02-23-2022, 06:27 AM
Todd's keyboard wrote:
To clarify, the sentence is one sentence in an exercise to practice use and proper placement of commas.
Ten sentences (all without commas) are given. The assignment is to place all necessary commas in their proper locations. For example, another sentence is to use one or more commas to punctuate a direct quotation.
I'm pretty sure the person who created the exercise wants students to choose version B (with the two commas). Some grammar books would call these "interrupter" commas (or some variation of "interrupt").
It's hard for me to tell students that option B is the only correct option. Version A sounds perfectly acceptable. Students sometimes find it confusing when I don't agree 100% with the text.
Todd's alternative answer-key board
Jeebus. Bad sentences make bad English, regardless of where you put the commas. And that is one hell of an infelicitous sentence.
What is the power structure like where you are teaching? Can you get away with picking and choosing which exercises you use? Are you forced to use this textbook?