Where would commas belong in the following sentence?

Question

Are commas optional in the following sentence? Where should they be put if not how I have them currently? Would the sentence read as fine with OR without?

I wanted to let you know because, if I remember right, I think I remember you saying we’ll be having a test tomorrow. 

Answer 1

I agree with Darius, simplify, simply, simplify... Make it clear.

If you are trying to add a little style, use a single phrase

The comma between clauses, always proceeds the conjunction because.

I wanted to let you know, because I remember you stated we will be having a test tomorrow.

(If this is confusing, you may need to research phrases and clauses before you understand where to place commas between them. )

Answer 2

Hey!

So first things first: although the comma placement might be fundamentally correct, that's not the main issue here. The main issue here is the syntax.

If I chose to keep this sentence, I would actually use dashes for the phrase "If I remember right." It would read as such:

"I wanted to let you know because - if I remember right - I think I remember you saying we’ll be having a test tomorrow."

This flows better. Although it's just a simple change of punctuation, the dashes are creating emphasis on the phrase. You also could omit the phrase "I think" because it is a little redundant! You've already said "I think" using the phrase with the keyword remember. Ideally, without recreating the entire sentence, you might want to have this:

 "I wanted to let you know because - if I remember correctly - I recall that you said we’ll be having/taking a test tomorrow."

Be careful about redundancy in word structure! Also, try to use active voice whenever possible. I hope this helped.

Edit: If you're ever unsure whether a phrase needs surrounding commas or not, take them out. If it reads like a run-on sentence (no pauses, breaks), you need commas/dashes!