Have you seen Subaru's latest slogan?
It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.
I would not have put a comma in that sentence. It's really bothering me.
I keep reading, "It's what makes a Subaru [long, awkward pause] a Subaru." But I'm not sure. And I'm always sure about this stuff.
Wouldn't it have been better to try, "It's what makes a Subaru...a subaru?"
Or we could just really simplify and say "It's what makes a Subaru a Subaru!" Away with thee, comma!
This whole thing has shot a hole in my punctuation confidence. Help me settle this, please. A good punctuation discussion always gets my blood a-pumpin', so please weigh in with you grammatical opinion.
Edited to add: When I started this post a few days ago, the slogan at their website really was "It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru. I double-checked! But now it's "What makes Subaru, Subaru," which is weird and stilted in another whole way.
*UPDATED TO ADD* For grins, I e-mailed Subaru customer service this morning with a link to this discussion and I said, "I thought you might be interested in the discussion going on at my blog." They wrote back quickly, and here was their response (I'm omitting the man's name for his privacy):
Thank you for visiting the Subaru Web site and for your message. There are two former College English Professors on the staff of Subaru of America. When developing this slogan, our Marketing Department consulted these two professors. I too have checked with them. They advised that it is gramatically correct to have a comma or to not have a comma. As we wanted readers to pause, we included the comma.
We do appreciate that you think so highly of Subaru to set up a blog for our slogan.
Sincerely,
Subaru Guy
Could it be that the late hour is playing around with your rational blog content? Or maybe the late hour is playing around with my normal commenting reservedness.
You can edit my comment if it will make you feel better.,,...
Posted by: Megan | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 12:30 AM
Yes, you're right! I would have put the.... to show a pause.
Posted by: suzy | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 12:40 AM
I totally and completely agree with you!! They just put a comma there because it looked weird without one. But in my opinion, the only punctuation in that sentence should be a period at the end. Period.
Posted by: Lori - Queen of Dirty Laundry | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 12:42 AM
I would agree with you if the a's were in the slogan but on their website at least the slogan is just "What makes Subaru, Subaru" and that kind of does need the comma in there or it looks even sillier than with the comma.
It's not a great slogan really - althouogh I guess it has caught our attention which probably makes it a good one in terms of marketing *g*
Posted by: EnnaVic | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 12:43 AM
I agree....Mine would have been:
It's what makes Subaru.....a Subaru
Posted by: The Pumkin Patch | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 12:45 AM
forgot my .
Posted by: The Pumkin Patch | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 12:45 AM
No comma needed. It's grammatically incorrect. It would have been more appropriate to use "..." to tie the thoughts together, or as someone pointed out, "It's what makes a Subaru, Subaru."
Good call, Shannon!
Posted by: kelli | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 12:56 AM
Sheesh...I don't think technically the comma should be there. But it looks really stupid w/o it. Of course, it sounds really stupid either way. Damn Subaru for making me think!
Posted by: Lexi | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 01:32 AM
Commas drive me crazy and I'm sure I'm not a responsible comma user on my blog. I love the dot dot dots!
I sound really smart, eh?
Posted by: Sincerely Anna | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 01:39 AM
I was never really great at punctuation, but I would have put a semi colan, but then I guess it depends on how you are reading it.
Posted by: Tara Macfarlane | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 01:43 AM
Mmmhmm, no comma needed. And I'm a proofreader, so neeerrrrr.
Posted by: Rebecca | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 04:17 AM
Also that's a really crappy slogan anyway. I mean you could use it for anything. Like 'Fake Burberry: it's what makes a chav a chav'. I mean really, what?
Posted by: Rebecca | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 04:18 AM
"What makes Subaru, Subaru."
That has got to be the most inane advertising slogan........................ever.
Is "Subaru" now an adjective? "Wow, look at this dress! It is so Subaru!" or "My husband was being a real Subaru yesterday."
