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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Fuzzy comma placement cases?
Hi. Can you please comment on what I said?
1. This is a message about Joe, which John was asked to send a few days ago. -- I think the comma is correctly placed. I am not sure whether the underlined part could be construed (thought of?) as being essential in any sentential context that we normally encounter. (Not sure I said correctly what I wanted to say.) Do you?
2. He received a message about Joe which John asked him to send a few days ago. -- I think a person could either put a comma or not put a comma. I can't come up with a sound reason for resorting to either of the decisions, though. Help.
3. This can be played in teams or individually, depending on the size of the group. -- Like the first one above, I think the comma is corrrectly place. Also I think it is hard to conceive of a sentential situation where the underlined part would be considered essential (not sure I said what I wanted to say correctly, though).
4. In terms of organization, some groups are organized, while others are not. -- For this, I think it could be thought of as being correct whether a comma is used or not depending on the effect you would like to create -- with a comma, contrast is more vivid, whereas without it it would not be so vivid or apparent (not sure, though).
1. This is a message about Joe, which John was asked to send a few days ago. -- I think the comma is correctly placed. I am not sure whether the underlined part could be construed (thought of?) as being essential in any sentential context that we normally encounter. (Not sure I said correctly what I wanted to say.) Do you?
2. He received a message about Joe which John asked him to send a few days ago. -- I think a person could either put a comma or not put a comma. I can't come up with a sound reason for resorting to either of the decisions, though. Help.
3. This can be played in teams or individually, depending on the size of the group. -- Like the first one above, I think the comma is corrrectly place. Also I think it is hard to conceive of a sentential situation where the underlined part would be considered essential (not sure I said what I wanted to say correctly, though).
4. In terms of organization, some groups are organized, while others are not. -- For this, I think it could be thought of as being correct whether a comma is used or not depending on the effect you would like to create -- with a comma, contrast is more vivid, whereas without it it would not be so vivid or apparent (not sure, though).
Top answer
I agree with your reasoning and comments completely. 1. In the first sentence a comma seems preferable after Joe since one gets the impression that the person who utters the sentence is holding the message, just one message, in his hand right now.
- I agree with your reasoning and comments completely.
- 1.
- In the first sentence a comma seems preferable after Joe since one gets the impression that the person who utters the sentence is holding the message, just one message, in his hand right now.
- ).
- 2.
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1 Answers
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I agree with your reasoning and comments completely.
1. In the first sentence a comma seems preferable after Joe since one gets the impression that the person who utters the sentence is holding the message, just one message, in his hand right now. Therefore the relative clause is best interpreted as being nonrestrictive or nondefining (depending on the term you want to us
1. In the first sentence a comma seems preferable after Joe since one gets the impression that the person who utters the sentence is holding the message, just one message, in his hand right now. Therefore the relative clause is best interpreted as being nonrestrictive or nondefining (depending on the term you want to us
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