Hi, Alexander!  Still mulling over the issue of commas....

 AH>  When she complained to my mother, my mother answered
 AH>  "How would the doctor know if you were turning blue
 AH>  with that stuff on?"  :-))


          In my previous message I neglected to say that when I added commas to
 your example & Mark's I was "going by the book".  The above is a departure
from standard procedure, but I've learned a few things since I attended school:

 1)  Although I wasn't happy when a USAian English professor criticized me for
     using "too many commas"... and I may err in the opposite direction now...
     I got the point.  If I'd used commas as they're generally used in British
     English there would be three of them in my example, all serving different
     purposes.  Once I became accustomed to the idea of rationing them I began
     to see how a forest of commas may hinder some readers more than it helps.
     By shortening the original sentence you made it unnecessary to prioritize
     them & determine which one(s) may be omitted without sacrificing clarity.
     Sometimes that's the quickest & easiest solution.  OTOH I keep asking you
     about context, and thanks to Anton I have more to add there... [chuckle].

 2)  My mother was speaking to a person who was emotionally upset.  I've found
     in certain situations that regardless of what the textbook authors advise
     us to do in order to make our writing more interesting there may be times
     When it's highly effective to start with a main clause & continue without
     pausing.  In oral conversation, not everybody takes turns politely & with
     some folks it may be a bit of a challenge to get a word in edgewise.  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)