue car standing near the shop "Matryoshka".

Consider this: who or what was standing near the shop?
If "the car" was standing (? lol) there, then you would not need a comma.
If "he" is standing there, then you need one.

And if "he" is standing there...I would probably reverse the phrases to make it even more clear:
>Standing near the shop "Matryoshka," he watched for the blue car.

If you want to keep the phrases as you have them, then add the word "while"...
> He watched for the blue car, while standing near the shop .... "

Now, let's see if others agree or disagree with me!
jonquille

Re: Comma/ in sentence by lucile83, posted on 09-07-2012 at 23:03:39
Hello jonquille,

I agree with you
and I prefer this sentence:
Standing near the shop "Matryoshka," he watched for the blue car.
...as I never saw a car standing near a shop.

Re: Comma/ in sentence by a_limon, posted on 09-07-2012 at 23:04:13
Hello,jonquille. I agree with you/Thank you for answer.
What is the difference between Standing near the shop "Matryoshka," he watched for the blue car. and Standing near the shop "Matryoshka," he was watching for the blue car.?
Both are correct?

Re: Comma/ in sentence by lucile83, posted on 09-07-2012 at 23:29:12
Hello

Standing near the shop "Matryoshka," he watched for the blue car is the correct sentence.

Standing near the shop "Matryoshka," ( long action)
he watched for the blue car. (short action)

Re: Comma/ in sentence by jonquille, posted on 10-07-2012 at 15:52:17
Hello!

As lucile83 has already written, both sentences are correct. There is only a slight "nuance" of difference between them.

Standing near the shop "Matryoshka," he watched for the blue car.
He stood near the shop and then watched for the blue car. (simple completed action in the past)
(The sense here is that he saw the car, and then did something else.)

Standing near the shop "Matryoshka," he was watching for the blue car.
While he was near the shop, he was also watching for the blue car. (continuing action in the past)
(The sense here is that he was waiting for quite some time for that car to appear!)

Hope this helps!
jonquille

Re: Comma/ in sentence by a_limon, posted on 10-07-2012 at 16:55:59
Hello,

Standing near the shop "Matryoshka," he was watching for the blue car.
While he was near the shop, he was also watching for the blue car. (continuing action in the past)
(The sense here is that he was waiting for quite some time for that car to appear!)
But,after the car appeared, did he stop watching for or continue watching for?
( I used "to watch for" in the meaning of "to track out", other words,"to follow the object by eyes" or "keep the object in the field of vision."
I was mistaken? The expression "watch for" is used only to mean "to wait for"?)

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Edited by lucile83 on 10-07-2012 17:32

Re: Comma/ in sentence by lucile83, posted on 10-07-2012 at 17:42:26

Here is a dictionary:
Link

[no object] (watch for) look out or be on the alert for:
in spring and summer, watch for kingfishers

When you watch for something you have to wait for a while, looking all around you.

Re: Comma/ in sentence by jonquille, posted on 10-07-2012 at 17:42:47
Good evening (for you)!

Good question!
I used "to watch for" in the meaning of "to track out", other words,"to follow the object by eyes" or "keep the object in the field of vision."I was mistaken? The expression "watch for" is used only to mean "to wait for"?

Generally if you are "watching for" someone or something, you are looking for them to appear. That "looking time" is time that you spend waiting for them to appear. (Does that make sense? )

Once the person or object has appeared, what then? You don't keep watching for it, it's there! (Or it has passed by!)

If you want to create the sense of following (tracking) that object or person, then use only the verb "watch" (not watch for):
>Standing near the shop "Matryoshka," he was watching the blue car. (Here, the reader understands: He was standing by the shop, and was watching what the car was doing.)

I hope it's getting clearer for you and that I haven't made it more confusing!

jonquille

Re: Comma/ in sentence by a_limon, posted on 10-07-2012 at 18:55:16
Hello! Jonquille I hope it's getting clearer for you and that I haven't made it more confusing!
Yes, it became clearer, thank you very much!

Re: Comma/ in sentence by a_limon, posted on 11-07-2012 at 16:50:46
Hello,
Over the link to the Contemporary Dictionary of English I have read: "She stepped outside to watch for the cab."
Tell me please whether I got it right as "She got out of that house to catch (to take) the cab(taxi)." Or "She went out in order to find the cab to get home"

Re: Comma/ in sentence by lucile83, posted on 11-07-2012 at 18:01:29
Hello,

"She stepped outside to watch for the cab."
Without any context we can understand that she watches for the cab to go home or to go out,to the cinema for instance.
But we don't care, dictionaries give examples to show how to build a sentence, they don't write any novels.

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