Topic: Grammar assistance

Hi grammar whizzes! I have a quick question. I the following sentence, do I need a comma before and after Zeke's name or just after? Which of the sentences below is correct? Thanks!

Thinking it a prank, she and her husband, struggling hedge fund manager Zeke Katz decide to ignore the message.

Thinking it a prank, she and her husband, struggling hedge fund manager Zeke Katz, decide to ignore the message.

Thinking it a prank, she and her husband, struggling hedge fund manager, Zeke Katz, decide to ignore the message.

Quote Post 1

Re: Grammar assistance

I think sentence 2 is correct.

Quote Post 2

Re: Grammar assistance

You've got a double/nested appositvive/parenthetical.  I'd go with #2, but my justification is my global-grammar-tree system.  I cringe at the stylebook rules that could do this in a reasonable way. (And they probably cringe over me.)

Quote Post 3

Re: Grammar assistance

cobber wrote:

Thinking it a prank, she and her husband, struggling hedge fund manager, Zeke Katz, decide to ignore the message.

Hi, Cobber!

Number three wins. You really should make two sentences here. They may not actually belong together, because they discuss two different topics.

1) Thinking it a prank, she and her husband decide to ignore the message. (should this be "decided?")

2) Her husband, Zeke Katz, struggled as a hedge fund manager.

Think of your poor reader, trying to wade his/her way through!

Quote Post 4

Re: Grammar assistance

I'd go with #3, but then I tend to be comma heavy in my writing.

Quote Post 5

Re: Grammar assistance

Thanks everyone! Yes, the sentence is a bit of a mind-twister. I'm going to simplify.

Quote Post 6

Re: Grammar assistance

How about: Thinking it a prank, she and her husband Zeke Katz, struggling hedge fund manager, decide to ignore the message.

Kiss,

Gacela

Quote Post 7

Re: Grammar assistance

The double appositive is the problem.  Reordering weakens the appositive sequnce, which ends in the original with the stronger item.

Quote Post 8

Re: Grammar assistance

Since when do hedge fund managers struggle? smile But seriously, how about, 'She and her husband Zeke, a struggling hedge fund manager, considered the message a prank and decided to ignore it.'

Quote Post 9

Re: Grammar assistance

How about:  Considering it a prank, struggling hedge fund manager Zeke Katz and his wife decide to ignore the message.

Quote Post 10

Re: Grammar assistance

I'm pretty sure that before the sentence in question comes up in a reasonable situation, the message has been discussed between the parties so there should really be no need to muddy the waters with their names and occupations and the accompanying comma confusion.
My take: "They considered the message a prank so ignored it."
Take care. Vern

Quote Post 11