Question
Select the two sentences where the comma usage could be contested and explain why the ones that use commas are right from the two that could be contested.
We are passing through New Orleans, Louisiana right before we stop in Houston, Texas.
2. Stephen did not understand the question, and so Gina tried to explain it to him more clearly.
3. Zagreb, Sarajevo, and Dubrovnik are all major cities in the Balkan region of eastern Europe.
4. Winston Churchill famously said, “It is not in our power to anticipate our destiny.”
5. Faith, Millie’s best friend from summer camp, is coming to visit in a few weeks.
We are passing through New Orleans, Louisiana right before we stop in Houston, Texas.
2. Stephen did not understand the question, and so Gina tried to explain it to him more clearly.
3. Zagreb, Sarajevo, and Dubrovnik are all major cities in the Balkan region of eastern Europe.
4. Winston Churchill famously said, “It is not in our power to anticipate our destiny.”
5. Faith, Millie’s best friend from summer camp, is coming to visit in a few weeks.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The two sentences where the comma usage could be contested are:
1. **We are passing through New Orleans, Louisiana right before we stop in Houston, Texas.**
2. **Stephen did not understand the question, and so Gina tried to explain it to him more clearly.**
**Explanation of comma usage:**
1. **We are passing through New Orleans, Louisiana right before we stop in Houston, Texas.**
- The comma before "Louisiana" is correctly used to set off the full name of the state that follows the city. However, the comma before "Texas" could be debated since "Houston, Texas" also refers to a city-state combination. A clearer example would be to use a comma after "Louisiana" for clarity: "We are passing through New Orleans, Louisiana, right before we stop in Houston, Texas." In this case, the first comma is necessary, but whether to include the second one is contested.
2. **Stephen did not understand the question, and so Gina tried to explain it to him more clearly.**
- The phrase "and so" can be seen as a coordinating conjunction where the comma can be debated. The use of a comma before "and so" is correct here because it separates two independent clauses. Without the comma, it could become ambiguous. Therefore, it is generally advisable to keep the comma for clarity.
The other sentences:
3. **Zagreb, Sarajevo, and Dubrovnik are all major cities in the Balkan region of eastern Europe.**
- The commas here are correctly used to separate items in a list.
4. **Winston Churchill famously said, “It is not in our power to anticipate our destiny.”**
- The comma is correctly placed before the quotation, serving to separate the introductory phrase from the quote.
5. **Faith, Millie’s best friend from summer camp, is coming to visit in a few weeks.**
- The commas correctly enclose the appositive phrase "Millie’s best friend from summer camp," which provides additional information about "Faith."
In summary, the first two sentences could have debate over their comma usage, but comma usage in the other three is clear and correct due to their structures.
1. **We are passing through New Orleans, Louisiana right before we stop in Houston, Texas.**
2. **Stephen did not understand the question, and so Gina tried to explain it to him more clearly.**
**Explanation of comma usage:**
1. **We are passing through New Orleans, Louisiana right before we stop in Houston, Texas.**
- The comma before "Louisiana" is correctly used to set off the full name of the state that follows the city. However, the comma before "Texas" could be debated since "Houston, Texas" also refers to a city-state combination. A clearer example would be to use a comma after "Louisiana" for clarity: "We are passing through New Orleans, Louisiana, right before we stop in Houston, Texas." In this case, the first comma is necessary, but whether to include the second one is contested.
2. **Stephen did not understand the question, and so Gina tried to explain it to him more clearly.**
- The phrase "and so" can be seen as a coordinating conjunction where the comma can be debated. The use of a comma before "and so" is correct here because it separates two independent clauses. Without the comma, it could become ambiguous. Therefore, it is generally advisable to keep the comma for clarity.
The other sentences:
3. **Zagreb, Sarajevo, and Dubrovnik are all major cities in the Balkan region of eastern Europe.**
- The commas here are correctly used to separate items in a list.
4. **Winston Churchill famously said, “It is not in our power to anticipate our destiny.”**
- The comma is correctly placed before the quotation, serving to separate the introductory phrase from the quote.
5. **Faith, Millie’s best friend from summer camp, is coming to visit in a few weeks.**
- The commas correctly enclose the appositive phrase "Millie’s best friend from summer camp," which provides additional information about "Faith."
In summary, the first two sentences could have debate over their comma usage, but comma usage in the other three is clear and correct due to their structures.