n Juan, his
mother desired to make an angel of him.

Right: The story deals with the life of a youth, Don Juan. His
mother desired to make an angel of him.

Wrong: My courses required very hard study, did yours?

Right: My courses required very hard study. Did yours? [Or] My
courses required very hard study; did yours?

Wrong: He will assist you without the slightest hesitation,
indeed he will do so with alacrity.

Right: He will assist you without the slightest hesitation.
Indeed he will do so with alacrity. [Or] He will assist you
without the slightest hesitation; indeed he will do so with
alacrity.

Exception.--Short coordinate clauses which are not joined by
conjunctions, but which are parallel in structure and leave a unified
impression, may be joined by commas.

Right: He sowed, he reaped, he repented.

=c. An adverbial clause which precedes a main clause is usually set off
by a comma.=

When long:

Right: While I have much confidence in his sincerity, I cannot
approve his decision. [The comma marks the meeting point of
clauses too long to be easily read together. Brief clauses do
not require the comma. Right: Where thou goest I will go.]

When ending in words that link themselves with words in the main
clause:

Right: If Jacob finds time to plow, the garden can be planted
tomorrow. [The comma prevents _plow the garden_ from being read
as verb and object.]

When not closely connected with the main clause in meaning:

Right: Although they were few, they were resolute. [Here the
comma reveals the distinctness of the two stages of thought. In
the sentence _If it freezes the skating will be good_ the
distinctness of the two thoughts is less emphatic, and the
comma may be omitted.]

Note.--The comma is usually omitted when the adverbial clause follows
the main clause.

Right: The score stood twelve to twelve when the first half
ended. [The adverbial clause is linked closely with the element
it modifies, the predicate; punctuation is unnecessary. If the
_when_ clause were placed before the element it does not
modify, the subject, a comma should be inserted.]

=d. Restrictive clauses should not be set off by commas; non-restrictive
clauses should be set off by commas.= (A restrictive clause is one
inseparably connected with the noun or pronoun it mod