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Why is the comma here?

Forums: English, Grammar, Punctuation
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albad17
 
Sun 7 Sep, 2014 06:57 pm
" About 70 million years ago, this Plesiosaur swam the seas where now stands the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport."
Why is there a comma after "ago"? What rule governs that comma?
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Type: Question • Score: 6 • Views: 998 • Replies: 12
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dalehileman
 
  1  
Mon 8 Sep, 2014 10:30 am
@albad17,
Al the unnecessary comma is falling out of favor
0 Replies
 
dkva
 
  2  
Tue 9 Sep, 2014 04:13 am
@albad17,
Starting a sentence with a dependent clause, e.g. if the sentence is capable of standing on its own merit, without that starting clause, then a comma is necessary.
McTag
 
  1  
Tue 9 Sep, 2014 07:29 am
@dkva,

Yeah.
Better with.
0 Replies
 
dalehileman
 
  0  
Tue 9 Sep, 2014 09:57 am
@dkva,
Quote:
….without that starting clause, then a comma is necessary.
Dk, I doubt this, can you give us an example

Would you consider in Al's OP the rest a complete sentence
InfraBlue
 
  2  
Tue 9 Sep, 2014 09:36 pm
@dalehileman,
dalehileman wrote:

Quote:
….without that starting clause, then a comma is necessary.
Dk, I doubt this, can you give us an example

Would you consider in Al's OP the rest a complete sentence

Yes.

"This Plesiosaur swam the seas where now stands the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport."

The clause above is an independent one and therefore can stand as a complete sentence.

"About 70 million years ago" is a dependent clause that modifies that independent clause.
dalehileman
 
  0  
Wed 10 Sep, 2014 10:10 am
@InfraBlue,
Code:The clause above is an independent one and therefore can stand as a complete sentence.
So it seems, Blue. However I still maintain the comma unnecessary
InfraBlue
 
  1  
Wed 10 Sep, 2014 10:33 am
@dalehileman,
dalehileman wrote:

Code:The clause above is an independent one and therefore can stand as a complete sentence.
So it seems, Blue. However I still maintain the comma unnecessary

You're not sure if it's a complete sentence?
dalehileman
 
  0  
Wed 10 Sep, 2014 10:36 am
@InfraBlue,
Quote:
You're not sure if it's a complete sentence?
I wasn't sure Blue considered it complete
Setanta
 
  1  
Thu 11 Sep, 2014 02:58 am
Invincible ignorance . . .
0 Replies
 
dkva
 
  1  
Thu 11 Sep, 2014 04:43 am
@dalehileman,
Whether Blue considers it complete or not, the fact remains it is.
It is what it is.
FBM
 
  1  
Sat 13 Sep, 2014 03:19 am
@dkva,
You're right. I teach university-level composition.
0 Replies
 
dalehileman
 
  0  
Sat 13 Sep, 2014 11:47 am
@dkva,
Quote:
Whether Blue considers it complete or not, the fact remains it is.
Of course Dk. I was merely entertaining the notion that WB's query could have arisen from the assumption the sentence might not be considered complete without the introductory phrase, somehow necessitating a comma
0 Replies
 
 

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