Posted by: mopsy | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 04:30 AM
defo! no comment!
Posted by: Sherry | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 04:31 AM
It needs no punctuation. And it's a stupid slogan. So there. :-)
Posted by: dcrmom | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 04:55 AM
Please! No comma!
Posted by: a suburban housewife | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 06:47 AM
OH!! OH!! OHHHHH!!!!
I could not agree more!
And another one that gets me?
God bless our National Guard, but the guy that says "It's a oath..."
I literally have to cover my ears every time that one come on nowadays.
Posted by: His Singer | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 07:06 AM
Shannon, you have a writer's heart and instincts. Absolutely, there should be no comma. (I'm a writer with a good grasp on grammar.) I wonder if there was a long argument in corporate about that comma.
As others have noted, the entire slogan is crummy because the main point of the sentence isn't even identified. What is "it" anyway? And why do I want it?
Marketing really should have thought more before approving this one.
Brandy of The Building Brows
Posted by: Brandy of The Building Brows | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 07:07 AM
There shouldn't be a comma OR an ellipsis. It's fine with just words and a period at the end!
Posted by: Danielle | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 07:08 AM
The comma looks silly '...' or '-' would look better. After reading through all of those comments Subaru is a funny sounding word.
Posted by: Rebecca | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 07:08 AM
Shannon, do you ever drive through Braum's? Have you read the little stickers they have on the windows? OOOh, they are bad, bad little stickers. (Tell the kids to thank me later!) Now, what about the Drysdale's sign? North South East and Western Wear. That irritates the 12 year old I live with:-)
Posted by: elizabeth | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 07:34 AM
No comma! Think about switching one of the "subarus" with a generic word, like "car." It's what makes a car a Subaru. No comma. Specifying Subaru doesn't change the grammar of the sentence.
And I just have to say, regardless of how inane the slogan is, Subarus are the best cars ever made in the history of the planet. (I'm a die-hard Subaru fan). Love my B-9 Tribeca. Probably more than I should... Must find a way to take it with me when I die...
Posted by: kathy | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 07:37 AM
Ok, now you have done it. You have ruinied it for me. I have been working hubs to buy a Subaru. I will never, be, able, to, ride, in, one, again. Who knew slogans could be so powerful? (giggle)
Posted by: TracyMichele | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 07:39 AM
I'm just happy I'm not alone in my quest to heal the world's grammatical brokenness. My college grammar professor (I was an English major, oh yes!) used to write LETTERS to major corporations reprimanding them (gently, I am sure) for their hideous abuses of punctuation. Sigh. But people just don't seem to care anymore.
It's what makes a Subaru a Subaru.
Clean, simple, no ambiguity. Just get in there and get 'er said. Period.
Posted by: Megan (FriedOkra) | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 07:52 AM
I agree! I think the "..." fits best.
Steph
Posted by: Adventures In Babywearing | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 08:05 AM
How about it is just a stupid slogan to begin with! Seriously.
And I'd have to agree no comma.
Posted by: chris | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 08:16 AM
That settles it. I'll never buy a Subaru.
Posted by: Cindy | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 08:18 AM
All I can figure is that the Suburu marketing folks sit around late at night while they wonder about punctuation. Comma vs. no comma, that is the question.
I completely understand because I do the same thing every evening around 11 p.m.
Posted by: Big Mama | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 08:20 AM
I'm a pedantic copy editor and agree that the comma isn't necessary. An ellipsis would be even worse, though.
Posted by: Shauna | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 08:21 AM
Hey there - I'm with you on the comma strife. Nobody seems to know how to use them these days. Robert Samuelson at Newsweek magazine had a good essay on this a couple weeks ago - you might enjoy his musings on the bigger philosophical implications of commas. :)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19762074/site/newsweek/
Posted by: Shelley | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 08:26 AM
The ever on going English corrections.I used to work with a man from China who taught ESL.He took so many test on the English language that at times he when he English it almost was wrong.Not that he was wrong but the rules of grammar change and are alo subjective.
