One last grammar question?

Question

How do you reconcile these two rules in grammar:

1. Non-restrictive adverbial clauses are punctuated with commas.

2. When a dependent clause is preceded by an independent clause, no comma is necessary (IC DC)...vs (IC, CC IC)

Answer 1

Good question - and I can't say I can reconcile the two statements.

From what I have seen/used/learned, the general rule is that ALL adverbial clauses are set off by commas with the sole case not fitting the general rule being that of terminal, restrictive clauses. That is compatible with saying all non-restrictive adverbials are punctuated with commas.

It's the second rule that has me stumped. I don't punctuate that way, and I don't think good writers do so either. Ex: I talked to Fred, who lives in Ohio. That's a dependent clause preceded by an independent, and the comma belongs there - and there's no adverbial involved.

I just flat out disagree with No. 2. The only thing I can think of is that there were some qualifiers that sould be connected to No. 2, and the bare statement got removed from context.

BTW, also flat out disagree with the comma usage in the answer above.

Answer 2

Here is an example of the first: "He jumped past the man, leaping out the window, just in the nick of time."

Here is an example of the second: "While he could he jumped out the window."

It has to do with positioning!