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Snarf Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Afterwards...holding each other

Afterwards, they just lay in bed, holding each other.

Those two commas are fine there, right?
  

Top answer

In fiction, you're on your own. The punctuation is part of the art of it. But those two commas are good in my opinion.

— Enoon

  • In fiction, you're on your own.
  • The punctuation is part of the art of it.
  • But those two commas are good in my opinion.
  • The first is necessary, and the second is writer's choice.
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3 Answers
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In fiction, you're on your own. The punctuation is part of the art of it. But those two commas are good in my opinion. The first is necessary, and the second is writer's choice.
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Well, let me ask you this, enoon: what makes the first one necessary and the second one optional?
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An introductory adverb gets a comma by convention. It relieves both the reader and writer from indecision. Such commas are invisible to the experienced reader. The second one changes the grammar slightly. Without the comma, the way they lay in bed was holding each other. With it, they held each other in bed. That distinction is slight, and I might be making it up, but either way, the comma doesn't
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