Here is one for you that caused an uproar in our school.How would correct this sentence:
I had lunch today with my Uncle Harry.
Posted by: Tammy | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 08:37 AM
I'd remove the comma altogether. I don't think the ellipsis is necessary either. I mean, it's not like you are editing something out of a direct quote. Even then, it should be more like, "It's what makes a Subaru a... Subaru."
Posted by: Heather L. | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 08:45 AM
I would agree with the elipses (isn't that what those little dots are called?) Forgive me for spelling it wrong.
And isn't it true that if you say Subaru over and over again, you go insane? Maybe that's an urban myth. At the least, it starts to LOOK really funny when you read it over and over again.
Posted by: Susanna | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 08:52 AM
I often see a comma in statements like that to separate two identical words.
But isn't this case an appositive?
I can attest that you can take commas in apposition too far—my eighth grade English teacher deducted two points from my paper because I didn't use a comma in the sentence "He called himself the Scarlet Pimpernel" (and we didn't learn apposition until after the paper was due). My mother (English teacher herself) took my teacher to task for that one. "Call me, Ishmael?"
Posted by: Jordan (MamaBlogga) | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 08:53 AM
I realized that I put capital letters and not left all with small letters like the original sentence was.So here is what happenned,the teacher marked the ones wrong that had the sentence like I have it.The reason is that the rule is:Capitalize titles showing family relationship when they refer to a specific person, unless they are modified by a personal pronoun.
The tough one about this sentence is the way Uncle Harry was used.Uncle harry is the full title of some one and the sentence was written that way instead of having lunch with my uncle.In my opinion it was better to make the exception to the exception to the loop hole and put a a capital letter when writing my Uncle Harry.How often are really going to write that anyway .After all of this I saw a book dedicated that was written This book is dedicated to my Uncle Bob.
Posted by: Tammy | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 08:57 AM
Strictly speaking, no comma is necessary. Strangely enough, I posted about a similarly annoying comman this morning.
Posted by: Verronica | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 09:12 AM
They probably wanted to go with the ellipsis, but it would have taken too long in the 30 second sound bite world we live in. They probably had a big argument that went on for days around the board room table. And, most assuredly, someone has lost their job since they have changed their mind yet again. Can't wait to see what happens next!
Posted by: Elaine | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 09:15 AM
Yikes. That should say "comma." Dreadful not to proofread a comment about grammar.
Posted by: Verronica | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 09:15 AM
No that comma has got to go. It's an affront to the entire grammar community.
Posted by: Shalee | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 09:34 AM
No comma needed, and I agree with everyone who says it's a really dumb slogan. Good post and terrific oomments!!! It's what makes Rocks In My Dryer Rocks In My Dryer!! Hmmm...now should there be a comma, or ellipses, or what??? And how do you spell ellipsis...elipses...ARGH!!!
Posted by: chloesmama | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 09:49 AM
Doesn't Subaru hire English Majors to write their ad copy?!? We get it, it's called a Subaru, okay! I suppose "it's what makes this car a Subaru" wasn't punchy enough or something. I love this post!
Posted by: Elizabeth | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 10:15 AM
Veronica, at http://toddleddredge.wordpress.com/ has another good one. But be warned... it may cause you to curl into the fetal position in a corner!
Blessings,
Karla
Posted by: Karla ~ Looking Towards Heaven | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 10:31 AM
Having to say "Subaru" twice in one sentence is more than any human should have to endure.
Yet I am one to agree that an ellipsis is far preferable in this instance if you can't afford to pay for better ad copywriters. I'm available!
Posted by: peach | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 11:15 AM
I love that you emailed the company and got a quick response. I agree with you, but I guess it's all about the advertising where they are concerned. Maybe the reader will take longer to consider buying a Subaru during that "Pause."
Here's something I was wondering about recently and then it hit me who to ask-YOU!
