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I have a question about what to do when you have two different prepositions following a single verb (we are in legalese here…).
I find the following in a European Directive and have to translate the Belgian statute based on it into English:
"The persons referred to in Article 3 shall not be subject to these obligations when …. performing their task of defending or representing their client in, or concerning judicial proceedings."
I wonder if one ought to have commas both before and after "or concerning" or else have no comma at all?
Absolutely. If you're setting off any additional term or qualification with a comma, you need a comma at both ends. Thus when you're in Indianapolis, Indiana, you must always use both commas even in a sentence where there need be no pause orally. The same with August, 2010, and "I hope, and pray, that your surgery will go well." In all of those cases, and in your example, the commas are optional; but if you have one you must have two.
It's different when you're stringing adjectives together. If you're a cute, hungry, angry kitten, "hungry" and "angry" aren't doing quite the same thing that the name is in "If Bridges, Robert H, is here, will he please raise his hand?".
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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