Answers to Questions About Commas #4

Answers to Questions About Commas #4 Answers to Questions About Commas #4 Answers to Questions About Commas #4 By Mark Nichol Here are several questions about punctuation from DailyWritingTips.com readers, including two about too, and my responses. 1. I was taught to always put a comma before the word too. I realize this is a technical part of punctuation, but I see several instances where no comma precedes too. Is there an absolute rule for this, or are there times when the comma isn’t necessary? A trend toward open punctuation, a minimalist approach to commas that includes omitting punctuation before too, has prevailed in informal writing for some time. However, I support closed punctuation and advise always retaining the comma to set off too, regardless of the degree of formality of the prose. 2. Should you place a comma before too when it’s at the end of a sentence? â€Å"He decided to go, too,† or â€Å"He decided to go too†? Does it depend on the context of too? Some writing handbooks advise that inserting the comma in such sentences is optional; it’s necessary only to signal emphasis. But in that case, it would be better to state, â€Å"He, too, decided to go.† When too is at the end of the sentence, a comma to signal emphasis might be inserted when the word indicates an additional action or thought, rather than a similar one: â€Å"He watched her jump, and he jumped too,† but â€Å"He decided to hop and skip. He jumped, too.† But these distinctions, I think, are too complicated. My solution is to always insert the comma. 3. In the sentence â€Å"The subdimensions that were measured were accessibility and responsiveness and security,† responsiveness and security go together. How should I punctuate it to give clarity to the reader? Here are several options to clarify the subdimensions; I prefer the third one, which is more direct and concise, is in active voice, and omits intrusive punctuation or numeration: a) â€Å"The subdimensions that were measured were accessibility, and responsiveness and security.† b) â€Å"The subdimensions that were measured were 1) accessibility and 2) responsiveness and security.† c) â€Å"The test measured accessibility, as well as responsiveness and security.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What is the Difference Between "These" and "Those"?How to Play HQ Words: Cheats, Tips and TricksWood vs. Wooden