What's the rules for writing out the word for a number, such as "two" instead of using the number itself? I'm sure there are rules for that. Feel free to use it as blog fodder or just email me. :)
Posted by: Melene | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 11:32 AM
Wow. Punctuation is such a lost art. Great discussion, though! Commas and semi-colons always give me trouble.
Posted by: TaunaLen | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 11:45 AM
Would you believe what stuck out to me was that the Subaru guy made sure to "back up" his bad grammar with English professors?
I'm really beginning to lose my faith in our educational system, including that of "higher" learning. Ew.
Posted by: Kris | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 12:51 PM
I just love this deep discussion...hehe
I would absolutely not put a comma in there. Grammar was my favorite subject growing up and I am always proof reading for everyone!
Just my 2 cents...
Posted by: Stacey | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 01:11 PM
Okay... you know where I'm going to go with this, right?
It's what makes a Subaru...a subaru
Because...
Ellipses... it's what makes GiBee... GiBee.
dot-dot-dot.
Posted by: GiBee | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 02:06 PM
I can't STAND grammatical errors! They pop out at me! What a crazy slogan. That got me to thinking, when I lived in FL, we banked at Fifth Third Bank. What is the sense in a bank being called Fifth Third? They couldn't decide on which they were? I don't know, I guess my mind wonders! Keep up the posts, I enjoy your discussions!!
Posted by: Kim | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 02:27 PM
This is what makes a good discussion, a good discussion! :) your dad
Posted by: hogphan | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 02:30 PM
Oh my. Stuff like that drives me CRAZY!
We live close to a Westfield mall, and for the longest time the slogan was "It's What Westfield Do".
It drove me nuts everytime I saw it!
Posted by: deanna | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 02:43 PM
UGh! Talk about making your brain hurt... really Subaru why do ya do that?
Posted by: Alyssa | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 03:09 PM
But what DOES make a Subaru a Subaru?
Is that word starting to lose all meaning now, once you've read through eleventy billion comments and repetitions of it? :)
Posted by: kelli in the mirror | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 03:34 PM
I'm an ellipses freak...I like them much better for pauses...I don't much like commas. Maybe the reason Subaru has "two former college English professors" on staff is they couldn't hack it as college English professors? I don't know...
Posted by: Karen | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 03:40 PM
Oh, my...you and I are really cut from the same grammar cloth! I see things like this all the time but I feel nerdy saying anything to anyone. We should start a support group where the grammar atrocities of the world can be exposed freely. (When I was in college my route to class took me past a sign at a mechanic's garage: "Hot Car's Wanted." It still haunts me.)
And I agree with you on Subaru. Officially right or wrong, it is awkward. Did anyone suggested a dash? Not sure the rules on that... But it's almost like they're just asking too much of the lowly comma.
Oh, well...off to fend off grammar evil.
Posted by: Christine | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 03:41 PM
ok, to be a total geek, for the question from Melene regarding numbers (this may be long):
Spell out a number beginning a sentence. If a number is large, it is best to rearrange the sentence: Two hundred members. 1929 was a bad year.
Spell out approximate numbers if they are rounded off in even units: approximately five hundred persons.
Numbers ten and below are spelled out; numbers above ten are written in numerals.
When two numbers follow each other in a sentence, use numbers for the larger one and spell out the smaller number: He ordered 12 two-piece suits.
Spell out numbers referring to decades and centuries: twentieth century.
Use figures for a series of numbers even though some may be below ten: I sent 20 letters, and 2 postcards.
Hope this helps.
My MIL is a stickler for correct grammer. We trade articles and stuff all the time pertaining to that subject.
Posted by: jules | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 04:53 PM
I so enjoy good grammar. :-)
And has anyone noticed the more you look at the word "Subaru" the stranger it looks?
