# Comma usage in this sentence **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comma-usage-in-this-sentence/719858 "2015-05-12T15:00:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comma-usage-in-this-sentence/719858/1 "2015-05-12T15:00:59Z")
There’s a bit of a debate at work about how to properly use commas in this sentence, and I wanted to get opinions. Where would you place commas? “Several years ago X son of Y did Z.” The debate arises because if you take the “son of Y” bit out, it should be: “Several years ago, X did Z.” But if you take the “Several years ago” part, it would be: “X, son of Y, did Z.” But the result of that reasoning seems to be ridiculous: “Several years ago, X, son of Y, did Z.” I copped out and said rewrite the sentence, but if force to choose I would drop the comma after “ago”. What do people think? ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comma-usage-in-this-sentence/719858/2 "2015-05-12T15:09:17Z")
Keep all the commas, or, as you concluded, rewrite the sentence so it runs more smoothly. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comma-usage-in-this-sentence/719858/3 "2015-05-12T15:13:43Z")
“Several years ago X, son of Y, did Z.” That would be my choice. For no particular reason. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comma-usage-in-this-sentence/719858/4 "2015-05-12T15:14:39Z")
I’d drop the comma following ‘ago’. I’m not sure if that’s ‘correct’, but I don’t think comprehensibility suffers without it, and it does make it more easily readable. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comma-usage-in-this-sentence/719858/5 "2015-05-12T15:50:45Z")
Technically, it should include all the commas. But to make it more readable, drop the one after “ago.” ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comma-usage-in-this-sentence/719858/6 "2015-05-12T20:57:48Z")
The sentence needs all three commas, but rewriting for clarity is always valid. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comma-usage-in-this-sentence/719858/7 "2015-05-12T21:41:19Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > The sentence needs all three commas, but rewriting for clarity is always valid. My answer too. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comma-usage-in-this-sentence/719858/8 "2015-05-12T22:26:36Z")
“Several years ago, X (son of Y) did Z” seems to read quite naturally to me. I view the brackets as a shorter pause than the commas they replace. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comma-usage-in-this-sentence/719858/9 "2015-05-13T06:59:49Z")
You can also change it to: “X, son of Y, did Z several years ago.” One fewer comma, just as comprehensible, and no grammatical issues. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comma-usage-in-this-sentence/719858/10 "2015-05-13T14:29:37Z")
You can drop the comma after “Several years ago.” However, I do prefer Dead Cat’s and Alessan’s reformulations. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comma-usage-in-this-sentence/719858/11 "2015-05-13T15:47:35Z")
“Several years ago X, son of Y, did Z.” The commas set off the clause. “Several years ago X did Z.” There is no modifying clause to set off. Putting a comma in that sentence is an error. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comma-usage-in-this-sentence/719858/12 "2015-05-13T16:33:09Z")
If I was Z’s father, I’d probably be pissed and probably give Y a call about keeping X on a shorter leash.