Is the comma here 'optional' or 'a must'

Question

Dear all,There is disagreement between my colleagues and me about the answer to this blank. Since you have been so helpful and knowledgeble, would you please help me with this one? The text is printed below for your reference.Libera is a choir of boys, whose ages range from seven to 16. The choir=92s director, Robert Prizeman, chose the name Libera because it=92s Latin for =93free.=94 He says, =93Free is supposed to be a word that sums u= pwhat the music is about.=94 Indeed, their musical style is much freer than traditional choirs. They sing original and classical songs also performing songs by modern artists like Enya.A) while B) , which C) which D), whileThe correct answer provided is D, but I've checked several sources and we all think A is also a possible answer. Would you tell me if the comma is optional. Thanks for your timely help. With best regards,Gloria

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Dear all, There is disagreement between my colleagues and me about the answer to this blank. Since you have been ... A is also a possible answer. Would you tell me if the comma is optional. Thanks for your timely help.[/nq]
I see no difference whatever in acceptability between A) and D). "While" is a preposition, not a relative pronoun, so the old rule about using no commas with defining clauses but using commas with non-defining clauses does not apply. Indeed, I would argue, to the extent that any nuance is involved, that A) is the superior answer, because it more strongly creates a sense of simultaneity that is, that the group sings original and classical songs at the same time (during the same performance) as songs by modern artists.

On the basic question, though, there is no question in my mind that your colleagues are simply wrong in arguing that A) is not a correct answer.

Bob Lieblich
Who gets his classical songs from compace discs

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Dear all, There is disagreement between my colleagues and me ... if the comma is optional. Thanks for your timely help.[/nq]
[nq:1]I see no difference whatever in acceptability between A) and D). "While" is a preposition, not a relative pronoun, so ... the group sings original and classical songs at the same time (during the same performance) as songs by modern artists.[/nq]
Maybe it is my non-native language sense, but I perceive answers A) and D) as having different meanings. As you say, A) creates a sense of simultaneity, while D) creates a sense of contrast. I perceive the meaning of the sentence formed with D):
"They sing original and classical songs, while also performing songs by modern artists like Enya."
as being equivalent to the meaning of:
"They sing original and classical songs, but also perform songs by modern artists like Enya."

You'd be crazy to e-mail me with the crazy. But leave the div alone.

Usenet · Answer

Dear all,
There is disagreement between my colleagues and me about the answer to this blank. Since you have been so helpful and knowledgeble, would you please help me with this one? The text is printed below for your reference.
Libera is a choir of boys, whose ages range from seven to 16. The choir?s director, Robert Prizeman, chose the name Libera because it?s Latin for ?free.? He says, ?Free is supposed to be a word that sums up what the music is about.? musical stIndeed, their yle is much freer than traditional choirs. They sing original and classical songs also performing songs by modern artists like Enya.

A) while B) , which C) which D), while
Something else distubs me in the sentence, namely "Indeed, their style is much freer
than traditional choirs." I shoud very much prefer "Indeed, their style is much freer than that of traditional choirs."

CW

Usenet · Answer

Dear all,
There is disagreement between my colleagues and me about the answer to this blank. Since you have been so helpful and knowledgeble, would you please help me with this one? The text is printed below for your reference.
Libera is a choir of boys, whose ages range from seven to 16. The choir?s director, Robert Prizeman, chose the name Libera because it?s Latin for ?free.? He says, ?Free is supposed to be a word that sums up what the music is about.? Indeed, their musical style is much freer than traditional choirs. They sing original and classical songs also performing songs by modern artists like Enya.

