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a punctuation mark used to set off nonessential or supplementary information within a sentence, indicating a slight pause or separation of the parenthetical element from the rest of the sentence
What is a "parenthetical comma"?
A parenthetical comma is a type of comma used to set off additional information or clarifying details within a sentence that are not essential to its main meaning. This punctuation helps to create a pause, indicating that the information within the commas can be removed without altering the overall message of the sentence. For example, in the sentence "My brother, who lives in Canada, is visiting us," the phrase "who lives in Canada" is parenthetical and can be removed, making the sentence "My brother is visiting us." Parenthetical commas help clarify the structure of a sentence and improve readability by separating non-essential elements from the main idea.
