0
Moon7296 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

two comma insertion

According to Shelley Taylor, a social psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, males show a "fight-or-flight" response to social stress: they either run away, to avoid the stressor, or stay and fight.

Q1) Is the "to avoid the stressor" part a necessary element of the sentence or an optional one?

Q2) Regardless of the question #1, is it okay for it to be moved like these?
1. ... to avoid the stressor, they either run away, or stay and fight.
2. ... they either run away, or stay and fight to avoid the stressor.
  

Top answer

moon7296 Q1) Is the "to avoid the stressor" part a necessary element of the sentence or an optional one? I think it's restrictive. moon7296 Q2) Regardless of the question #1, is it okay for it to be moved like these?

— Mister Micawber

  • moon7296 Q1) Is the "to avoid the stressor" part a necessary element of the sentence or an optional one?
  • I think it's restrictive.
  • moon7296 Q2) Regardless of the question #1, is it okay for it to be moved like these?
  • No.
  • Staying is the opposite of avoiding.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

3 Answers
0
moon7296Q1) Is the "to avoid the stressor" part a necessary element of the sentence or an optional one?
I think it's restrictive.
moon7296Q2) Regardless of the question #1, is it okay for it to be moved like these?
No. Staying is the opposite of avoiding.
0
0
Thank you for answering. Then what's the difference between with commas and without commas. Is there any difference?
0
0
...they either run away(,) to avoid the stressor(,) or stay and fight.

No difference in meaning. The commas were used here, I think, merely to make the sentence structure clear.
0

Related Questions