Posted by: Mrs. Shannon H | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 04:56 PM
Ok. Did the
boneheadhighly paid consultant who emailed you that response ask the two college prof's to quote the rule they're standing behind? Cause I spent way too much time looking it up and couldn't find it.Posted by: kelli | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 05:12 PM
So will you be renaming this blog Rocks in My Subaru? Subarus in My Dryer?
Posted by: Jeana | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 05:43 PM
I agree it's an awkward slogan. The comma doesn't help. I also agree with Shauna that an ellipsis would be worse. (Maybe a future post?)
Posted by: Rebecca Mielke | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 05:50 PM
I love their response. But of course I have to trust that a corporation would check the formatting of their slogan!
Posted by: Randall | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 06:23 PM
I'm only answering professionally as an editor of marketing and business encyclopedias. I can't speak for Subaru's advertising agency.
When identical or similar words appear alongside each other in a sentence or phrase, a comma is usually used for ease of reading; in a 30-second ad on TV, it has to be concise so you remember it. An ellipsis is more confusing, makes the reader think "What did they mean to get into that space that they're not telling me?" An exclamation point denotes an excitement that Subaru, perhaps, didn't want to invoke. Trying to keep it subtle, as it were. It's all about the advertising and what grabs the consumer. Case in point: it grabbed your attention and you wrote to them.
I just had The Great Comma Debate with my aunt and uncle last night; both are college professors. The rule of thumb with commas is to use your best judgment. If it affects the meaning of your intended thought, it's wrong, obviously. But if it makes sense, as in this case, no need to go tossing in ellipses and exclamations if they affect the meaning.
Posted by: Amanda | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 06:29 PM
I don't like the comma there. I think "It's what makes a Subaru a Subaru!" would be fine, perhaps with the second 'a Subaru' highlighted in bold text or italics...
In thinking of this though, what exactly does that slogan mean? It's awkward and kind of weak, at best. I do like that they responded to you quickly and that they did their research beforehand.
Posted by: AmyH | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 06:57 PM
Next thing you know they'll be contacting you to give away a car at your blog for all the marketing and publicity you are giving them. ;-)
Posted by: momrn2 | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 07:10 PM
OH MY! Did you notice?
"I too have checked with them." Maybe he should've checked with them regarding THAT sentence!
Subarus are wonderful. This thread is going to drive me crazy. LOL
Posted by: Heidi | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 07:55 PM
Here's a slogan for the giveaway:
"Subaru ROCKS."
Or maybe, "Subaru, ROCKS."
Or how about, "Subaru... ROCKS."
:-P
Posted by: Heidi | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 07:56 PM
I by no means am a Professor of English at any major college, and I do not teach at a major institution...but I did go to college, took some English classes, and teach 4th grade in the public school setting. I would have put a comma before AND after the word "too" in the Subaru Guy's response...oopsie!
Posted by: Frances | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 07:58 PM
Regarding:
Edited to add: When I started this post a few days ago, the slogan at their website really was "It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru." I double-checked! But now it's "What makes Subaru, Subaru," which is weird and stilted in another whole way.
It's actually on the home page both ways. Toward the top of their page it says, "It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru." In the middle of the bottom half it says, "What makes Subaru, Subaru." Crazy! Either way it's just dumb.
Posted by: Cindee | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 07:59 PM
I, too, appreciate the fact that you set up a blog for their slogan. Because without the Subaru slogan discussion, there would obviously be no Rocks In My Dryer.
And on a side note...
I am so scared to comment on this post becuase I know that everyone will be looking over my use of proper grammer and punctuation.
I guess that's what makes a comment, a comment!
a comment a comment!
a comment...a comment!
a comment! a comment!
a comment - a comment!
a comment @$*% a comment!
Never mind.
Posted by: Tater and Tot | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 08:14 PM
Okay, I think the comma makes the slogan, catchy. :-)
To me, an elipsis makes you ponder the statement too long...which makes it a tad boring. The comma makes you pause just a millisecond--long enough to understand the phrase. That's clever!
