Is a comma required here (participial phrase)?
Free press was eliminated ensuring that nothing negative about the Nazis could be published.
Free press was eliminated , ensuring that nothing negative about the Nazis could be published.
Now, from what I know, I would leave a comma in the second example, but would I be able to omit it and why?
commas
edited Jan 12 at 19:45
A Lambent Eye
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asked Jan 12 at 8:52
user331650user331650
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bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 3 hours ago
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add a comment |
Free press was eliminated ensuring that nothing negative about the Nazis could be published.
Free press was eliminated , ensuring that nothing negative about the Nazis could be published.
Now, from what I know, I would leave a comma in the second example, but would I be able to omit it and why?
commas
edited Jan 12 at 19:45
A Lambent Eye
1,352223
asked Jan 12 at 8:52
user331650user331650
1
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 3 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
1
The sentence is understandable without the comma, but much easier to understand with it.
– Kate Bunting
Jan 12 at 9:34
add a comment |
Free press was eliminated ensuring that nothing negative about the Nazis could be published.
Free press was eliminated , ensuring that nothing negative about the Nazis could be published.
Now, from what I know, I would leave a comma in the second example, but would I be able to omit it and why?
commas
edited Jan 12 at 19:45
A Lambent Eye
1,352223
asked Jan 12 at 8:52
user331650user331650
1
Free press was eliminated ensuring that nothing negative about the Nazis could be published.
Free press was eliminated , ensuring that nothing negative about the Nazis could be published.
Now, from what I know, I would leave a comma in the second example, but would I be able to omit it and why?
commas
commas
edited Jan 12 at 19:45
A Lambent Eye
1,352223
asked Jan 12 at 8:52
user331650user331650
1
edited Jan 12 at 19:45
A Lambent Eye
1,352223
asked Jan 12 at 8:52
user331650user331650
1
edited Jan 12 at 19:45
A Lambent Eye
1,352223
edited Jan 12 at 19:45
A Lambent Eye
1,352223
edited Jan 12 at 19:45
A Lambent Eye
1,352223
1,352223
asked Jan 12 at 8:52
user331650user331650
1
asked Jan 12 at 8:52
user331650user331650
1
asked Jan 12 at 8:52
user331650user331650
1
1
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 3 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 3 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
1
The sentence is understandable without the comma, but much easier to understand with it.
– Kate Bunting
Jan 12 at 9:34
add a comment |
1
The sentence is understandable without the comma, but much easier to understand with it.
– Kate Bunting
Jan 12 at 9:34
1
1
The sentence is understandable without the comma, but much easier to understand with it.
– Kate Bunting
Jan 12 at 9:34
The sentence is understandable without the comma, but much easier to understand with it.
– Kate Bunting
Jan 12 at 9:34
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
Commas sometimes perform a critical function in determining what the writer means by what they have written. But sometimes commas are there to indicate that if the words were spoken with the intended meaning then there would be a pause at that point. In such cases, omitting the comma does not actually change the meaning but might mislead the reader, for a moment, in trying to understand what the writer intended.
In this case, any native speaker of English would certainly pause after the word 'eliminated'. It is therefore helpful to the reader to insert a comma after that word.
No comma would be needed if the sentence was slightly reworded: '...eliminated to ensure that nothing...', because in that case there would be no pause in the spoken sentence after 'eliminated'.
answered Jan 12 at 22:44
JeremyCJeremyC
2,462313
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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Commas sometimes perform a critical function in determining what the writer means by what they have written. But sometimes commas are there to indicate that if the words were spoken with the intended meaning then there would be a pause at that point. In such cases, omitting the comma does not actually change the meaning but might mislead the reader, for a moment, in trying to understand what the writer intended.
In this case, any native speaker of English would certainly pause after the word 'eliminated'. It is therefore helpful to the reader to insert a comma after that word.
No comma would be needed if the sentence was slightly reworded: '...eliminated to ensure that nothing...', because in that case there would be no pause in the spoken sentence after 'eliminated'.
answered Jan 12 at 22:44
JeremyCJeremyC
2,462313
add a comment |
Commas sometimes perform a critical function in determining what the writer means by what they have written. But sometimes commas are there to indicate that if the words were spoken with the intended meaning then there would be a pause at that point. In such cases, omitting the comma does not actually change the meaning but might mislead the reader, for a moment, in trying to understand what the writer intended.
In this case, any native speaker of English would certainly pause after the word 'eliminated'. It is therefore helpful to the reader to insert a comma after that word.
No comma would be needed if the sentence was slightly reworded: '...eliminated to ensure that nothing...', because in that case there would be no pause in the spoken sentence after 'eliminated'.
answered Jan 12 at 22:44
JeremyCJeremyC
2,462313
add a comment |
Commas sometimes perform a critical function in determining what the writer means by what they have written. But sometimes commas are there to indicate that if the words were spoken with the intended meaning then there would be a pause at that point. In such cases, omitting the comma does not actually change the meaning but might mislead the reader, for a moment, in trying to understand what the writer intended.
In this case, any native speaker of English would certainly pause after the word 'eliminated'. It is therefore helpful to the reader to insert a comma after that word.
No comma would be needed if the sentence was slightly reworded: '...eliminated to ensure that nothing...', because in that case there would be no pause in the spoken sentence after 'eliminated'.
answered Jan 12 at 22:44
JeremyCJeremyC
2,462313
Commas sometimes perform a critical function in determining what the writer means by what they have written. But sometimes commas are there to indicate that if the words were spoken with the intended meaning then there would be a pause at that point. In such cases, omitting the comma does not actually change the meaning but might mislead the reader, for a moment, in trying to understand what the writer intended.
In this case, any native speaker of English would certainly pause after the word 'eliminated'. It is therefore helpful to the reader to insert a comma after that word.
No comma would be needed if the sentence was slightly reworded: '...eliminated to ensure that nothing...', because in that case there would be no pause in the spoken sentence after 'eliminated'.
answered Jan 12 at 22:44
JeremyCJeremyC
2,462313
answered Jan 12 at 22:44
JeremyCJeremyC
2,462313
answered Jan 12 at 22:44
JeremyCJeremyC
2,462313
answered Jan 12 at 22:44
JeremyCJeremyC
2,462313
2,462313
add a comment |
add a comment |
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The sentence is understandable without the comma, but much easier to understand with it.
– Kate Bunting
Jan 12 at 9:34