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Scheduled Past Today
Comma needed or can I skip it?
Sep 20, 2011 07:23
12 yrs ago
English term

comma placement?

English Other Poetry & Literature
"How has that, or has that affected the way in which you treat him?"

Should there be a second comma after the second that? As in:
"How has that, or has that, affected the way in which she treated him?"

Thank you!
Responses
5 +12 yes
3 -1 no need
Change log

Sep 20, 2011 07:34: Peishun CHIANG changed "Language pair" from "Japanese to English" to "English"

Discussion

amarpaul Sep 20, 2011:
It's affected my thinking ... Agreed, "in which" is redundant (Shannon's just being kind when she says it's optional).
Lara Barnett Sep 20, 2011:
Sentence I think this is a badly written sentence anyway. I would change it if possible.
Joyce A (asker) Sep 20, 2011:
Hi, armapaul. Thank you for your suggestion. Sounds good. But, I do not have the liberty to change the wording in the sentence.
Shannon Morales Sep 20, 2011:
And if so, how? I think amarpaul's suggestion is much better (and I think "in which" is optional). Also, there's some incongruency with "has affected" and "treated" -- "has that affected ... treat him" or "Did that affect ... treated him" is better.
amarpaul Sep 20, 2011:
How about this? "Has that affected the way in which she treated him, and if so, how?"
Sheila Wilson Sep 20, 2011:
Agree that it isn't clear Certainly, there must be 2 commas in this form. But I don't think the asker really wants to ask an "either, or" question. I think what they want to say is (1) has it affected..., and if so, (2) in what way has it affected... That isn't exactly what this sentence says.
Jenni Lukac (X) Sep 20, 2011:
This sentence is very difficult to read. I would suggest restructuring it to avoid ambiguity.

Responses

+12
2 mins
Selected

yes

absolutely

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Note added at 6 mins (2011-09-20 07:30:35 GMT)
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you have to put a comma as "or has that" functions as a relative clause

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Note added at 16 mins (2011-09-20 07:40:28 GMT)
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a (main cluase), explanation, etc.

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Note added at 22 mins (2011-09-20 07:46:03 GMT)
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relative to the main clause

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Note added at 25 mins (2011-09-20 07:48:58 GMT)
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in apposition (better)
Peer comment(s):
agree Ryan Layman : Yes, this is an example of an appositive. A comma at the beginning and end of an appositive is necessary.
2 mins
thanks Ryan and "apposition" is the corrrect term :)
agree Liz Dexter (was Broomfield)
9 mins
thanks Liz :)
agree Charles Davis : Not relative, but you're right about the second comma
14 mins
thanks Charles :)
agree Andrei Vrabtchev
26 mins
agree Nicola Beedle
46 mins
agree Jenni Lukac (X) : Agree with Charles.
2 hrs
agree amarpaul
3 hrs
agree Catherine Bolton
5 hrs
agree eski
11 hrs
agree Ashutosh Mitra
1 day 1 hr
agree Phong Le
1 day 3 hrs
agree Thuy-PTT (X)
2 days 2 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you, David!"
-1
3 mins

no need

of 2nd comma
Peer comment(s):
disagree Catherine Bolton : It's totally unclear without the second comma.
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
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