Comma or no comma?

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Grammarshammer

#444668 Wed, 21 Nov 07 05:19 AM

"I hope you're not feeling too bad," he said happily[,] when he caught her eye.

The comma in the brackets is the comma in question.

Grammarshammer

Joined on Tue, Oct 16 2007

New Member (21)

Commas

Mister Micawber

#444683 Wed, 21 Nov 07 06:15 AM

I wouldn't use it.

No, I changed my mind; I'd use it because the source of the happiness is otherwise somewhat confused.

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (23,409)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Commas

Grammarshammer

#444686 Wed, 21 Nov 07 06:19 AM

Sorry, I'm not following. Could you please explain?

Grammarshammer

Commas

Mister Micawber

#444699 Wed, 21 Nov 07 06:51 AM

Well, if the 'happily' were not there, I would elide the comma in an instant. With 'happily', however, and no comma, I don't know for sure whether it refers to 'saying happily' or to his, by serendipity (happily = 'in an unexpectedly lucky way'), making his presence known to her.

Mister Micawber

Commas

Chrismlangan

#446848 Tue, 27 Nov 07 10:25 AM

Hmm. Would anybody else like to chime in. I think that one would have to completely rework the sentence to get the second meaning that you suggest, Microfdofs.

Chrismlangan

Joined on Thu, Jul 5 2007

Full Member (108)

Commas

Anonymous

#447036 Tue, 27 Nov 07 05:20 PM

I agree.

Anonymous

Commas