Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[fw]

The passage below is part of what I transcribed, listening to a radio program. The blank below is where I got stuck. The commentator is an educated American woman.

Which, #1or #2, below, do you think is more appropriate, when written down, for the blank?
1. the smallest possible, useful, little bit
2. the smallest possible, useful little bit

To "hone something down" focuses more on removing excess to get to ( ).

I chose #1, but I�m not sure if it is more appropriate. What do you think?

[Eric Thompson]

Dear fw, I choose #1 also. I tend to use commas more than the average 'English writer'. They tend to remove confusion. I also feel they should be used to reflect the way people speak. They show where there are pauses in speech. I feel that there is a pause between 'useful' and 'little'. Also, since there is already a comma after 'possible', why not after 'useful'? Notice that there is no comma between 'smallest' and 'possible', which are also adjectives. But there is no pause between them when speaking, so no comma. Ok? -- Eric