Hi, everyone!
In the middle of umpteen words and sentences I've got confused. So can you clarify whether or not it is mandatory to place a comma before a time clause:
"I went to the movies, last week."
Or whether it can be discarded, as in:
"I went to the movies last week."
Thanking you and waiting for an opinion on this,
Mannysteps.
NOT A TEACHER
IMHO:
(1) Most Americans would probably write it without a comma:
I went to the movies last week.
If you wanted to be dramatic and delay the time, you could
write: I went to the movies -- last week (not yesterday).
(2) You could also put it at the front:
Last week I went to the movies.
Some old-fashioned people such as I prefer a comma:
Last week, I went to the movies. (Why? Because when it
is at the front, some people naturally pause after "week.")
***
I watched TV after I ate dinner.
After I ate dinner, I watched TV.
Many (most?) American teachers require a comma if it comes
at the front.
Why the difference between "last week" and "After I ate dinner"?
Because "last week" is only a noun (phrase), so if you do not
put a comma in "Last week I went to a movie," no big deal!!
But if you do not put the comma in "After I ate, I watched TV," then
that IS a big deal. An American teacher would mark you down.
"After I ate" is a clause (something like a sentence), so the "rule" is
is to put a comma if a clause comes at the beginning:
Although I have studied Chinese for 50 years, I still cannot speak it.
I still cannot speak it although I have studied Chinese for 50 years.
Respectfully yours,
James
P.S. That information is true. I still can't speak it. All I can do is
read it a little bit -- with a good dictionary!
