Where should I place a comma in this sentence? [closed]
Closed by System on Jun 2, 2016 at 10:57
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"Hatha yoga is also a great form to use because it combines both spiritual and physical attributes which could help beginners find out what they like the most."
I'm having a hard time trying to discern where to place a comma here or if I even should. I was thinking of placing it after attributes, but that doesn't make the sentence feel right to me. Any advice?
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Punctuation is a style issue. As such, you can determine as the writer the message you want your readers to understand.
A nonessential clause is an unnecessary piece of information which adds explanation to a sentence. It is separated by commas or em-dashes or parentheses from the rest of the sentence (or a single comma or em-dash or parentheses at the end of a sentence). The sentence should be clear without the nonessential clause.
An essential clause occurs when it cannot be separated from the main clause without altering the meaning of the sentence. Essential clauses generally do not take commas.
I would say your clause starting with which is necessary to convey the information hath yoga is good for beginners, and it is thus an essential clause.
I would say no comma but neither is incorrect.
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Separate your sentence into individual thoughts.
• Hatha yoga is a great form to use.
• Hatha yoga combines spiritual and physical attributes.
• The spiritual and physical attributes could help beginners.
Your first two thoughts have the same subject, but the third thought has a different subject. So you should definitely use a comma to separate 1 and 2 from 3:
Hatha yoga is also a great form to use because it combines both spiritual and physical attributes, which could help beginners find out what they like the most.
This pause and separation allows the reader to understand that the referent of which is "spiritual and physical attributes."
If you broke your entire sentence into two, then you could separate 1 and 2 with a comma:
Hatha yoga is also a great form to use, because it combines both spiritual and physical attributes. This could help beginners find out what they like the most.
Now you're emphasizing "why hatha yoga is a great form to use."
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