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Question

1. Can you ever use the article right before the word "each"? If you do, can you give me some examples?

2. Do you need a comma in the place marked?

There is a man with a briefcase, ??? walking past the store.

BarbaraPA · Accepted Answer

Believer1. Can you ever use the article right before the word "each"? If you do, can you give me some examples?

2. Do you need a comma in the place marked?

There is a man with a briefcase, ??? walking past the store.

1. I can't think of when you would ever do this, unless "each" was part of some phrase that was being referred to as a whole. I'd have to work pretty hard to make an article before "each" sound naturual.

2. In this example, you you don't really need it, because it is clear that it is the man who is walking, not the briefcase. But there could be other "a noun with a noun" examples where the further description ("painted blue" or whatever), could otherwise refer to either of the nouns. There is a man with a briefcase wearing a red shirt seems nonsensical - although you can easily deduce the man is wearing the red shirt, not the briefcase. But There is a man with a briefcase, wearning a red shirt" is clear.

Believer · Answer

Thank you.

Is your assertion this? In the sentence "There is a man with a briefcase, ??? walking past the store," no comma is necessary because it can be restated as "There is a man with briefcase who is walking past the store"?

Then, could it be different if it is changed like this?

There is John with a briefcase, ??? walking past the store.

(Is it OK to put the comma there?)

How about this, is this sentence correct?

There is a man walking tall on the sidewalk, ??? munching on potato chips.

(Isn't the comma necessary there?)

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