# Opinions on commas **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 27, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802 "2008-05-27T20:20:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/21 "2008-05-27T21:10:54Z")
I should have specifically stated that I didn’t want the sentence recast. I know it’s not an elegant sentence, but that’s what was said and I wanted opinions on how to punctuate it. For what it’s worth, I agree with **Yllaria** , and (almost) **Annie-Xmas**. I always wrestle with weather to put a comma before “but” when it is immediately followed by a parenthetical clause. If you don’t put one in, the sentence feels as though it is broken up in the wrong place (even though it isn’t), but if you do then you end up with commas sitting either side of the “but”, which also looks awkward. So, using a simpler sentence, would you prefer: I used to do X but, since Y happened, I do Z. or I used to do X, but, since Y happened, I do Z. [spoiler]I also see the following construction used a lot: I used to do X, but since Y happened, I do Z. but I think that is just wrong…[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/22 "2008-05-27T21:16:03Z")
[spoiler]A, few, years, ago, the, subject, barely, interested, me, but, in, common, with, many, people, my, age, I, have, now, seen, the, light. I, like, commas![/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/23 "2008-05-27T21:20:06Z")
**Pravnik** , were you taught by my primary-school teacher who told the class that commas were simply “pauses for breath”? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/24 "2008-05-27T21:23:24Z")
A few years ago, the subject barely interested me, but, in common with many people my age, I have now seen the light. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/25 "2008-05-27T21:37:00Z")
As requested, I haven’t looked at anything but the OP. A few years ago, the subject barely interested me, but in common with many people my age, I have now seen the light. Then again, I tend to overuse pause-type punctuation. If I were writing the sentence myself from scratch, I’d probably say: A few years ago, the subject barely interested me - but in common with many people my age, I have now seen the light. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/26 "2008-05-27T21:47:04Z")
A few years ago, the subject barely interested me, but in common with many people my age I have now seen the light. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/27 "2008-05-27T21:50:51Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] **Pravnik** , were you taught by my primary-school teacher who told the class that commas were simply “pauses for breath”? :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] Forget, that, and, help, me, find, my, inhaler! ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/28 "2008-05-27T21:57:08Z")
FWIW, [Strunk and White](http://www.tcnj.edu/~penny/cmsc485/strunk_summary.html) (one of the most widely-known writing style guides in the US), definitely calls for a comma before “but.” See Rule 4: “Place a comma before a conjunction introducing an independent clause.” Arguably, commas after “but” and “age” are called for by Rule 3: “Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas.” ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/29 "2008-05-27T22:02:06Z")
No commas. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/30 "2008-05-27T22:05:54Z")
A few years ago the subject barely interested me, but in common with many people my age I have now seen the light. I love commas, but enough is enough. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/31 "2008-05-27T22:07:28Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] To rewrite the sentence so it reads better (IMHO/YMMV): The subject barely interested me a few years ago. However, like many people my age, I have now seen the light [/QUOTE] Except I don’t care for “however” starting a sentence. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/32 "2008-05-27T22:17:25Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] Except I don’t care for “however” starting a sentence. 😛 [/QUOTE] You’re joking, but I’m serious. “But” is better in this case. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/33 "2008-05-27T22:24:50Z")
A few years ago the subject barely interested me, but, in common with many people my age, I have now seen the light. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/34 "2008-05-28T00:23:38Z")
Enough with the spoilerage. To the people that wouldn’t put a comma after the “but”, does it not seem wrong to you to have a comma after the parenthetic fragment (“in common with many people my age”) but not before it? It does to me – and, **Tom Tildrum** ’s link backs up my feeling. You could take out the parenthetic fragment and the sentence would still make sense: A few years ago, the subject barely interested me, but\*\*, in common with many people my age,\*\* I have now seen the light. whereas if you took out the part enclosed by the commas in this version: A few years ago, the subject barely interested me\*\*, but in common with many people my age,\*\* I have now seen the light. it wouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Lama\_Pacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Lama\_Pacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lama_Pacos)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/35 "2008-05-28T01:34:05Z")
Here’s where I, as a heavy user, would add commas, but I’d note that with this sentence I’d actually give it the seal of approval even with zero commas (though the most important one, IMO, occurs between the clauses after ‘me’: A few years ago, the subject barely interested me, but, in common with many people my age, I have now seen the light. ---
**Author:** ![BlueKangaroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@BlueKangaroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueKangaroo)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/36 "2008-05-28T01:46:11Z")
Without reading anything, here’s mine. [spoiler]I would rewrite it as one sentence as follows: A few years ago, the subject barely interested me; but, in common with many people my age, I have now seen the light. However, if someone asked me to edit this sentence in general, I’d probably change it more thoroughly, as to me it’s awkward no matter how I do it. A few years ago, the subject barely interested me. However, like many people my age, I have now seen the light.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/37 "2008-05-28T01:57:02Z")
A few years ago the subject barely interested me, but, in common with many people my age, I have now seen the light. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/38 "2008-05-28T02:13:30Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] You could take out the parenthetic fragment and the sentence would still make sense: A few years ago, the subject barely interested me, but\*\*, in common with many people my age,\*\* I have now seen the light. whereas if you took out the part enclosed by the commas in this version: A few years ago, the subject barely interested me\*\*, but in common with many people my age,\*\* I have now seen the light. it wouldn’t. [/QUOTE] 😕 I’m not a grammar maven by any means. And I’m sure that the cite is correct. But I’m not sure why you’re saying the second example doesn’t make sense. I may be slightly influenced by my urge to rephrase the sentence to use either a dash or a semicolon. But everything after the second comma can easily stand alone as its own sentence. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/39 "2008-05-28T02:28:41Z")
> [@](#): > > To the people that wouldn’t put a comma after the “but”, does it not seem wrong to you to have a comma after the parenthetic fragment (“in common with many people my age”) but not before it? I put in commas where I want a slight pause. With the comma after the “but”, I read it with a pause both before and after the word, and it “sounds” too choppy to me. Thus, I’d leave it out. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802/40 "2008-05-28T02:55:39Z")
This is how William Shatner, the inventor of “pause acting” (according to Kevin Pollak) would punctuate: A few, years, ago, the subject, barely, interested me, but, in common, with many people, my age, I, have, now, seen, the light. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-commas/450802.md?page=3)