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Vsuresh Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

comma

Hi
Please tell me if the comma is necessary here.

It was the story of her struggle for freedom, which she was going through.
  

Top answer

vsuresh comma No comma is used in a cleft structure like this. It needs to be removed. It's hard to see how a person ( she ) could "go through a story", which is what the sentence claims — although someone might "go through a struggle", which is what I think the sentence is trying to say.

— CalifJim

  • vsuresh comma No comma is used in a cleft structure like this.
  • It needs to be removed.
  • It's hard to see how a person ( she ) could "go through a story", which is what the sentence claims — although someone might "go through a struggle", which is what I think the sentence is trying to say.
  • CJ
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8 Answers
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vsureshcomma
No comma is used in a cleft structure like this. It needs to be removed.

It's hard to see how a person (she) could "go through a story", which is what the sentence claims — although someone might "go through a struggle", which is what I think the sentence is trying to say.

CJ
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Thank you once again.

I meant which to refer to struggle.
Is it possible?
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vsureshI meant which to refer to struggle.Is it possible?
Yes, if you change "her" to "the".

"the struggle ... which she was going through"

CJ
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Thank you,CJ.

The change made me think how closely you have looked at it.
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vsureshThank you,CJ. The change made me think how closely you have looked at it.
I have the advantage of being a native speaker. The sentence as you conceived of it now turns out not to be a cleft structure after all. I thought you were aiming at one thing while you were actually aiming at something else. That's why it sometimes takes a discussion on a foru
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Hi CJ
I have done it.

Is comma necessary here?

It was the story of the struggle for freedom which she was going through.
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vsureshIs comma necessary here?
No. It's good as you've written it. It's a restrictive clause. It was the struggle which she was going through, not any other struggle. For example, it was not the struggle that somebody else was going through. Because it specifies which struggle you're talking about, there is no comma.

CJ
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