I recently shared an extract from Advanced Writing Skills covering how we use commas to separate clauses (which you can read here). Another useful function of commas in complex, or even just slightly more complicated sentences, is when we use commas around additional information. To cover this, I’ve got another extract from the book below, with some extra information on how this can affect word order.
Additional information may be added to sentences separated by what can be called parenthetical commas. These behave the same way as parentheses. The information between two commas may be considered additional, and removing it should not affect the meaning of the sentence. Such information can be added for extra detail or commentary, and can come in the form of a few extra words or entire phrases or clauses:
- The dress was unsuitable.
- The dress, old and smelly, was unsuitable.
- The dress, would you believe, was unsuitable.
- The dress, old and smelly through years of use and no particular care for its upkeep, was unsuitable.
Parenthetical commas may also be used to move information from elsewhere in the sentence:
- Kylie prepared to watch the fireworks with great excitement.
- Kylie, with great excitement, prepared to watch the fireworks.
- Kylie prepared, with great excitement, to watch the fireworks.
If you don’t put commas around such information, the sentence can become confusing:
- The dress of course was unsuitable. (This makes the dress appear to belong to course, which does not work.)
- Kylie with great excitement prepared to watch the fireworks. (This makes the excitement sound like part of Kylie’s name.)
When we do use commas in this way, word order can become very flexible. The various components of sentences which you can learn about through studying correct word order can, realistically, be moved to any location you choose, typically to add emphasis. This is a powerful technique, but one you need to be careful with, as we with typical word order for a reason – it sounds more natural and fluent, and moving sentence components can be confusing.
This is useful information. But I believe it’s also true to use the adjectives in the traditional way, that is preceding the noun, ie :
The old and smelly dress was unsuitable for such an occasion.
Would you agree that this is also correct ?
Hi Angela, absolutely, yes – the use of commas in this way is for unconventional placements, to draw particular attention to the information. In general, the ordinary, traditional methods are best, as these exceptions work because they are less common.
Is this a proper use of a dash.
Then I would fall back against the wall(all while making crashing sound effects) and she would-in slow motion- roll down the stairs with her hands still out reaching for me.
Structurally yes, dashes can be used like that to separate/add information, much like the commas as in the article. Though there’s two ways of punctuating them, either as spaced ‘n’ dashes (–) or an unspaced ‘m’ dash (—).
Is this correct =>
“Two of them , around 08:00 and 18:00, are very high and one , around 14:00, is considerably lower than them. “
Hi Nithaparan, yes those commas are correctly placed.
Hi there. I’m an English teacher and I wanna double check that I’m giving the right explanation to my students.
My observation is that parenthetical commas often give additional information about the SUBJECT of the sentence. Is this the rule, or just the norm?
Can we also use parenthetical to give additional info about the OBJECT of the sentence?
Hi Gina – that would just be the norm, the paranthetical comma could add information to any part of the sentence in theory.
Is a sentence with extra information between two commas considered a complex sentence ?
Hi Suzy – that would depend on the information included; if it includes a dependent clause, then yes (e.g. a defining clause would make it complex – The man, who wanted to buy a coat, entered the store.) but without a verb clause it wouldn’t be (e.g. The man, slowly and very carefully, opened the door.).
The man, slowly and very carefully, opened the door.
error in that sentence?
No, this is okay; though not necessary/typical the commas can be used in this way to slow down the pace of the description.
Hey. Is this sentence correct?
The construction of Milad Tower took 11 years, established in 1387 AP.
Or should I say The construction of Milad Tower took 11 years, was established in 1387 AP.
Hi Madhi, the problem you have here is that your two verbs refer to different subjects, so you’d need another subject to form a complete second clause or move that additional information. It could work in these ways:
The construction of Milad Tower, established in 1387AD, took 11 years. (This uses the commas for extra information)
The construction of Milad Tower took 11 years and it was established in 1387AD.
Phil
I’ve got another extract from the book below, with some extra information on how this can affect word order.
My question is why you use comma before with ( , with some extra information on how this can affect word order.) ?
Hi Suman, that one’s not really necessary and doesn’t fit the same pattern, but it could be seen in a similar light as separating additional information from the main clause (elaborating on the extract). Commas can be used in English merely to create pauses, where we want to slow down or break up a longer sentence, as we would when speaking, which is what I’ve done there. A strict editor would remove the comma (and I would be tempted to myself, rereading it), but it’s a matter of personal preference here.
ok, you are taking pause , so you use that comma.
Right ?
Yes, in this case.
Please check my question?
team of scientists from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research’s Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Climate and Environmental Studies and the local fisherfolk assisting them, navigate the beach hoping that the search yields horseshoe crabs that are still alive.
Can you please tell me why they use common in front of navigate ?
Is negative verb ?
Hoping is present participle, how it is connected ?
Hi Suman, I’m a little unclear on this one – no there is no negative in the sentence, but I assume this is incomplete as I’d expect more at the beginning of the sentence. The comma suggests it’s separating the preceding section as clarifying information, and “hoping…” is an additional action (with a meaning similar to “and they are hoping / in the hope that”. To break it down I’d expect the structure to be “A team of scientists… , and the local fisherfolk assisting them, navigate the beach hoping that…”. Or otherwise have a different subject before the full information before the comma, such as “The research effort, a team of scientists…and the local fisherfolk, navigate.”
Could you please check, I have updated that.
can I write that ?
error in that sentence ?
please check
Could you please check, I have updated that.
can I write that ?
Do you mean this sentence in particular? It would be better either separated in two sentences or with a conjunction as it’s not appropriate to separate these with a comma. I.e. “Could you please check? I have updated that.” or “Could you please check, as I have updated that?”
Could you please tell me
Object of preposition can be subject of a sentance ?
which sentence is correct ?
1.Service validity expired
2. Service validity has been expired.
Thanks for your help !!
Hi Suman,
These questions aren’t really appropriate to this post and I can’t consistently answer so many specific sentence queries. I would ask with queries like this that you provide your own thinking, to show where the confusion lies, to cover broader topics rather than particular sentence-level questions.
On the object of prepositions query, for example, do you have examples? Have you considered it in context of my Word Order/Sentence Structure posts?