Sample phrase:
Use the item for those purposes, only.
vs.
Use the item for those purposes only.
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Related (duplicate?): http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/8109/comma-or-no-comma-before-too?rq=1 – ghoppe Jul 31 '13 at 16:52
2 Answers
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There's no need for the comma because that would imply that you're starting a new phrase, but you're not. Also, when you say the sentence out loud, you don't pause after "purposes".
Matt VanEpps
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In spoken form you may want to pause before "only" for dramatic effect and to emphasize the restriction. In that case you would probably use an ellipsis when writing, "Use the item for those purposes…only!" – oosterwal Jul 31 '13 at 21:38
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Commas don't indicate pauses but parts of a sentence, usually. You can't use "I pause when I come to this point in the sentence" as a rule for when to use a comma.
