USAGE OF COMMA (AS)

Hi,

Related storms also caused extensive damage and killed horses at a Kentucky race track as a line of severe thunderstorms crossed the area.

A comma reduces the causal bond. Consider 'He died as lightning struck' compared to 'He died, as lightning struck'. The former suggests the lightning was the cause, the latter doesn't as much. However,

Clive
Hi,

Here, I'd say you could add a comma ... or not. I wouldn't.

Best wishes, Clive
I wouldn't either. Nor would I say one would be o.k., based on your excellent explanation.

Hi Clive,

Thanks for your response. The line of thunderstorms were responsible for the damage and deaths.

Hi Krish,

Related storms also caused extensive damage and killed horses at a Kentucky race track as a line of severe thunderstorms crossed the area.

I think the phrase 'related storms' is a bit unclear. related to what? To each other? To the 'line of severe thunderstorms? Better to say something like

Hi Clive,

What is the meaning of the latter sentence--He died, as lightning struck? Would you please provide a couple of more examples with and without a comma before 'as'?

Hi,

He died, as lightning struck I'd take this to mean that lightning struck at the same time as he died. However, it doesn't tell me that it was the lightning that killed him.

She smiled as she saw him versus She smiled, as she saw him.

Stock prices went up as the USA invaded Iraq versus Stock prices went up, as the USA invade

Clive

Your explanation is clear.

However, another person, whose hobby is puntuation, claims it is the opposite. She cited a list references, listed below, to which I do not have access.

Do you have a reference for your explanation?

Interested Writer

The Cambridge Guide to English Usage
© Cambridge University Press 2004

The Chicag

Related storms also caused extensive damage and killed horses at a Kentucky race track, as a line of severe thunderstorms crossed the area.

You don't need the comma at all because 'He died' is the main clause and 'as lightning struck' is the subordinate clause. I think a comma would only be needed if you started with the subordinate clause: 'As lightning struck, he died.' To me, 'He died as lightening struck' means he died at the same time as the lightning struck. If you want to convey that he died because the lightning struck, you'd

Clive is correct. Imagine writing a story where a sick person is dying in bed. At the moment of his death, lightning strikes. This makes the death scene more dramatic, and this is how 'He died, as lightning struck.' is read. He could have been in his bed and the lightning outside. Now, if the man was outside and hit by lightning and killed, the sentence 'He died as lightning struck.' would mak