Tom, I took your cat, but(,) after I'd arrived in the country(,) it fled, and I was never able to find it.

[Sped Tiger]

I have been trying to handle this really hard recently, but, unfortunately, I haven't been able to... yet!
Could you tell me how to use commas most grammatically in this case, please?
I know that we are prone to use commas when it comes to sentences where we put some additional information between the main clause and the that-clause (yet, as I know, we can even not do that at all (it's facultative)). But if I do want to use commas in this case, where do I have to put them: right after all the additional information, or do I have to separate all the additional information with two commas from both of the sides? Also, not only does it concern that-clauses, it also concerns putting additional information after coordinating conjunctions.
Examples (Which of the commas bracketed should be put? These are the messages I once sent to my friend.):
a. Tom, I took your cat, but(,) after I'd arrived in the country(,) it fled, and I was never able to find it.
b. I know that(,) in the German language(,) the adverb "fastest" is "schnellsten".
c. And(,) after you have burnt all the grass(,) don't forget to call me, will you?

 

[emsr2d2]

@Sped Tiger Please note that I have changed your thread title. Titles should be unique, relevant to the thread, and contain some/all of the words/phrases/sentences you are asking us to look at. Single-word titles (such as your original "Commas") are useless.

 

[emsr2d2]

a. Tom, I took your cat no comma needed but no comma needed after I'd arrived in the country no comma needed it fled no comma needed and I was never able to find it.
b. I know that comma optional in the German space here language comma needed if you used the first one the adverb "fastest" is "schnellsten".
c. space here And(,) After you have burnt all the grass comma needed don't forget to call me, will you?

 

[Sped Tiger]

@Sped Tiger Please note that I have changed your thread title. Titles should be unique, relevant to the thread, and contain some/all of the words/phrases/sentences you are asking us to look at. Single-word titles (such as your original "Commas") are useless.

OK. Next time, I'll try to be more creative.

 

[emsr2d2]

OK. Next time, I'll try to be more creative.

There's no need to be creative. Simply follow our standard guidelines on thread titles.

 

[5jj]

I wouldn't say that any of these commas is incorrect:

a. Tom, I took your cat, but, after I'd arrived in the country, it fled, and I was never able to find it.
I'd use ran away or got out rather than fled.

b. I know that, in the German language, the adverb "fastest" is "schnellsten".

c. And, after you have burnt all the grass, don't forget to call me, will you?

 

[Sped Tiger]

I wouldn't say that any of these commas is incorrect:

a. Tom, I took your cat, but, after I'd arrived in the country, it fled, and I was never able to find it.
I'd use ran away or got out rather than fled.

b. I know that, in the German language, the adverb "fastest" is "schnellsten".

c. And, after you have burnt all the grass, don't forget to call me, will you?

So, the question is which of such such a sentence would be correct in terms of punctuation (maybe it's up to me which wst to puncuate this sentence to use depending on how I want it to be pronounced?):
b.1. I know that, in the German language, the adverb "fastest" is "schnellsten".
b.2. b. I know that in the German language, the adverb "fastest" is "schnellsten".

 

[Tarheel]

@Sped Tiger Either use two commas or none.

 

[jutfrank]

So, the question is which of such such a sentence would be correct in terms of punctuation (maybe it's up to me which wst to puncuate this sentence to use depending on how I want it to be pronounced?):

Yes, exactly. The way you use commas depends on how you want the sentence to be pronounced. So ultimately there's no 'correct' or 'incorrect' way. Punctuation is your way of telling the reader how to read the sentence.

b.1. I know that, in the German language, the adverb "fastest" is "schnellsten".
b.2. b. I know that in the German language, the adverb "fastest" is "schnellsten".

Try reading these two versions by pausing in places where there's a comma. What difference can you hear? What could be a possible reason for the first pause in b.1.?

 

[Barque]

a. Tom, I took your cat, but(,) after I'd arrived in the country(,) it fled, and I was never able to find it.

I'd like to understand this sentence before I think about whether the commas are correctly placed.
The words "arrived in the country" imply you've now come to the country Tom's in. How did you take his cat before you arrived there?
Or did you take Tom's cat and go to a different country? In that case what does "arrived in the country" mean?

 

[5jj]

In the country could refer to a rural area.

 

[Barque]

Yes, but even then it implies Tom's in the country too. Maybe he's referring to getting to/reaching whichever country he went to (or the countryside if he went there) after taking Tom's cat.

 

[Skrej]

That's how I read it. He didn't take the cat after he arrived at the new location; he brought it with him to the new location then subsequently lost it. He's informing Tom after the fact.

He took the cat from its original location, headed to the countryside/another country, then lost the cat once he arrived at the new locale.

If country=countryside, then they're likely in the same nation, although it's still not impossible for him to have taken the cat from country #1, traveled to the countryside in nation #2, then lost the cat.

I think the bigger question is whether this is a criminal confession or a screw-up confession. Bigger picture - was this dude even supposed to have Tom's cat in the first place? This may ultimately be Tom's fault for not teaching his cat about safe words and stranger danger.

If the feline in question was removed from Tom's residence without Tom's consent or knowledge, doesn't that make the narrator a ....cat burglar?

 

[SoothingDave]

I had to look up "facultative," and it seems to be a term from biology.

If you meant "optional," please use that word.

 

[Tarheel]

Tom's "friend" is an inept cat burglar. He stole the cat and then couldn't hang onto it.

 

[Sped Tiger]

That's how I read it. He didn't take the cat after he arrived at the new location; he brought it with him to the new location then subsequently lost it. He's informing Tom after the fact.

He took the cat from its original location, headed to the countryside/another country, then lost the cat once he arrived at the new locale.

If country=countryside, then they're likely in the same nation, although it's still not impossible for him to have taken the cat from country #1, traveled to the countryside in nation #2, then lost the cat.

I think the bigger question is whether this is a criminal confession or a screw-up confession. Bigger picture - was this dude even supposed to have Tom's cat in the first place? This may ultimately be Tom's fault for not teaching his cat about safe words and stranger danger.

If the feline in question was removed from Tom's residence without Tom's consent or knowledge, doesn't that make the narrator a ....cat burglar?

Actually, upon Tom's request, the cat was taken to the countryside Tom lived but wasn't there at the moment: He was working in the city and wanted his cat to jump, and walk, and wallow in grass. The request was carried out... by the narrator, but, afterwards, the cat fled - Mr. narrator, called Leopold, was unable to find it, and the loss was subsequently reported to Tom.

 

[Tarheel]

Actually, upon Tom's request, the cat was taken to the countryside. Tom lived there but wasn't there at that time: He was working in the city and wanted his cat to jump, and walk, and wallow in grass. The request was carried out... by the narrator, but, afterwards, the cat ran off. The narrator, called Leopold, was unable to find it, and the loss was subsequently reported to Tom.