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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Comma and grammar correct here?

Sentence: I love the way liberal columnists, who have excellent command over the English language, scoff at their ideological adversaries.

Question: Is the use of comma correct in the sentence? Is the sentence grammatically correct?

Thanks
  

Top answer

Is the use of comma correct in the sentence? -- It is correct either with commas (where the relative clause refers to all liberal columnists) or without commas (where the relative clause refers only to literate liberal columnists). Is the sentence grammatically correct?

— Mister Micawber

  • Is the use of comma correct in the sentence?
  • -- It is correct either with commas (where the relative clause refers to all liberal columnists) or without commas (where the relative clause refers only to literate liberal columnists).
  • Is the sentence grammatically correct?
  • - Yes.
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4 Answers
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Is the use of comma correct in the sentence? -- It is correct either with commas (where the relative clause refers to all liberal columnists) or without commas (where the relative clause refers only to literate liberal columnists).
Is the sentence grammatically correct?- Yes.
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The comma is necessary because who have excellent command of the English language is a non-defining relative clause, which adds extra information and is unessential, meaning it can be omitted without making the sentence incomplete.

I love the way liberal columnists scoff at their ideological adversaries.

Note that non-defining clauses are also called nonrestrictive,
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As you can see, Gus, either punctuation is possible, so the commas are not necessarily necessary.
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You are right, Mister Micawber. I bothered to post to add more information on relative clauses and because I was almost certain that the intended meaning was that (generally) all liberal columnists were articulate English speakers.
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