Pennsylvania-Philadelphia

Grammar help needed!

Grammar Police - I need help! My boss and I are at a disagreement as to which comma's are/are not need. (FYI he is set on have the sentence worded as is - so it can't be changed). Is this correct?On Wednesday, August 19, 2009, between 12:30 and 1:00 PM, our subcontractor, while excavating to install underground storm water system piping, hit a gas line.TIA!!!!
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Re: Grammar help needed!

  • edited December 2011
    Why can't he just say:"While excavating to install underground storm water system piping on August 19, our subcontractor hit a gas line."
  • edited December 2011
    Because he is the most difficult man you will ever meet! i suggested changing it to something very similar.
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  • edited December 2011
    Technically it's correct, but it does sound awkward.  "While excavating to install underground storm water system piping, our subcontractor hit a gas line."  sounds a bit less uncomfortable.  :) 
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  • edited December 2011
    The commas are fine, if that's the sentence you're using.
  • edited December 2011
    Thanks!
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  • edited December 2011
    Yup, ditto delicate.
  • edited December 2011
    Re-write! That is a run-on sentence IMO.
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  • edited December 2011
    You have an extra comma after "piping."It is such an awkward sentence.  How about:While our subcontractor was excavating on August 19, 2009 between 12:30 and 1:00pm to install an underground storm water piping system, a gas line was hit.It is still a little too much information to jam into one sentence but now there aren't so many prepositions at the beginning of the sentence.
  • edited December 2011
    someone said there was an extra comma - theres not an extra comma after piping, the point of that comma was to seperate the phrase "while excavating etc etc piping", so that comma is correct if this is the sentence you are using.
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