Comma confusion.

Question

Hi, can someone explain to me if I was correct when I myself returned a document sent to ME to be signed by my wife and returned to an office relating to her.referred to below. the direction was this.:

Discuss this with your spouse and if you want to proceed, s/he will need to sign the slip below and return it directly to his/her sw office.

.... so grammatically was I correct to return it? if so please explain the grammar

Thanks

C

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Anonymous so grammatically was I correct to return it? if so please explain the grammar

I don't understand your problem with the grammar or with the comma, neither of which seems confusing. If you want to proceed, then your wife should sign the paper and you should return it to her office.

Anonymous · Answer

Hi thanks for replying.

The problem was when I returned it to the office the woman in the office gave me a right rollicking and was quite rude to me, she told me I was not supposed to return it, that my wife was.

I wish to write to the office making a complaint that I was only following the instruction.

BTW it does not say 'and' return it to the office it says 'and' as that instruction follows the instruction for her to sign it but the instruction to me does not end in a full stop is it correct for me to think either I/she can return it.

if the answer is yes, what is this grammar rule called?

Mister Micawber · Answer

Anonymousshe told me I was not supposed to return it, that my wife was.

Ah, I see. It has nothing to do with commas, and I think that the office lady was quite persnickety to expect anyone to notice such a subtlety:

...s/he will need to sign the slip below and return it...

Because 'return' has no grammatical subject of its own, this clause is treated as one with a compound verb, both verbs of which ('sign' and 'return') are referenced to the same subject ('she will need').

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks !

Comma confusion.

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