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Flowersun2013 Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Comma question

Here is the sentence:

As T.S. Eliot said, "Not only every great poet, but every genuine, though lesser poet, fulfills once for all some possibility of the language, and so leaves one possibility less for his successors."

I am confused hen a comma should be used before "and." I thought when "and" joins two independent clauses, a comma must be put before "and." But "so leaves one possibility less for his successors" does not seem to be an independent clause, for it does not have a subject. In this case, is the comma before "and" required?
  

Top answer

" But "so leaves one possibility less for his successors" does not seem to be an independent clause, for it does not have a subject. The rule is true (except for very short sentences) but it refers to one comma not used otherwise. Here, the comma before 'and' pairs with the comma before 'but' to set off the enclosed unit.

— Mister Micawber

  • " But "so leaves one possibility less for his successors" does not seem to be an independent clause, for it does not have a subject.
  • The rule is true (except for very short sentences) but it refers to one comma not used otherwise.
  • Here, the comma before 'and' pairs with the comma before 'but' to set off the enclosed unit.
  • That punctuation too can be argued, but it is not a fault of the subjectless 'leaves'.
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1 Answers
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flowersun2013I thought when "and" joins two independent clauses, a comma must be put before "and." But "so leaves one possibility less for his successors" does not seem to be an independent clause, for it does not have a subject.
The rule is true (except for very short sentences) but it refers to one comma not used otherwise. Here, the comma before 'and' pair
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