I worked as a freelance, writing simple programs for my clients.

[NortT]

Hello. Is it correct to write? "When I was a student I worked as a freelance writing simple programs for my clients".

 

[Raymott]

"Freelancer" would be better; or "freelance programmer".

 

[NortT]

Should I write a comma between "freelancer" and "writing"?

 

[MikeNewYork]

I would.

 

[NortT]

I would.

Excuse me. What do you mean by "I would"? You mean "I would use a comma", don't you?

 

[Matthew Wai]

'When I was a student I worked as a freelancer, thus writing simple programs for my clients.'

Is it correct?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Yes, Nort.

 

[MikeNewYork]

"Thus" is not needed there.

 

[NortT]

'When I was a student I worked as a freelancer, thus writing simple programs for my clients.'

Is it correct?

I reckon that "thus" makes the sentence logically incorrect. "When I was a student I worked as a freelancer, thus I could drink beer every day." Am I right?

 

[Matthew Wai]

I mean 'I worked as a freelancer, thus writing simple programs for my clients.'
'Thus' means 'in this way' above.

 

[Tdol]

I don't think so; it's not the only way you could have worked freelance for them. You could, say, have debugged their programs.

 

[Matthew Wai]

'Thus' is not incorrect, but the sentence is more natural without it.

Is that correct?

 

[TheParser]

Should I write a comma between "freelancer" and "writing"?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

I would NOT use a comma.

1. "I worked as a freelance writing simple programs."

2. "I worked as a freelance debugging their programs." [Thanks to post 12 for this example.]

As you know, if you used a comma, that would mean that the words following the comma could be deleted without seriously affecting the meaning of the main clause "I worked as a freelance."

In your sentence, however, I feel that "writing simple programs" defines what kind of freelance work you did. Thus it is, in my opinion, essential information. Furthermore, in speech there would be no pause when you said it.


Mona: I hear that you worked as a freelance.

Raul: That's right.

Mona: Were you debugging their programs?

Raul: Oh, no. I worked as a freelance [no pause] ONLY WRITING SIMPLE PROGRAMS.

 

[Matthew Wai]

a freelance writing simple programs.
a freelance debugging their programs.

Put simply, they are noun phrases where the participial phrases act as an adjective modifying 'freelance', so no commas should be used.

 

[Tarheel]

According to Dictionary.com, freelance can be used as a noun. (You can also say freelancer.)

 

[Matthew Wai]

It could just as easily be non-essential, in which case the comma would be fine.

I am confused because in this thread people thought that a comma was not needed before the participial phrases that seemed non-essential.

 

[Matthew Wai]

The presence or absence of the comma depends on whether or not the adjective defines the noun.

How about the following sentence, where the adjectival phrase can't possibly define the noun before it?
'I worked at home writing simple programs for my clients.'

 

[Tarheel]

'I worked at home writing simple programs for my clients.'

If the question is do you need a comma there then the answer is no.

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


I have found some information that may interest Mr. Wai.

1. He sat there staring at me.

a. no comma in front of "staring."

i. Reason: "staring at me" is part of the predicate (which I have underlined).

(a) "staring ar me" is a complement of "sat," which is NOT "a full predicating verb" in this sentence. "It requires a completing element."

2. Little Jack Horner sat in a corner, eating his Christmas pie.

a. The comma is necessary to set off the participial phrase, which modifies the subject "Little Jack Horner."

b. In this sentence, the "full predicate thought is conveyed in the verb sat and its adverbial phrase modifier, in a corner."



Authority: House and Harman, Descriptive English Grammar (copyright 1931 and 1950), page 304.

 

[Matthew Wai]

2. Little Jack Horner sat in a corner, eating his Christmas pie.

I think the comma could be optional because of the following example:
'The children sat cross-legged on the floor playing a game.'── quoted from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sit