Add a comma?

Question

Greetings. I visit here very occasionally. I'm reading Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett. I believe he's considered, at least by some, to be a master of English usage. I struggle sometimes with the use of the comma and take interest in it's use by others. Here's a sentence from Terry's book, Witches Abroad , Harper paperback, page 272:

"Apart from being as well-adapted a parasite as the oak bracket fungus Lady Volentia D'Arrangement was, by and large, a blameless sort of person."

I had to read the sentence a couple times, and mentally put a comma after the word "fungus," to understand it.
Your thoughts on whether it's better to add the comma?

Paul S.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Greetings. I visit here very occasionally. I'm reading Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett. I believe he's considered, at ... put a comma after the word "fungus," to understand it. Your thoughts on whether it's better to add the comma?[/nq]
I would put a comma there.
Some people grew up poor, or for other reasons, can't afford to use commas liberally. I have a supply, and I can send up to 100 commas to anyone who needs them, who will use them for a worthy purpose.
s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
Baltimore 17 years

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Greetings. I visit here very occasionally. I'm reading Witches ... Your thoughts on whether it's better to add the comma?[/nq]
[nq:1]I would put a comma there. Some people grew up poor, or for other reasons, can't afford to use commas ... I can send up to 100 commas to anyone who needs them, who will use them for a worthy purpose.[/nq]
I'm editing a magazine for a local creative writing group. The magazine is produced every year and sold in aid of a local charity. Some of the contributions are suffering from a severe shortage of commas, so I'd be most grateful if you could send me some of your spares - some colons and semi-colons would be useful too, if you have any in stock.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Greetings. I visit here very occasionally. I'm reading Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett. I believe he's considered, at ... put a comma after the word "fungus," to understand it. Your thoughts on whether it's better to add the comma?[/nq]
Much, much, much better.
(We all make mistakes sometimes, though. You used an it's which should have been its , for example.)
Matti

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Greetings. I visit here very occasionally. I'm reading Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett. I believe he's considered, at ... interest in it's use by others. Here's a sentence from Terry's book, Witches Abroad , Harper paperback, page 272:[/nq]
I don't know anyone who thinks Pterry is a 'master of English usage'. He's a talented writer, but that isn't the same thing.
'its use', not 'it's use'.
Many would frown on 'very occasionally'. 'Occasionally' means 'sometimes'. You perhaps wish to say 'rarely', which will accept a modifier with more grace
[nq:1]"Apart from being as well-adapted a parasite as the oak bracket fungus Lady Volentia D'Arrangement was, by and large, a ... put a comma after the word "fungus," to understand it. Your thoughts on whether it's better to add the comma?[/nq]
A bit late now - the **** thing's already been published. From a purist's POV, the comma is not required. It would make the sentence easier to understand if you're ****-bent on reading things once and once only.
John Dean
Oxford
De-frag to reply

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]"Apart from being as well-adapted a parasite as the oak bracket fungus Lady Volentia D'Arrangement was, by and large, a ... put a comma after the word "fungus," to understand it. Your thoughts on whether it's better to add the comma?[/nq]
Yes, it's wanted and needed. Curiously, it is the set-off commas around "by and large" that are not strictly needed.

The sentence, arranged less artistically, is:
Lady Volentia D'Arrangement was, apart from being as well-adapted a parasite as the oak bracket fungus, by and large, a blameless sort of person.
One can now better see that the comma after "large" is needless (the one before "by" is the missing comma that sets off the participial adjective phrase "apart . . . fungus").

We could well write:
Lady Volentia D'Arrangement was, apart from being as well-adapted a parasite as the oak bracket fungus, a blameless sort of person.
Or:
Lady Volentia D'Arrangement was by and large a blameless sort of person.
That last would look peculiar as:
Lady Volentia D'Arrangement was, by and large, a blameless sort of person.
I'm not sure whether it's actually wrong(1), but it's certainly not necessary and, in this case, spoils the flow of the prose.
(1) Probably not, as we do not get a mis-reading if we elide the set-off words, though we do get a significantly different one.

Cordially,
Eric Walker
My opinions on English are available at
http://owlcroft.com/english/

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]I would put a comma there. Some people grew up ... needs them, who will use them for a worthy purpose.[/nq]
The comma before "or" should follow it.
[nq:1]I'm editing a magazine for a local creative writing group. The magazine is produced every year and sold in aid ... me some of your spares - some colons and semi-colons would be useful too, if you have any in stock.[/nq]
I have been distributing hyphens at work for decades, and in the past few years I have become the purveyor of commas to Charles Riggs and other participants in That Other English Usage Group, AUE. If Meirman can keep up with the demand here, I am quite willing to forbear. I wish him well it's tougher than it looks.

I agree with the OP that the sentence that provoked this thread definitely needs a comma after "fungus." Pratchett is brilliant (American usage) at what he does, and I'm a big fan of his, but his fame doesn't rest on his stylish writing.

Bob Lieblich
Semicolons for sale cheap

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Greetings. I visit here very occasionally. I'm reading Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett. I believe he's considered, at ... of English usage. I struggle sometimes with the use of the comma and take interest in it's use by others.[/nq]
Before you tackle the comma, please dig into the apostrophe. It's sort of a prerequisite to learn its usage prior to figuring out commas. -)}
-Yukon Jack
(hint: the last part of the last sentence above, when unapostropied, reads: "...and take interest in it is use by others."

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]"Apart from being as well-adapted a parasite as the oak bracket fungusLady Volentia D'Arrangement was, by and large, a blameless ... after the word "fungus," to understand it. Your thoughts on whether it's better to add the comma? Paul S.[/nq]
This illustrates that the run-on effect in contemporary writing is sometimes not a good effect; top heavy on the subordination, the sentence should have been edited, let alone have an additional comma added.

Joanne

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