Comma

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Yoong Liat  #413434  Mon, 03 Sep 07 05:23 AM

Not only should we be sincere(,) but we should also be trustworthy to win the respect of others.

Is a comma obligatory or optional after 'sincere'?

Many thanks.

  
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Yoong Liat
Grammar Geek  #413437  Mon, 03 Sep 07 05:51 AM

I'm one of those old prescriptivists who says that when you have two independent clauses joined by a conjunction, you have a comma at the end of the first one. I would say it's required.

  
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Yoong Liat  #413540  Mon, 03 Sep 07 12:29 PM
 Grammar Geek wrote:

I'm one of those old prescriptivists who says that when you have two independent clauses joined by a conjunction, you have a comma at the end of the first one. I would say it's required.

I needed the response from a prescriptivist.

Many thanks.

 

  
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