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Question to Teacher: Why just a comma in the final sentence building question?
Course 1 Lesson 9: New Year's Day (Question and Answer)

peteski2021

Post Date: 2022-11-22 13:57:55

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2021 Jul 20

Questions: 4
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Hello,

I'm curious as to why there is only a comma between kotoshi and anata in the sentence building example at the end of lesson 9?

The sentance reads, kotoshi, anata no okaasan no tanjoubi wa nanyoubi desu ka.

Perhaps I'm just over thinking that something should be there, not a 'no' or a 'ga or 'wa' but something as there is nothing to 'bind' the two words together....

Thanks!

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JFZ Teacher (Kanako)

Post Date: 2022-11-30 01:50:42

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2003 Mar 03

Questions: 10
Comments: 1306

It is said that there are some basic rules for correct punctuation as below.
Commas are usually used;
1) when several kanji characters are written in succession,
2) when the subject is long, and
3) after conjunctions such as そして (SOSHITE/and) and でも(DEMO/but), etc.

However, the most important thing about using commas is to make the sentence easier to read.
The comma in the example sentence was used for readability.

ことし、あなたのおかあさんのたんじょうびはなんようびでしたか。
(KOTOSHI, ANATA NO OKAASAN NO TANJOUBI WA NANYOUBI DESHITAKA)
= On what day of the week was your mother’s birthday this year?

It would be a little hard to read if there was no comma between ことし (KOTOSHI/this year) and あなた(ANATA/you).

Keep up the good work!

peteski2021

Post Date: 2022-12-01 15:14:03

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2021 Jul 20

Questions: 4
Comments: 2

ありがとうございます Kanako