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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
For subordinate clauses predicatively - if long, use comma?
Hi. Would you say any subordinate clauses that are placed predicatively should have a comma before it if any of them gets long and/or might confuse the reader?
eg,
1. He didn't complete the exam, (place a comma since what comes after long?) as he didn't spend (hadn't spent) many hours studying for the exam eventhough he had been urged (was urged) by his friends repeatly over the previous (last?) several months. -- I think the verbs in paretheses are a good option to use as a corresponding tense pair.
2. He didn't complete the exam, (confusing without a comma here?) after having studied extensively over the past few months, covering from the ensuing chapter from the last semester to the final chapter of this semester.
3. He came home early on Friday, (confusing without a comma here?) before completing his project for the week, which he had given his word to his superior that he would do so, to begin planning for a weekend that would involve a trip to an island south.
eg,
1. He didn't complete the exam, (place a comma since what comes after long?) as he didn't spend (hadn't spent) many hours studying for the exam eventhough he had been urged (was urged) by his friends repeatly over the previous (last?) several months. -- I think the verbs in paretheses are a good option to use as a corresponding tense pair.
2. He didn't complete the exam, (confusing without a comma here?) after having studied extensively over the past few months, covering from the ensuing chapter from the last semester to the final chapter of this semester.
3. He came home early on Friday, (confusing without a comma here?) before completing his project for the week, which he had given his word to his superior that he would do so, to begin planning for a weekend that would involve a trip to an island south.
Top answer
1) My preference would be to drop the first comma, and I would insist on one between exam and even though (not eventhough) 2) My preference would be to drop the first comma. The words covering and ensuing are correctly used but confusing. " is easier to understand.
- 1) My preference would be to drop the first comma, and I would insist on one between exam and even though (not eventhough) 2) My preference would be to drop the first comma.
- The words covering and ensuing are correctly used but confusing.
- " is easier to understand.
- 3)Unless you can come up with really good organization, this is too much information for one sentence.
- He came home early on Friday before completing his project for the week.
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2 Answers
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1) My preference would be to drop the first comma, and I would insist on one between exam and even though (not eventhough)
2) My preference would be to drop the first comma. The words covering and ensuing are correctly used but confusing. "going from the final chapter from the last semester to the final chapter in this semester." is easier to understand.
2) My preference would be to drop the first comma. The words covering and ensuing are correctly used but confusing. "going from the final chapter from the last semester to the final chapter in this semester." is easier to understand.
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Hi, Thank you. Could you help me with some individual cases? Please see colored part for my additional questions/comments.
I wrote:
Hi. Would you say any subordinate clauses that are placed predicatively should have a comma before it if any of them gets long and/or might confuse the reader?
eg,
1. He didn't complete the exam, (place a comma since what comes aft
I wrote:
Hi. Would you say any subordinate clauses that are placed predicatively should have a comma before it if any of them gets long and/or might confuse the reader?
eg,
1. He didn't complete the exam, (place a comma since what comes aft
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