The following sentences illustrate some problems I'm having determining where to put commas with regard to sentences containing dialogue. I've googled and asked other people, but I keep getting different answers. :/ I even looked in some of the novels I've been reading. Scott Fitzgerald doesn't tend to put the commas in. Terry Pratchett does. <g>
I thought you guys might have a good enough handle on this stuff to help me. There must be a particular rule about it, isn't there?
"This is the way to the park," he said, and took my hand before we crossed the street.
"This is the way to the park," he said and took my hand before we crossed the street.
"I'll have some more," he said, around a mouthful of salad.
"I'll have some more," he said around a mouthful of salad.
"I don't hear it," he said, as he drew nearer.
"I don't hear it," he said as he drew nearer.
"I'm starting over at the top," he said, when he realized no one had been listening to a word of his speech.
"I'm starting over at the top," he said when he realized no one had been listening to his speech.
"Damn," he said, and grimaced.
"Damn," he said and grimaced.
"Go ahead and laugh," Joe said and caught Sue's smile as she hid behind the newspaper.
"Go ahead and laugh," Joe said, and caught Sue's smile as she hid behind the newspaper.
Does sentence length make a difference? If it is a short burst of dialogue or a short sentence after the "said", can I skip the comma? Sometimes it looks correct to me and other times, it doesn't. Even when I try to apply the "natural pause" rule.
Thanks for any help.
I thought you guys might have a good enough handle on this stuff to help me. There must be a particular rule about it, isn't there?
"This is the way to the park," he said, and took my hand before we crossed the street.
"This is the way to the park," he said and took my hand before we crossed the street.
"I'll have some more," he said, around a mouthful of salad.
"I'll have some more," he said around a mouthful of salad.
"I don't hear it," he said, as he drew nearer.
"I don't hear it," he said as he drew nearer.
"I'm starting over at the top," he said, when he realized no one had been listening to a word of his speech.
"I'm starting over at the top," he said when he realized no one had been listening to his speech.
"Damn," he said, and grimaced.
"Damn," he said and grimaced.
"Go ahead and laugh," Joe said and caught Sue's smile as she hid behind the newspaper.
"Go ahead and laugh," Joe said, and caught Sue's smile as she hid behind the newspaper.
Does sentence length make a difference? If it is a short burst of dialogue or a short sentence after the "said", can I skip the comma? Sometimes it looks correct to me and other times, it doesn't. Even when I try to apply the "natural pause" rule.
Thanks for any help.
