Comma with a Neutral Remark (In My Opinion, Frankly, Obviously)
The Comma
Rulebase Summary
Use a comma after a neutral remark at the beginning of the sentence and before a neutral remark at the end. A neutral remark imposes the speaker's viewpoint on the sentence and has nothing to do with the sentence content. Common neutral remarks include phrases like 'in my opinion,' 'to your knowledge,' 'as you see it,' 'off the top of my head,' and single words like 'clearly,' 'obviously,' and 'frankly.' When a neutral remark is in the middle of the sentence, it is surrounded with commas.
Examples
Q. To your knowledge how long had the agreement been in place?
Q. To your knowledge, how long had the agreement been in place?
'To your knowledge' is a neutral remark — comma after it.
A. He needed in my view to put more effort into the project.
A. He needed, in my view, to put more effort into the project.
Neutral remark mid-sentence is surrounded with commas.
Transcript Notes
Single words with a judgmental quality at the beginning or end of a sentence are considered neutral remarks and take a comma. These words express an opinion that the speaker overlays on the content — the content itself does not change if the neutral remark is removed.
Style Guide References (3)
BGGP
BGGP
BGGP