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Semi Urgent Grammar Question

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10 October 2021, 06:17 PM
Mary Anna
Semi Urgent Grammar Question
I figure there's a reason you didn't offer this option, but I would have written it this way:

"I was unhappy to find out that my best friend started smoking cigarettes in 1982."


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Mary Anna Evans
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10 October 2021, 06:55 PM
ShiroKuro
MA, great minds... :grin:


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10 October 2021, 08:43 PM
pianojuggler
quote:
Originally posted by Mary Anna:
I figure there's a reason you didn't offer this option, but I would have written it this way:

"I was unhappy to find out that my best friend started smoking cigarettes in 1982."
I might go with that, but it is still slightly ambiguous as to whether BF started smoking in 1982, or whether I found out in 1982. Most people would probably assume the former, but it can mean the latter.


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10 October 2021, 10:27 PM
QuirtEvans
quote:
Originally posted by Lisa:

So you definitely think 2 commas? That seems like a bit much to me.



It would have to have two commas. If the clause could be removed without interfering with the main substance of the sentence, it either gets two commas or no commas. No commas is OK, but doesn't read well.
10 October 2021, 10:29 PM
QuirtEvans
quote:
Originally posted by ShiroKuro:
MA, great minds... :grin:


Yeah, the rewrite is better.
11 October 2021, 09:27 AM
Daniel
I was unhappy to find out that my best friend started smoking cigarettes in 1982.