-1

This sentence is from one of my textbooks. Isn't a comma used before "because" in negative sentences? I don't understand why it is used here.

To summarise, even though there is a clear downside to our dependence on technology, I honestly feel we have to find a way to cope with it, because the internet is definitely here to stay.

Improve this question
4
  • This question isn't entirely clear but see this, this, this, this, this Commented Dec 2 at 19:56
  • The comma is 'optional' here. I'm adding scare-quotes because leaving it (or a dash or ellipsis) out makes the sentence hard for the aged to read out (and possibly to parse easily). Commented Dec 2 at 23:42
  • 1
    This question is similar to: Do I need to put a comma before every "because"?. If you believe it’s different, please edit the question, make it clear how it’s different and/or how the answers on that question are not helpful for your problem. Commented Dec 2 at 23:46
  • It makes no difference whether the sentence is negative or positive. Commented Dec 3 at 8:39

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
3

I agree: comma usage - as shown by the famous 'Oxford comma' debate - is often a matter of the author's opinion. In your example, I can see why the author included it, but if I was writing the piece I should probably excluded it. It would possibly be a matter of a moments t hought in his mind, not expecting us to be disecting his usage here and now!

Improve this answer
2
  • On the contrary, I expect that extremely close scrutiny would be applied to the usage of every word in an academic textbook. Commented Dec 6 at 8:48
  • The Oxford comma and the comma here are not related. Commented Dec 7 at 17:23
0

I would certainly use a comma there. I would not do so because of some theoretical reason, but because in reading it aloud, I would take a new breath-group starting with "because".

I would do so in order to get the parse

[[we have to find a way [to cope with it]], because ...

Without the new breath-group, it would more likely parse as

[we have to find a way [to cope with it [because ... ]]

which doesn't make a lot of sense.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.