Comma usage

[mrsnygren]

Here is the paragraph in question:

'It means a lot to have you here by my side, encouraging me through every step, and believing in everything I do. Now it finally paid off and you don't have to hear me say, "I have to study!" anymore!'

Is a comma needed after the word "now" or before the word "and" to make the sentence grammatically correct?

[Barb_D]

You don't need a comma after "Now," unless you want your reader to pause.

The one before "and" is a style choice. I just about always use the serial or Oxford comma, as it's called, to separate the next-to-last element in a list from the last. The longer the elements in the list, the more I think it's advisable. But you will be correct either way.

[nygs]

Yes, (pause) you should put a comma after now. When saying thank you for acts in the past, you want to kind of take a step back, take a breathe, and say "phew" now it's over. That's what I get from that statement.

[Tdol]

Yes, (pause) you should put a comma after now. When saying thank you for acts in the past, you want to kind of take a step back, take a breathe, and say "phew" now it's over. That's what I get from that statement.

Does everyone have to feel that way? I think your statement would read better if you said could put a comma rather than should.

[TheParser]

[QUOTE=mrsnygren;830938]

'It means a lot to have you here by my side, encouraging me through every step, and believing in everything I do. Now it finally paid off and you don't have to hear me say, "I have to study!" anymore!'


NOT A TEACHER


(1) I think that many writing teachers tell us that in modern English, we should have

sentences that flow as smoothly as possible and that are not cluttered with

unnecessary punctuation.

(a) Thus, I suggest that you remove two of the commas.

It means a lot to have you here by my side, encouraging me through every

step and believing in everything that I do. Now it finally paid off and you don't have

to hear me say "I have to study!" anymore.