comma before 'as well as' [conjunction]: aim to teach..., as well as

angel heart1

Senior Member
Spanish
Hi,

I have that we should not use comma if the subject does not appear in front of the second verb.

Could you please explain why in the following example the comma is used before "as well as" although the subject does not appear in front of the second verb?


"Humanities are educational courses that aim to teach individuals about the human condition in a variety of forms, as well as look at them with a critical and analytical eye."

Thanks.

Source: blurtit What Is Humanities And Its Branches? web site http://www.blurtit.com/q8711575.html
 
  • Hullo AH. I think you're interpreting those rules too strictly (or the rules themselves are too strict). It's very possible the author of that sentence added a comma there purely to give the reader a bit of a breath in what would otherwise be a very long ~ unpunctuated ~ sentence.
     
    Personally I find the comma a distraction and an interruption to the flow of the sentence. I have no knowledge of what rules might apply.
     
    I find the sentence, with or without the comma, confusing. What are the "them" that are to be looked at? Surely not the courses themselves. The individuals? The forms?
     
    We're only interested in the comma, Parla:)

    (Have you looked at the link in post #1? ~ I think you'll agree that this author won't be winning any prizes for her English in the near future:()
     
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