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Hans51 Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

"I am sorry to say,"

"I am sorry to say, this machine is out of order."

I saw the sentence and I was wondering why the comma is needed because 'this machine is out of order' is just an object of the verb say like say (that) I respect you or 'I am sorry to say' is an idiom and the structure with a comma is okay to use?

What do you native English speakers think? Thank you so much as usual and have a good day.
  

Top answer

Hans51 I was wondering why the comma is needed It should not be there. A good editor would delete it.

— Mister Micawber

  • Hans51 I was wondering why the comma is needed It should not be there.
  • A good editor would delete it.
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5 Answers
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Hans51 I was wondering why the comma is needed
It should not be there. A good editor would delete it.
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Thank you so much as usual and do you feel meaning difference between them?

1) I am sorry to say this, but this machine is out of order.

2) I am sorry to say that this machine is out of order.

I know but has a meaning but I think that there is not much meaning difference between the two sentences and the two ways can be used for same meaning in the same situation.
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Hans51do you feel meaning difference between them?1) I am sorry to say this, but this machine is out of order.2) I am sorry to say that this machine is out of order.
No, not really.
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I thought it was a reduced form of "I'm sorry to say this, but....", and works as an interjection or discouse marker. I though ot needed a comma.
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AnonymousI thought it was a reduced form
It may be, but reductions or any other changes in actual structure are likely to affect punctuation.
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