Comma or no comma?

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Anonymous  #427026  Thu, 04 Oct 07 04:31 PM

I gather that Chris Cole is interested in anti-aging therapies, and thought at first that you must have meant to send it to him. 

I have a body, and therefore have an interest in preserving it.

Please help!

  
Grammar Geek  #427036  Thu, 04 Oct 07 05:23 PM

No comma is required when the same subject has two verb, as "I gather... and thought." But in this case, you could mistakenly read it as "Chris is interested and thought" so the comma adds clarity that the part about Chris is over now. However, you could make it even more clear by repeating the subject I before thought.

No comma is required in the second one at all, but it tells anyone reading the sentence out loud that your intention is that they pause there.

  
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EnglishRaven  #427127  Thu, 04 Oct 07 08:55 PM

With linking words like "and", "but", "so" and "or", I believe the comma differentiates from linking phrase to phrase (no comma) and clause to clause (comma before the linking word - signifying the clauses either side are being linked rather than two smaller phrases within those clauses).

But the issue here seems to be that clause to clause links have been made, but the second clause in each one does not have a subject mentioned. Have the subject pronouns been dropped in the second clauses?

Interesting!

- Jason

  
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