Commas can be used alone or in pairs. Often, when a pair of commas is called for (at the beginning and end of a phrase that has been set into the middle of something else), the writer puts in the first comma, then gets busy with the rest of the sentence and forgets the second comma of the pair.
Here is a good example of this as it appeared in a Religious News Service story by Daniel Burke:
Even less controversial issues, like the overhaul of the White House faith-based office have been kept outside the public eye.
The basic statement here is: Even less controversial issues have been kept outside the public eye. The phrase "like the overhaul of the White House faith-based office" is set into the middle of the statement AS AN EXAMPLE OF A LESS CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE. It should be set off with a comma at the beginning AND another comma at the end of the phrase that is set into the middle of the statement.
The sentence should be punctuated this way:
Even less controversial issues, like the overhaul of the White House faith-based office, have been kept outside the public eye.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
I have a question concerning comma placement, which has to do with opening statements in a sentence. As in the sentence above should there be a comma after placement?
How about these examples?
After leaving Tom's house, I drove my car fifty miles to the next town.
The second day I was there, somebody came and took me to their leader.
At that time, the only way back was to take the lest traveled route.
Thank you.
Reply to JimK-III
Here is a good rule of thumb for opening phrases in a sentence: Any phrase three words or longer that comes before the main subject of the sentence should be set off with a comma. This rule would apply to the last three examples you gave of introductory phrases:
After leaving Tom's house, I drove my car fifty miles to the next town.
The second day I was there, somebody came and took me to their leader.
At that time, the only way back was to take the lest traveled route.
If the phrase is shorter, as in the examples below, you have the option of leaving out the comma if the sentence is clear without it. In my own writing, I usually do this. Notice below that this type of shorter introductory phrase often sounds better at the end of the sentence:
By Monday we will have sold ten widgets.
We will have sold ten widgets by Monday.
Yesterday the market closed up.
The market closed up yesterday.
As for your first example, I use another "rule of thumb" that says to use "that" for information necessary to the meaning of the sentence (with NO comma before it) and "which" for information that is nice to know but does not change the meaning of what you are referring to. See if the following examples clarify what I mean:
I have a question about comma placement that has to do with opening statements in a sentence. (no comma)
He rides a horse that has won four races. (no comma)
I have a question about comma placement, which is a subject that frustrates me. (nice to know, but doesn't change the meaning of "comma placement")
He rides a horse, which is what I'd like to do some mornings.
This is not an absolute rule, but it works well to help streamline your decision making and keep your writing consistent.
Hope that helps.
Post a Comment