--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm pretty sure when I need a comma; I'm…" description: "\"I'm pretty sure when I need a comma; I'm not so sure about a semicolon.\" — Keith Hernandez" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/keith-hernandez-18865_about_i-m-pretty-sure-when-i-need-a-comma-i-m_2887509.jpg" --- # I'm pretty sure when I need a comma; I'm not so sure about… ![“I'm pretty sure when I need a comma; I'm not so sure about a semicolon.” quote by Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/keith-hernandez-18865_about_i-m-pretty-sure-when-i-need-a-comma-i-m_2887509.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/keith-hernandez-18865_about_i-m-pretty-sure-when-i-need-a-comma-i-m_2887509.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/keith-hernandez-18865_about_i-m-pretty-sure-when-i-need-a-comma-i-m_2887509.jpg) > “I'm pretty sure when I need a comma; I'm not so sure about a semicolon.” [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights uncertainty about punctuation, especially commas versus semicolons. **In simple terms:** Unsure about commas, less sure about semicolons. Key Takeaway Practice punctuation rules. Themes language writing punctuation confidence Mood reflective lighthearted Type educational humorous When to use this quote - editing essays - teaching writing - proofreading documents Key Concepts Grammar communication self‑efficacy Questions to Reflect On - What punctuation rules do you find most confusing? - How does punctuation affect clarity? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on rules can stifle creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Semicolon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/semicolon/) ## Related quotes > [“So we’re seemingly in quite a pickle. Sometimes a period provides too much pause between these two sentences, but the comma doesn’t provide enough.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-baranick/so-we-re-seemingly-in-quite-a-pickle-sometimes-a-period-provides-too/) [Jenny Baranick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-baranick/) > [A comma . . . catches the gentle drift of the mind in thought, turning in on itself and back on itself, reversing, redoubling,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/a-comma-catches-the-gentle-drift-of-the-mind-in-thought-turning-in-on/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [If a period is a stop sign, then what kind of traffic flow is created by other marks? The comma is a speed bump;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-peter-clark/if-a-period-is-a-stop-sign-then-what-kind-of-traffic-flow-is-created/) [Roy Peter Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-peter-clark/) > [I use a whole lot of half-assed semicolons; there was one of them just now; that was a semicolon after 'semicolons,' and another one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-use-a-whole-lot-of-half-assed-semicolons-there-was-one-of-them-just/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“We might also want to use a semicolon to hold together two sentences to avoid giving the reader too much time to think about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-baranick/we-might-also-want-to-use-a-semicolon-to-hold-together-two-sentences/) [Jenny Baranick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-baranick/) > [Semicolons . . . signal, rather than shout, a relationship. . . . A semicolon is a compliment from the writer to the reader.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/semicolons-signal-rather-than-shout-a-relationship-a-semicolon-is-a/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [“Nora— Forgive me for copyediting, but it must be said—you have raped the semicolon yet again. Stop it. It wasn’t asking for it no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-reisz/nora-forgive-me-for-copyediting-but-it-must-be-said-you-have-raped/) [Tiffany Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-reisz/) > [It is almost always a greater pleasure to come across a semicolon than a period. The period tells you that that is that; if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/it-is-almost-always-a-greater-pleasure-to-come-across-a-semicolon/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [“The stops point out, with truth, the time of pause A sentence doth require at ev'ry clause. t ev'ry comma, stop while one you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-hartley/the-stops-point-out-with-truth-the-time-of-pause-a-sentence-doth/) Cecil Hartley > [“The American writer Donald Barthelme wrote that the semicolon is “ugly, ugly as a tick on a dog’s belly”.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/the-american-writer-donald-barthelme-wrote-that-the-semicolon-is-ugly/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [Sometimes you get a glimpse of a semicolon coming, a few lines farther on, and it is like climbing a steep path through woods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/sometimes-you-get-a-glimpse-of-a-semicolon-coming-a-few-lines-farther/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [How hideous is the semicolon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/how-hideous-is-the-semicolon/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“Academics love the semicolon; their hankering after logic demands a division which is more emphatic than a comma, but not quite as absolute a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-klemperer/academics-love-the-semicolon-their-hankering-after-logic-demands-a/) [Victor Klemperer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-klemperer/) > [“The semicolon, my friends, is the punctuation mark we use to join two complete sentences. When we want to separate two complete sentences, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-baranick/the-semicolon-my-friends-is-the-punctuation-mark-we-use-to-join-two/) [Jenny Baranick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-baranick/) > [“You didn’t put a semicolon there — God did.