Sunday, October 20, 2019
3 Cases of Missing Commas
3 Cases of Missing Commas 3 Cases of Missing Commas 3 Cases of Missing Commas By Mark Nichol The presence or absence of a single punctuation mark can create confusion or ambiguity about the meaning of a sentence. Three sentences illustrating this problem, each followed by discussion and revision, follow: 1. These factors make it hard for management to decide what to communicate to directors given the boardââ¬â¢s crowded agenda. The lack of punctuation preceding given creates the implication that it is a verb that refers to something the directors are being handed. But here, given is a preposition signaling that information about a mitigating factor is about to be imparted, and punctuation should separate this tacked-on phrase from the main clause: ââ¬Å"These factors make it hard for management to decide what to communicate to directors, given the boardââ¬â¢s crowded agenda.â⬠(The additional phrase could also begin the sentence: ââ¬Å"Given the boardââ¬â¢s crowded agenda, these factors make it hard for management to decide what to communicate to directors.â⬠) 2. Itââ¬â¢s not a real pleasant experience to tell you the truth. As written, this sentence suggests that the writer does not enjoy telling the truth to the reader (or, if the sentence is a quotation, to someone the speaker is talking to), but this is not the writerââ¬â¢s (or speakerââ¬â¢s) intent. To signal that ââ¬Å"to tell the truthâ⬠is simply a conversational aside, it should be separated from the main clause: ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s not a real pleasant experience, to tell you the truth.â⬠(As in the previous sentence, the modifying phrase can begin the sentence: ââ¬Å"To tell you the truth, itââ¬â¢s not a real pleasant experience.â⬠) 3. The coach had pursued a star athlete only to have a deal fall just short. This sentence reads as if the coach had tried to recruit an athlete for the sole purpose of having a deal fall short; only could be misconstrued as a synonym for merely. But the part of the sentence starting with only is a modifying phrase describing the result of a sincere recruiting effort, and it should be set off from the main clause: ââ¬Å"The coach had pursued a star athlete, only to have a deal fall just short.â⬠(Unlike the dependent clauses and the main clauses in the sentences above, this pair of clauses cannot be transposed without heavy revision.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Types and Forms of Humor15 Words for Household Rooms, and Their Synonyms45 Idioms About the Number One
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