A comma

[nyggus]

Hi, which of the following sentences is better? -
1. "In different areas of applications this term has come to imply distinct meanings."
2. "In different areas of applications, this term has come to imply distinct meanings."

And the same question in relation to the following:
1. "In this paper we provide detailed information on (...)"
2. "In this paper, we provide detailed information on (...)"

Thanks in advance,
Nyggus

[MrPedantic]

Hello Nyggus

I would myself use the versions with the commas. That's where the speaker would naturally pause; and a comma marks that pause.

(I might also change "applications" to "application"; but perhaps the former is correct, in your particular context.)

MrP

[nyggus]

Originally Posted by MrPedantic

Hello Nyggus
I would myself use the versions with the commas. That's where the speaker would naturally pause; and a comma marks that pause.
(I might also change "applications" to "application"; but perhaps the former is correct, in your particular context.)
MrP

Thanks MrPedantic, you confirmed all my thoughts. I quoted the senteces without commas from some journal, but I felt that the commas should be put there. I had found so many examples with such lacking commas that decided to send that post.

Generally speaking, I like commas and feel that they help to understand a text, especially for non-native speakers. Unfortunately, not everybody think like that, and that's why quite often we must struggle with very long sentences without any commas that should be put in the sentence. (PS. This was a long sentence, but I hope I haven't missed any comma?)

Thanks for help and for putting commas in your sentences!
Best wishes,
Nyggus

[MrPedantic]

You're welcome, Nyggus!

There does seem to be a tendency among native speakers at the moment to cut down on the number of commas they use. Personally, I like my sentences chopped up into bite-sized portions. (And complicated but comma-less sentences always leave me feeling a little breathless.)

MrP