commaroni, i'm just messing around... don't take offense
waiting for my download of 'Never Back Down' to finish
'I'm not offended but please consider how little this sentence is changed by the addition or removal of a comma.'
'I'm not offended, but please consider how little this sentence is changed by the addition or removal of a comma.'
Read them both aloud and see which one captures how best you would say it. Posting on the net is not how people write for publication; it's intended to be a reflection of how they would converse, for the most part. At the very least, short posts are.
Oops on the 'serial comma' link. I had a brain freeze there. It's a similar situation to the serial comma though. Many people argue against any overly-strict interpretation of the rules because it stifles expressiveness and emphasis. The debate will never end, and people won't stop using commas just like this.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/novels/comma_usage.htm'(4) And finally, THE rule. It works for narrative and it works for dialogue. Read what you've written aloud. Wherever you would pause for breath, whack in a comma. Because, you have internalized the rules. You've been speaking English all your life. But as an aspiring writer, you've been so busy trying to learn "the rules" that you've forgotten the rule you've known all along. And you DO know it.
If you'd like, you can look over some sentences in the preceding paragraphs. You'll note some commas where they're not strictly necessary. Often, it's where I begin a sentence with a conjunction, also an alleged no-no. But that device can be used sparingly to emphasize a point. And when I do that, sometimes I whip in a comma for extra emphasis. A comma is a pause. That's what you should note if you indulge in this exercise. I'm pausing for emphasis. Read my sentences aloud. Pause at every comma. The rhythm works. It's how I talk, and you won't be all freaked out and confused as you listen because I paused in funny places.'
