Please answer a grammar question for me?

[MommyInTraining]

We had a delicious meal of chicken, macaroni, and green beans with chocolate cake for dessert.

Should there be a comma after green beans?

Thanks!

[Hen Jen]

when I was in school, I was taught that no, there should not be a comma there. I have noticed, teaching my children, that our books say to place a comma before 'and'. I checked somewhere else, and read that both ways were acceptable. I do it the way I was taught.

[MommyInTraining]

Thanks Jen, but I was actually asking if there should be a comma after green beans.

[Hen Jen]

sorry...(need a blushing smiley face to insert here...).

I am not a grammar expert, but I'd say no. I don't think I've ever seen a comma before 'with'.

I'm wondering, where are all the grammar folks??...usually they have fun with a question like this.:001_smile:

[MommyInTraining]

:blush:

Thanks Jen. It just didn't sound right to me for some reason. I thought maybe there needed to be something there to denote a pause.

[Lovedtodeath]

I would put a comma for the reason that you stated.

[Amber in AUS]

I'd put a comma i think because it sounds like you had green beans with chocolate cake :lol: Not that i know anything about grammar :tongue_smilie:

[Pam in MA]

No comma there but would the sentence be clearer (i.e. no green beans with cake!) if you used a different preposition: . . . green beans followed by chocolate cake, maybe?

[bonniebeth4]

Now, I have been accused of overusing commas. But my first thought was that you'd need a comma there (to denote the pause). If you said "followed by chocolate. . ." I'd still put a comma there because it sounds like you should have a pause there, too. I guess I put a lot of pauses in my writing. :)

[angela in ohio]

No, no comma. However, I would change the sentence, as you are saying that you had green beans with chocolate cake for dessert. It is unclear what the prepositional phrase is modifying, and even if you could put a comman there, it would still be unclear. I like "followed by..." better, but still no comma. I would personally change it to "Our delicious meal of chicken, macaroni, and green beans was followed by chocolate cake for dessert."

[EKS]

If the sentence has to stay as it is, I'd probably add the comma; however, this is the type of sentence that I would normally rewrite to make more clear.

[bonniebeth4]

I would personally change it to "Our delicious meal of chicken, macaroni, and green beans was followed by chocolate cake for dessert."

I like that better, too.

[Ellie]

I would put one there, after "beans." I think it makes the sentence more clear, don't you?

You could rewrite the sentence, but I think it's fine the way it is. Rewriting it thusly, "Our delicious meal of chicken, macaroni, and green beans was followed by chocolate cake for dessert," changes it from active voice to passive. We try to avoid passive voice, yes? And then the sentence is kind of wonky...isn't dessert part of the meal? and isn't that redundant, anyway? Doesn't dessert by definition follow the main course?

Naw, just leave it the way it is and add the comma.

[Kuovonne]

I'm not a grammar expert, but here are my thoughts:

"of chicken, macaroni, and green beans" is a prepositional phrase
describing the meal.

"with chocolate cake for dessert" is another prepositional phrase,
which also describes the meal.

Normally you do not set off a prepositional phrase with a comma.

However, because "with chocolate cake ..." immediately follows
"green beans" it looks like the cake goes with the green beans.
rather than the meal.

Therefore, a comma could be used to "separate" the cake
from the green beans, and clarify the sentence.

However, I also agree that a rewrite, rather than just a
change in punctuation, is in order.

[Cadam]

It depends on the style guide so do it however you like and just let the kids know at some point that when they are at University and in a professional job they will need to look up how it is done in the accepted style guide of the time.