A) while B) , which C) which D), while
The correct answer provided is D, but I've checked several sources and we all think A is also a possible answer. Would you tell me if the comma is optional. Thanks for your timely help. With best regards,
I would put the full-stop after the inverted commas in free; the last word of the second sentence. It's not a quote. It is only to emphasize a word in the sentence. "free". But there will be plenty who disagree.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Dear all, There is disagreement between my colleagues and me about the answer to this blank. Since you have been ... also performing songs by modern artists like Enya. A) while B) , which C) which D), while[/nq]
I wouldn't put "which", with or without a comma.
I'm not keen on either of the others, either, as a bare comma (no "while" at all) is quite sufficient. However, many would put (D).
[nq:1]Something else distubs me in the sentence, namely "Indeed, their style is much freer than traditional choirs." I shoud very much prefer "Indeed, their style is much freer than that of traditional choirs."[/nq]
I agree with your reaction, but this sort of construction is quite common, and doesn't usually lead to any ambiguity.
athel

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1] Libera is a choir of boys, whose ages range from seven to 16. The choir?s director, Robert ... a possible answer. Would you tell me if the comma is optional. Thanks for your timely help. With best regards,[/nq]
As I already said in reply to Claude, my preferred answer would be E) ,

However, just a word about the (slight) ambiguity caused by omitting the comma before "while". Those who are making an effort to misunderstand could take "while" to indicate that they were doing the two things simultaneously half of the choir singing original and classical songs, the other half performing songs by Enya. Common sense tells you that that is not what is meant, so omitting the comma doesn't do much damage, and even including it doesn't entirely eliminate the possibility of wilful misunderstanding.

athel

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Dear all, There is disagreement between my colleagues and me ... if the comma is optional. Thanks for your timely help.[/nq]
[nq:1]I see no difference whatever in acceptability between A) and D). "While" is a preposition, not a relative pronoun, so ... no question in my mind that your colleagues are simply wrong in arguing that A) is not a correct answer.[/nq]
Grammars are models of language, and all models are approximations. As far as the English that I, at least, speak is concerned, your model is not a perfect fit at this point, and the detail therefore not relevant.
To me, the sense of simultaneity in (A) is too strong for it to be a sensible answer, absent further detail. It's the same simultaneity that one might meet in, for example, "I shall now juggle five chainsaws while playing this trumpet". It asks the reader to understand that the choir performs multiple songs at one and the same time (not unheard of, but improbable, and likely to have been more explicitly stated, were it genuinely the intended meaning).

(D), by contrast, merely indicates the presence of songs in multiple styles in the choir's active repertoire (a far more reasonable interpretation, and one that you ascribe to (A)).
Whether or not (A) is an acceptable answer to the question facing the OP and colleagues depends on the instructions given on how to answer it (which we are not given). If they were asked to select a grammatically valid answer, then I would have to concede that, yes, (A) meets the criterion. If they were asked to select on other or less specific grounds, though, then (A) is a poor answer because of its likely error of meaning.
Cheers - Ian
(BrE: Yorks, Hants.)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Grammars are models of language, and all models are approximations. As far as the English that I, at least, speak ... on other or less specific grounds, though, then (A) is a poor answer because of its likely error of meaning.[/nq]
He's right, Gloria.

Paul
Thames Valley BrE

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Grammars are models of language, and all models are approximations. As far as the English that I, at least, speak is concerned, your model is not a perfect fit at this point, and the detail therefore not relevant.[/nq]
You can cite here one of the last survivors of "law Latin" in everyday English: "de minimis non curat lex." This means that the law does not concern itself with trifling points (and the point about the comma is truly trivial.)

Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]There is disagreement between my colleagues and me about the ... if the comma is optional. Thanks for your timely help.[/nq]
[nq:1]I see no difference whatever in acceptability between A) and D). "While" is a preposition, not a relative pronoun, so ... the group sings original and classical songs at the same time (during the same performance) as songs by modern artists.[/nq]
I think that for me the sense of simultaneity in (A) is greater than that. I get a reading of "literally at the same time" (cf "played the guitar while also keeping the beat on the bass drum"), so I would go for (D) for what is probably meant.

Evan Kirshenbaum + HP Laboratories >Never ascribe to malice that which
1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 >can adequately be explained byPalo Alto, CA 94304 >stupidity.
(650)857-7572
http://www.kirshenbaum.net/

Is the comma here 'optional' or 'a must'

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