Timeline for Should two independent clauses separated by "and" also have a comma even when used in parantheses with the phrase "you know"?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
7 events
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| Jun 21, 2019 at 21:34 | comment | added | JeremyC | I do realise that if you are teaching people who are not native speakers, then it is helpful to have 'rules'. No doubt, if those rules are followed then no really horrible errors will result. But when it comes to commas, practice amongst even the most fluent native speakers has varied so much that one person's 'rule' is frequently violated by somebody else. So I stand by my advice: if you would pause when saying those words, then insert a comma when writing them. If not, not. | |
| Jun 21, 2019 at 15:52 | comment | added | The Editor | In general, whether or not you put a comma between two independent clauses isn't merely a matter of style but a rule, as the article I mentioned discusses: grammar.com/commas-and-independent-clauses. However, it does give an exception. Since both clauses are short (and followed by a comma with "you see"), I'll probably omit the comma after all. Thanks for your time! | |
| Jun 19, 2019 at 22:00 | comment | added | JeremyC | It all depends on how you wish the reader to perceive the ideas in what you write. That in turn depends very much on the context, which is why I used the words 'in isolation' when I said that I would insert a comma. With or without the comma your sentence makes perfect sense; we are talking here about nuances of meaning that you, the writer, may not care about or the reader be interested in. | |
| Jun 19, 2019 at 19:59 | comment | added | The Editor | Okay, I thought two independent clauses separated by and would always require a comma, but looking it over, I did find that this source mentions an exception: grammar.com/commas-and-independent-clauses. Does the example I gave fall under this article's exception, being the reason the comma is unnecessary? | |
| Jun 18, 2019 at 8:26 | comment | added | JeremyC | In that example the only function that a comma might have would indeed be to signal a pause. If I were reading that sentence aloud in isolation, I would certainly insert a pause. In context there might be reasons for not pausing particularly at that point. | |
| Jun 17, 2019 at 16:08 | comment | added | The Editor | To make sure I understand, what if the two independent clauses were their own sentence? In other words, what about the following sentence: "I kept on missing, and my hand was shaking." Is the comma necessary here as well, or does it just depend on whether there should be a pause when read aloud? Thanks! | |
| Jun 15, 2019 at 21:54 | history | answered | JeremyC | CC BY-SA 4.0 |