Grammar Knowledge 1/19/09

Use of commas:

Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?



Which one is it?

A man who hopes to succeed must work hard. A man, who hopes to suceed, must work hard. A man who hopes to succeed, must work hard. A man, who hopes to suceed must work hard.

Hint: Look for the restrictive clause.

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And the answer is . . . .

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The answer is 1!

The rule is:

Do not use commas to set off restrictive (necessary) clauses or phrases.

Answers 2, 3, and 4 all contain commas setting off the restrictive clause "who hopes to succeed".

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A man who hopes to succeed must work hard. A man, who hopes to suceed, must work hard. A man who hopes to succeed, must work hard. A man, who hopes to suceed must work hard.

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