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ending a statement with a name

English Language & Usage Asked on June 12, 2021

Is it possible to end a statement with a person’s name, without the name being a direct/vocative address?

For example, I say, "Please hand me the jar, David." It is clear that I am addressing the statement "please hand me the jar" to David.

But if my character has a tendency to end emotional upsetting statements with the phrase "Lord in heaven", even if she is not addressing the preceding statement to the "Lord in heaven", by grammar rules and convention, by default, does the "Lord in heaven" become a direct address/vocative address?

For example, my character says, "This month has been so tough for this poor family living without central heating Lord in Heaven." She added the words Lord in Heaven as an afterthought and as a habit she does whenever she is saying something emotionally disturbing or distressing. However, can the "Lord in heaven" be seen as an afterthought or does it by default become a direct or vocative address?

One Answer

'Lord in Heaven' is an expletive, used to add force to the statement that has just been made. I would expect it to be preceded by a comma.

Using the name of, or a reference to, a deity as an exclamation can be seen either as addressing them or swearing by them, as in '[By] God, I'm tired!'

Answered by Kate Bunting on June 12, 2021

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