Posted by: mk | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 08:42 PM
LOL! I am loving his reply back
Posted by: Shelly | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 10:04 PM
Dear Subaru Guy,
Grammatically is spelled with two "m"'s.
Respectfully yours,
LandRover Driver
_____________
Ok. I'm letting it go now.
_____________
Really.
Posted by: kelli | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 at 11:55 PM
"No comma! Think about switching one of the "subarus" with a generic word, like "car." It's what makes a car a Subaru. No comma."
Now try substituting one of the "Subarus" with a generic word, like "me." "It's what makes me, ME." "It's what makes my kids, my kids."
You can accentuate and make anything noteworthy with italics or boldface or a few well-placed dots.
Posted by: Amanda | Wednesday, August 08, 2007 at 12:15 AM
Posted by: Amanda | Wednesday, August 08, 2007 at 12:15 AM
The comma is needed. It's the sentence that's the problem. Great, they want to reinforce the name so you remember it. And they want you to make the mental leap yourself from everything they've said to that second Subaru. I get it. But I don't care. It's a lazy line. It's the line you use when you have been stumped for hours, have had enough, and couldn't care if anyone ever bought another Subaru, Subaru.
Without the comma my grammar checker thinks the second Subaru is redundant anyway. But I go further. I think the whole line is. Put a question mark at the end of their line when you say it. Kind of funny change in intent, don't you think?
Posted by: Kenjd | Wednesday, August 08, 2007 at 10:26 AM
can the comma!!!!!
go for...this.
:)
Posted by: mandy | Wednesday, August 08, 2007 at 11:47 AM
Wow. This entire comment string is consumerism at its finest! We've all just proved to Subaru how effective their slogan is. Someone should be getting paid for this. . .
Posted by: Amanda | Wednesday, August 08, 2007 at 03:07 PM
oh yeah, subaru-dude. this blog is totally set up for subaru.
i hated the comma and am positive it does not belong. i have no degree whatsoever, but my first car was a subaru, subaru, so of course i can chime in.
Posted by: HolyMama! | Friday, August 10, 2007 at 09:28 PM
If this kind of thing gets under your skin (like it does mine), you should read the book, "Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation" by Lynne Truss. It's all about how comma (mis)placement entirely changes the meaning of a statement. It doesn't seem like a book about punctuation would be entertaining, but it is actually very funny.
Posted by: Jen@BigBinder | Saturday, August 11, 2007 at 08:42 PM
But, Truss's book is based on British English, not on American English. I appreciated the book, but it doesn't apply here. It was a funny, light-hearted read, but I'd never stack it with my CMS or MLA or PA manuals (or dictionaries). Shannon, as an English major and "grammar snob," do you have revised take on this, grammar-wise, after all the posts?
Posted by: Amanda | Monday, August 13, 2007 at 07:50 AM
Pardon me; that should have read "a revised take. . ."
Posted by: Amanda | Monday, August 13, 2007 at 07:53 AM
I would've emailed them too. My husband is used to my correcting menus/ad signs and other random public publishings.
Posted by: Nic | Tuesday, August 14, 2007 at 05:04 AM
I AM a college English teacher with a master's degree in English, and there definitely should NOT be a comma there. There should not be an ellipsis (...) there, either, because an ellipsis means that something has been left out of a quotation, not that someone has paused. A dash would be acceptable to express a pause, but not in that sentence.
I would not buy a car that had a grammatical error on it! It's nice to see that you all care about grammar. :)
Posted by: Amy | Wednesday, August 15, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Oh, and by the way, the second "Subaru" is not an appositive. The first "Subaru" is the direct object, and the second "Subaru" is the objective complement. The OC completes the idea of the DO, and it would never be correct to separate them with a comma.
Oh, and I do like Truss's book! Very entertaining, although it is dealing with British rules.
Posted by: Amy | Wednesday, August 15, 2007 at 12:04 AM