Use Commas to Parse Your Sentences' Logical Units for Readers

• In academic prose, punctuate to clarify the logic of the sentence.

• *In academic prose punctuate to clarify the logic of the sentence.

• In academic prose, when a dependent clause interrupts and modifies the independent clause, two commas "parenthetically" isolate the modifier, just as "My teacher, Bob, left the room" helps readers parse "Bob" from the independent clause.

•  *In academic prose when a dependent clause interrupts and modifies the independent clause two commas "parenthetically" isolate the modifier just as "My teacher Bob left the room" helps readers parse "Bob" from the independent clause.

  • In the example above, if quotation marks had not helped isolate the example, notice how the isolation of the modifier might at first seem to happen "just as My teacher Bob left the room," with some attendent mishagas from the seemingly random capitalization, as well.