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Thread: if necessary and if possible - comma usage

  1. #1
    fannan is offline Newbie
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    Default if necessary and if possible - comma usage

    Could you please confirm if a comma is required before if in the following sentences

    Make corrections if necessary.
    Choose which planet you should write down if possible.

  2. #2
    Raymott's Avatar
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    Default Re: if necessary and if possible - comma usage

    Quote Originally Posted by fannan View Post
    Could you please confirm if a comma is required before if in the following sentences

    Make corrections if necessary.
    Choose which planet you should write down if possible.
    No, commas aren't necessary here. In a longer sentence they might be a good idea.
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    Default Re: if necessary and if possible - comma usage

    What does the second sentence mean?
    I'm not a teacher, but I write for a living. Please don't ask me about 2nd conditionals, but I'm a safe bet for what reads well in (American) English.

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    fannan is offline Newbie
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    Default Re: if necessary and if possible - comma usage

    Choose which planet you should write down if possible.

    This sentence is intended for a student who has to answer a question on planets in a test situation IF he feels that he has been given sufficient information to make that call.

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    Default Re: if necessary and if possible - comma usage

    Quote Originally Posted by fannan View Post
    Choose which planet you should write down if possible.

    This sentence is intended for a student who has to answer a question on planets in a test situation IF he feels that he has been given sufficient information to make that call.
    It's not very well phrased, it's meaning is not at all clear. You are an English native speaker, so I'm not going to presume to rewrite it, but I feel that you should make another attempt.
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  6. #6
    fannan is offline Newbie
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    Default Re: if necessary and if possible - comma usage

    Good point. Will do.

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