Blaine M.
asked • 03/26/21Commas after the word said
Would you need to use a comma in this sentence after the word "said" and before "taking?"
"He'll be right back," John said pulling out a pen and piece of paper.
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1 Expert Answer
Yes, you would. Here's the correct punctuation:
"He'll be right back," John said, pulling out a pen and piece of paper.
I hope this helps!
Mohamed R.
That is true. I want to add some explanation for that. We usually need a comma before any participles (words ending in "ing") when the participle phrase is a result of the previous verb (said) in this case. This applies to this example. The participle phrase "pulling out a pen and piece of paper" results from the verb "said". I hope this is helpful.
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03/30/21
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Stanton D.
Since there's no "taking", it's a bit difficult to say.... but before the "pulling", yes, a comma is needed, just like in this sentence!03/26/21