Learn English – Using a comma before a tag question.

commaspunctuation

Can anyone please help me out and indicate the mistake in this exchange?

“Is John ill? He’s lost a lot of weight.”
“Yes, he is rather slender these days, isn’t he?”

I am not so sure about the way the second sentence is punctuated.

Best Answer

Punctuation is a matter of style and preference and it largely depends on which style book you or your editor use. However, using a comma is not as much confusing as other punctuation marks.

According to the linked Commas: Quick Rules by Purdue University:

Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause... Common introductory words that should be followed by a comma include yes, however, well.

  1. The word yes is an interjection and it is usually placed at the beginning of a sentence. It could be considered as a word that come before the main clause which requires a comma.

Use a comma near the end of a sentence to separate contrasted coordinate elements or to indicate a distinct pause or shift.

  1. isn't he in the sentence is called a tag question which could be considered as one of contrasted coordinate elements. Therefore, a comma is required before the tag question.
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