conjunctive adverb and comma

Question

Hi,I think there are many conjunctive adverbs and some are noted here. But what baffles me the use of a comma before certain conjunctive adverbs and tag what looks to be parenthetical phrases.   I feel only certain conjunctive adverbs are allowed? to have such a structure, whereas most of them don't. Why is that?Some tidbits from the New York Times Search:1. ... no longer self-supporting, hence the decision to end it.2. Here in Denver, for example, ridership was up 8 percent ...3. ... could lead to a less-stringent step, namely requiring selllers to ...4. ...admitted that the collaboration unforeseen events, namely a sudden gaping hole in the main-stage season.5. ... make a decision on what to do with Rivers and thus, challenged ... If you look at no. 5, it has the conjunction 'an' and 'thus' comes after it. I feel most, if not all, conjunctive adverbs can acustom themselves to this type of structure, but no. 1 though 4 seem to have one more way to avail themselves apart from most other conjunctive adverbs. Why it that? What do I habve to do to learn to punctuate and write properly?

Mr Wordy · Accepted Answer

#5 looks wrong to me.

The others look fine as far as the punctuation is concerned (though #4 seems to have suffered from some kind of transcription error).

You can tell that I don't really understand the question!

Edit: In fact, the original version of #5 seems to be "Eventually, an impatient stewardess demanded authorities make a decision on what to do with Rivers and, thus challenged, put him back on the plane" which looks correct to me punctuation-wise (parenthetical), though I don't actually understand what the sentence is supposed to mean and I think it might be structurally flawed in some other way.

I also realised later that the punctuation you wrote for #5, though it looks unlikely in the fragment you quoted, could be correct as it stands if the surrounding parts of the sentence are filled in appropriately.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you so much.

I think you can add the conjunction 'and' to it to no. 1 and my argument is that that seems to be the typical case with conjunctive adverbs, not the practice of not putting a comma before conjunctive adverbs used below, ie, for example and namely.

1. ... no longer self-supporting, hence the decision to end it.
2cNo. 1 could be like this.
1. ... no longer self-supporting and hence, the decision to end it came about.

I think most of conjunctive adverbs seem to follow the above pattern:
borrowing from above sentence:
... no longer self-supporting and therefore came about a decision to end it.
... no longer self-supporting and in addition to it, it seems unlikely that it will ever be self-sufficient.

But these are not restricted to the pattern noted but seems that it can act like a subordinate clause.

2. Here in Denver, for example, ridership was up 8 percent ...
3. ... could lead to a less-stringent step, namely requiring selllers to ...
4. ...admitted that the collaboration unforeseen events, namely a sudden gaping hole in the main-stage season.
5. ... make a decision on what to do with Rivers and thus, challenged ...

Why is that?

Mr Wordy · Answer

I'm sorry ... it's my fault I'm sure, but I don't understand the question. I hope that someone else will be able to help you!

All I can offer is that the following forms, and others similar, don't look right to me:

... no longer self-supporting and in addition, it seems unlikely that it will ever be self-sufficient

... no longer self-supporting and thus, the decision to end it came about.

conjunctive adverb and comma

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