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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Parenthetical Grammar Question
Hi!
I have a question regarding parentheticals. Parenthetical sentences are a pain in the butt for me to fully understand, especially when it comes to the more subtle sentences.
For example, is this a parenthetical sentence:
#1. "There are programs where people can join for free."
Do you have to put a comma before the word "where?" If yes, what is the rule that you follow to know for sure? If no, then why?
I read somewhere that if the root sentence (in this case, "there are programs") can be understood/independent without the second part (in this case, "people can join for free"), then there needs to be a comma to separate the two. And to me, it looks likes the first part of the sentence is INdependent. So, would it be correct to seperate the first part of the sentence from the second part?
There is also another sentence, which is confusing to me, as to why there needs to be a comma. I read somewhere that the following sentence is a parenthetical statement, but I don't understand why:
#2. "She went to UCLA, where she studied psychology."
Isn't the fact that she studied psychology essential to us understanding the sentence as a whole?
Any solid rules regarding parentheticals and some more subtle examples given by you guys would be PRICELESS for me to understand this confusing stuff. THANK YOU SO MUCH! :-)
I have a question regarding parentheticals. Parenthetical sentences are a pain in the butt for me to fully understand, especially when it comes to the more subtle sentences.
For example, is this a parenthetical sentence:
#1. "There are programs where people can join for free."
Do you have to put a comma before the word "where?" If yes, what is the rule that you follow to know for sure? If no, then why?
I read somewhere that if the root sentence (in this case, "there are programs") can be understood/independent without the second part (in this case, "people can join for free"), then there needs to be a comma to separate the two. And to me, it looks likes the first part of the sentence is INdependent. So, would it be correct to seperate the first part of the sentence from the second part?
There is also another sentence, which is confusing to me, as to why there needs to be a comma. I read somewhere that the following sentence is a parenthetical statement, but I don't understand why:
#2. "She went to UCLA, where she studied psychology."
Isn't the fact that she studied psychology essential to us understanding the sentence as a whole?
Any solid rules regarding parentheticals and some more subtle examples given by you guys would be PRICELESS for me to understand this confusing stuff. THANK YOU SO MUCH! :-)
Top answer
Non-restrictive clauses (what you are calling 'parentheticals') add extra information to the matrix clause. #1. There are programs where people can join for free .
- Non-restrictive clauses (what you are calling 'parentheticals') add extra information to the matrix clause.
- #1.
- There are programs where people can join for free .
- -- 'There are programs': this clause can stand alone, but it means virtually nothing without the sort of program that is being considered.
- That is why the 'where' clause is restrictive; it restricts or defines 'programs' and takes no commas.
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1 Answers
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Non-restrictive clauses (what you are calling 'parentheticals') add extra information to the matrix clause.
#1. There are programs where people can join for free. -- 'There are programs': this clause can stand alone, but it means virtually nothing without the sort of program that is being considered. That is why the 'where' clause is restrictive; it restricts or defines 'programs'
#1. There are programs where people can join for free. -- 'There are programs': this clause can stand alone, but it means virtually nothing without the sort of program that is being considered. That is why the 'where' clause is restrictive; it restricts or defines 'programs'
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