Should there be a comma before "be alone" in this sentence?
The bond between them was so strong that Rhoda knew she could not leave Rhea and be alone.
No. A comma isn't needed there.
Thank you.
Yes, there should be a comma before "be alone" in this sentence.
To determine whether a comma is needed in this case, you can consider the function of the phrase "and be alone" in relation to the rest of the sentence.
In this sentence, "and be alone" is an independent clause, which means it can stand alone as a complete sentence. The presence of the coordinating conjunction "and" indicates that "be alone" is an additional action or circumstance.
When an independent clause is added to a sentence using a coordinating conjunction, such as "and," a comma is typically used before the conjunction to separate the two clauses. This helps to clarify the sentence structure and improve readability.
Therefore, to properly punctuate the sentence, a comma is needed before "be alone":
"The bond between them was so strong that Rhoda knew she could not leave Rhea, and be alone."