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Which is correct in modern day grammar (email context)?

I am reviewing this, now.

I am reviewing this now.

tchrist
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user303272
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2 Answers2

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I think both are correct. It depends on how you want the reader to interpret this sentence. A comma in writing acts the same way as a pause in speech; consequently, if you want to add emphasis to the word "now" you can put a comma before it. Notice that every time you put a comma before a word or phrase, it interrupts the normal progression of the sentence.

Purich W.
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    Because 'now' is temporal, we know that it is adverbial, so a comma is not required. Because it is positioned after a complete predicate, we can also assume that it is adverbial (cf. "I am reviewing this at my desk"). Since it is not required, using it emphasizes the pause -- adding nuance (hinting that 'now' was not the expected time). – AmI Jun 15 '18 at 22:28
  • It's not true that a comma always indicates a pause when the words are spoken; the true use of commas is to separate logical parts of a sentence. The words in simple lists should be separated by commas but when the list is read out there is sometimes no pause. Take the question and answer "What pets have you had?" " "I've had dogs, cats, newts and budgerigars." You can pause between dogs and cats and between cats and newts but you don't have to; however if you don't separate the words with commas when you write the list out you have made a grammatical error. – BoldBen Apr 11 '19 at 02:06
  • @BoldBen 'Grammar/grammatical' as used on ELU are agreed to have the narrower sense excluding punctuation: ' ... you will have made an error in punctuation'. But good point. – Edwin Ashworth Sep 02 '19 at 18:16
  • @EdwinAshworth Good point, my terminology was sloppy. Thanks for picking me up. – BoldBen Sep 04 '19 at 19:37
  • @BoldBen It's an ELU thing (and I think normal among grammarians). I long for the day when someone who's actually got the power to do so mandates prescribed definitions for 'word', 'sentence', 'clause', 'noun', 'preposition', 'adverb', 'locative particle' and the like (provided they're the ones I think are the most sensible). – Edwin Ashworth Sep 05 '19 at 10:43
  • @EdwinAshworth I thought sentence was already defined: as the punishment handed down for criminal activity :-) – BoldBen Sep 06 '19 at 06:29
  • No; magistrates and (in many cases) judges only have sentencing guidelines. – Edwin Ashworth Sep 06 '19 at 13:43
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If you use a comma here, it will be seen as a sort of an elliptical phrase. When I see a sentence like this, I get a feeling that the full one probably sounds something like this:

I am reviewing this, (and I need to do it) now.

Keep in mind that now can also function as an interjection, usually to change a topic mid-conversation, or to divert attention, or to express resentment.

Now, that's rude.

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Now, please be quiet.

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However, now as an interjection is not always separated by commas (considerably less than often, I'd say), and is usually put at the start of the sentence.

Other than these two very specific cases, you certainly don't need a comma to express a simple fact that you are reviewing this at the present moment.

PavelAndré
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