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-brownn/you-didn-t-put-a-semicolon-there-god-did/) [Eleanor Brownn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-brownn/) ## More by Keith Hernandez > [You never know what's going to happen the rest of the way. You can't predict. You don't know what Montreal is going to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/you-never-know-what-s-going-to-happen-the-rest-of-the-way-you-can-t/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) > [They can't have Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling lose a game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/they-can-t-have-randy-johnson-and-curt-schilling-lose-a-game/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) > [Baseball began early for me. When I was 5, my father took two Little League bats and put them on a lathe. He whittled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/baseball-began-early-for-me-when-i-was-5-my-father-took-two-little/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) > [Who cares how many miles per hour the ball traveled once it left the bat, or how high the ball traveled in degrees, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/who-cares-how-many-miles-per-hour-the-ball-traveled-once-it-left-the/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) > [I love to read, and I've always loved to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/i-love-to-read-and-i-ve-always-loved-to-write/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) > [I love baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/i-love-baseball/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) > [The Yankees have better starting pitchers than Arizona. Arizona just has two... the Yanks have four.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/the-yankees-have-better-starting-pitchers-than-arizona-arizona-just/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) > [You need to be locally relevant, globally consistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/you-need-to-be-locally-relevant-globally-consistent/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) > [I always performed out of fear of failure - and that's a tough way to play. It was as if my back was to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/i-always-performed-out-of-fear-of-failure-and-that-s-a-tough-way-to/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) > [The best class I ever took in high school was typing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/the-best-class-i-ever-took-in-high-school-was-typing/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) > [I have a natural tendency to resist conformity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/i-have-a-natural-tendency-to-resist-conformity/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) > [I've been to Gettysburg probably more than half a dozen times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/i-ve-been-to-gettysburg-probably-more-than-half-a-dozen-times/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) > [My high school coach was a bit of a jerk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/my-high-school-coach-was-a-bit-of-a-jerk/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) > [I played football in the fall when I was in high school. Then basketball, a different conditioning - you're running up and down the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/i-played-football-in-the-fall-when-i-was-in-high-school-then/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) > [My father was a San Francisco firefighter. He also was an amateur artist. Art ran deep on his side of the family, which originated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/my-father-was-a-san-francisco-firefighter-he-also-was-an-amateur/) [Keith Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) [Explore all 34 Keith Hernandez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) Browse all 26,122 About quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm pretty sure when I need a comma; I'm not so sure about a semicolon.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Keith Hernandez" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/i-m-pretty-sure-when-i-need-a-comma-i-m-not-so-sure-about-a-semicolon/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/i-m-pretty-sure-when-i-need-a-comma-i-m-not-so-sure-about-a-semicolon/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/keith-hernandez-18865_about_i-m-pretty-sure-when-i-need-a-comma-i-m_2887509.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/keith-hernandez-18865_about_i-m-pretty-sure-when-i-need-a-comma-i-m_2887509.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/keith-hernandez-18865_about_i-m-pretty-sure-when-i-need-a-comma-i-m_2887509.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm pretty sure when I need a comma; I'm not so sure about a semicolon.” — Keith Hernandez", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Keith Hernandez", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hernandez/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm pretty sure when I need...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/i-m-pretty-sure-when-i-need-a-comma-i-m-not-so-sure-about-a-semicolon/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hernandez/i-m-pretty-sure-when-i-need-a-comma-i-m-not-so-sure-about-a-semicolon/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```