Regarding a use of parentheses comma.

Question

This is just a general question to know whether parentheses comma can be used "when" multiple comms are coming after it. Like this for example : "He has ripped apart, most biased, most immoral, most corrupt, government organisation". Here in this example the perentheses comma has been used after the word "apart" and ends after the word "corrupt". So essentially we have put "most biased, most immoral, most corrupt" under the parentheses. This is just an example. My question is can parenthesis be used in this way? Can multiple commas follow parenthesis like in my sentence?

Thanks and regards

Mr Wordy · Accepted Answer

I think the answer to your question is that the commas after "apart" and "corrupt" are not required, but it's a little difficult to be sure because the sentence is ungrammatical irrespective of the comma placement and it's not completely clear what was intended. The most obvious fix is to insert an article (or other determiner) before "most biased". Did you copy this from another source? If so, double-check that you've not introduced any typos.

Joe2012 · Answer

No, I've not copied it from anywhere. Actually use of parentheses confuses me so I just created an example to explain my problem. It wasn't about example as I've mentioned in my question. So there is no problem even it's wrong, I just want to know the use of parenthesis in the mentioned situations is correct or not. I encounter many such situations while I do writing that's why I asked.

Have one request though please make a situation as suggested in my example, given the example
I suggested is ungrammatical, and tell me use of parenthesis would be correct in those types of situations or not.

Regards

BarbaraPA · Answer

I don't feel your example is a good example of a parenthetical remark.

In general,if your parenthetical remark has commas, I'd suggest setting it off some other way, either with em-dashes or actual parentheses.

For example:

My teacher, a great big loud fellow with a long black beard, was such a sweetheart.

You can't really put another comma-needing phrase in there.

My teacher -- a great big loud fellow with a long black beard, which he sometimes braided for fun to match his braided hair -- was such a sweetheart.

Joe2012 · Answer

Grammar GeekYou can't really put another comma-needing phrase in there.
My teacher -- a great big loud fellow with a long black beard, which he sometimes braided for fun to match his braided hair -- was such a sweetheart.

Thanks Grammar Geek. I agree with you dash would be much more appropriate in those situations than perenthesis comma. You really have resolved my confusion. Kudos to you. Thanks a ton.

Regards

Mr Wordy · Answer

Well, the easiest thing is just to make the simple fix I suggested:

"He has ripped apart the most biased, most immoral, most corrupt government organisation."

There is no parenthesis involved here, just a series of adjectives that modify "government organisation".

For some typical examples of parenthetical commas, see http://editfast.com/english/grammar/commas/commas_parenthetical.htm or http://grammartips.homestead.com/interrupters.html

Joe2012 · Answer

Thanks Mr. Wordy for your comment and time. Appreciate it. I shall go through the links provided by you. But do you agree dash can be used it situations mentioned by me? It could be a better choice? I mean it will not result in comma splice, no?

Regards

Mr Wordy · Answer

RazerThanks Mr. Wordy for your comment and time. Appreciate it. I shall go through the links provided by you. But do you agree dash can be used it situations mentioned by me? It could be a better choice? I mean it will not result in comma splice, no?

Yes, dashes can be used in situations where you want to set off a parenthetical phrase which itself includes a comma, per GG's example. This would not be a comma splice.

Sorry, I was initially confused by the fact that your example sentence did not actually illustrate your question, and I kind of went off on the wrong track of trying to fix the example rather than answer the question...

Joe2012 · Answer

Mr Wordy Yes, dashes can be used in situations where you want to set off a parenthetical phrase which itself includes a comma, per GG's example. This would not be a comma splice.

Thanks for clarifying this. My doubt regarding "commas within parentheses" was almost settle yesterday. But it's not so when I got wind today that I've posted the same question in another forum also in my bid to get the good understanding of the use of parentheses. One "VIP member" in the other forum told me that :

"If you take your parenthesis out, you don't have a proper sentence:

"He has ripped apart government organization".
So, it's not a parenthesis.

In theory, as I'm sure you'll find out, sooner or later, commas can occur within a parenthetical element."

The above contrary view by that VIP member has created a bit of confusion in me. I'm wondering whose explanation should I go with now! Do you agree with him?

** I've understood Grammar Geek's point, Wordy's point very well, but why is he contrarily "implying" that the use of parenthesis in my example is right! I shall provide the link of that forum if you want. **

Mr Wordy Sorry, I was initially confused by the fact that your example sentence did not actually illustrate your question, and I kind of went off on the wrong track of trying to fix the example rather than answer the question...

Oh! No problem. It happens sometimes

PS: I could not reply yesterday as I didn't have access to internet, have just got access to internet few hours back .

Regards

Mr Wordy · Answer

RazerIn theory, as I'm sure you'll find out, sooner or later, commas can occur within a parenthetical element."

The above contrary view by that VIP member has created a bit of confusion in me. I'm wondering whose explanation should I go with now! Do you agree with him?

This is not actually contrary to what I said. I agreed with you that dashes could be used, but I did not say that the inclusion of a comma within a comma-delineated parenthetical element was always wrong. Having said that, the example given above reads awkwardly to me, and I personally would not put a comma after "out". There may be better examples to be found -- though we all seem to agree that your original example isn't one of them, and, in fact, isn't parenthetical at all.

BarbaraPA · Answer

Hi again,
I've watched that thread there too, and when I read that example with "sooner or later" after the comma I though "well, that's one that could work, but I wouldn't use the comma after 'out' myself." So Mr. Wordy and I agree on that too.

On the other hand, I know that I did use a parenthetical comment that was set off with commas, and that it also had a comma within it, and as I was writing it, I thought "Oh, I should copy that into this thread" but now I have no idea what I wrote or where it was!

I would still suggest that as a matter of style, using actual parentheses or dashes would often be preferable, but I also acknowledge that it's not inherently ungrammatical to use just the commas.

If I think of a better example than the "sooner or later" I will write it here instead of just thinking that I should write it here.

Regarding a use of parentheses comma.

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