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sentence

Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

help with comma in a sentence

English answer:

Use a comma after each item in a series except the last

Added to glossary by Kim Metzger
May 20, 2004 13:22
19 yrs ago
English term

help with comma in a sentence

English Tech/Engineering Biology (-tech,-chem,micro-) insect pest management
Here is the sentence:

"to date, no research on the interaction between cucumber, whitefly, and resistance induced by silicon, has been conducted"

My question is: should the comma after the word "silicon" be suppressed, or should it be maintained for better clarity?

Thanks in advance!
Responses
4 +5 omit last comma
5 +4 Yes, comma is unnecessary - but I'd rephrase

Discussion

Non-ProZ.com May 20, 2004:
Dee Dee, I was confused by your "after" the 'and'. I knew about the comma before the last item of the list, or Harvard, or Oxford comma if you will. My question was a bit different, and Kim (as well as Elena) answered it: there should be NO comma after the word 'silicon'. Thank you anyway for trying to help.
Henrique
Hermeneutica May 20, 2004:
Ack! Of course, Kim, you're right [before!! not after!]... slip of the brain. To Asker's comment (not much adherence), beg to disagree as have plenty of client style guides REQUIRING it. As I say, personally I don't like it; I was just contributing info.
Kim Metzger May 20, 2004:
Dee: the "Harvard Comma" as you call it, is placed in front of the final 'and 'in a series NOT after the final item. This was standard US English usage but is not longer strictly observed.
Non-ProZ.com May 20, 2004:
It's US English, but I have not seen much adherence to this rule in the large practice even among scholars in America.
Hermeneutica May 20, 2004:
Is this UK or US English? In UK, Kim is right; in US, alas no [unfortunately in my opinion, but that's the way it is ...] The so-called "Harvard Comma" is required after the "and" and before the last element of the series. See Chicago Manualof Style.

Responses

+5
1 min
Selected

omit last comma

The comma in this case is used to separate a series of items. It is not used after the final item.
Peer comment(s):
agree hookmv
2 mins
agree sassa
4 mins
agree Lucy Phillips
4 mins
agree Vicky Papaprodromou
10 mins
agree A-Z Trans (X)
1 hr
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you, Kim. Thanks also go to Elena for her nice rephrasing suggestion! Gracias, Elena."
+4
5 mins

Yes, comma is unnecessary - but I'd rephrase

Hi Henrique

The sentence doesn't need a comma before "has":

[ to date, no research on the interaction between cucumber, whitefly, and resistance induced by silicon has been conducted ]

But perhaps it'd be easier to understand as:

[ To date, the interaction between cucumber, whitefly, and silicon-induced resistance has no been researched / investigated / tested / studied / subjected to research studies ]

Good luck

Elena





--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs 42 mins (2004-05-20 18:04:51 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Adding the missing \"t\" in \"not\":

:::::: [ To date, the interaction between cucumber, whitefly, and silicon-induced resistance has noT been... ]
Peer comment(s):
agree Vicky Papaprodromou
7 mins
Thanks, Vicky :-)
agree Terry Gilman : I'd keep the subject and verb closer together - no research has been conducted on the interaction....
54 mins
Right, if one is to keep the passive voice, yes! Thanks, Terry
agree Laurel Porter (X) : Nice - except of course for "not" in place of "no been researched". Good avoidance of the passive construction.
4 hrs
Nice catch, Laurel! You're right! I've added a note. Thank you :-)
agree Java Cafe
16 hrs
Thanks, Java
Something went wrong...
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