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Hi I'm unsure of the commas... Can you help? Her mother was a prostitute, who emotionally abused her daughter because she did not want her and actually tried to kill her several times, by overdose. It was not until Mary turned three that her mother realized that she could make money through Mary by prostituting her to pedophiles.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

I'm unsure of the commas... Can you help?

Her mother was a prostitute, who emotionally abused her daughter because she did not want her and actually tried to kill her several times, by overdose. It was not until Mary turned three that her mother realized that she could make money through Mary by prostituting her to pedophiles.

Consider that a comma simply represents a place where you would want to pause briefly if speaking this. The question thus beomes a matter of where you would pause, and why.

Like you, I would pause after 'prostitute', although I wouldn't say it is wrong if you don't. The pause lets the listener absorb what has been said, to set the scene in his mind, before you add more interesting details.

Unlike you, I would not pause after 'times', because 'tried to kill her . . . by overdose' seems to me like a single thought.

Best wishes, Clive

Avangi · Answer

I'd pause after "did not want her," but not after "several times."

Welcome to English Forums, nsanchez. Thanks for joining us!

Best wishes, - A.

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I'm unsure of the commas... Can you help?

Her mother was a prostitute, who emotionally abused her daughter because she did not want her and actually tried to kill her several times, by overdose. It was not until Mary turned three that her mother realized that she could make money through Mary by prostituting her to pedophiles.

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