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mm - 22 May 2009 06:12 GMT

I see two possible problems with this paragraph. What do you all
think?

"My brother served in the army in Viet Nam. Because he was an M.D., he
started as a captain. I think it was during the first year that he
was promoted to major."

Is there supposed to be a period and a comma after M.D or does the
comman replace the period? Is that true whereever a comma follows a
period that is part of an abbreviation?

Is there any reason captain or major should be capitalized? I think
not, but I think the bad habit of so many other people has finally had
an effect on me that I even have a slight doubt. captain looks all
right , but major somehow looks like an adjective, and not an army
rank. I replaced major with lieutenant and it looked a little
better.

Signature

Posters should say where they live, and for which
area they are asking questions. I have lived in
Western Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis 10 years
Chicago 6 years
Brooklyn, NY 12 years
Baltimore 26 years

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tony cooper - 22 May 2009 06:28 GMT

>I see two possible problems with this paragraph. What do you all
>think?
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>Is there supposed to be a period and a comma after M.D or does the
>comman replace the period?

I can't imagine why. What you have looks right to me.

>Is that true whereever a comma follows a
>period that is part of an abbreviation?
>
>Is there any reason captain or major should be capitalized?

I would leave the first letters lower case when referring to the rank
as you have. I would capitalize the first letters when they are used
as a title: My brother, Captain John Smith, served in Viet Nam. He
was later promoted to major.

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Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

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Alan Jones - 22 May 2009 08:22 GMT

> I see two possible problems with this paragraph. What do you all
> think?
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> rank. I replaced major with lieutenant and it looked a little
> better.

In BrE the periods for abbreviations are now generally omitted:: MD rather
than M.D. If they are used, the normal sentence punctuation remains
unchanged: in your example the comma would not replace the period. (Possibly
the comma could be omitted, in which case the problem would disappear.).

In your sentence the rank words are correctly uncapitalised. If they were
part of a proper noun ("Major Smith", "Captain Richard Jones") they would be
capitalised.

Alan Jones

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / May 2009

comma and titles