Where should the comma be placed: "The cat carefully groomed itself, looking at the cat"?

Where should the comma be placed: The cat carefully groomed itself, looking at the cat? - briefly

In the sentence "The cat carefully groomed itself, looking at the cat," the comma is incorrectly placed. The correct version should read: "The cat carefully groomed itself while looking at the cat."

Where should the comma be placed: The cat carefully groomed itself, looking at the cat? - in detail

The placement of commas in a sentence can significantly impact its clarity and meaning. In the given sentence, "The cat carefully groomed itself, looking at the cat," the comma usage warrants careful consideration.

Firstly, let's examine the structure of the sentence without the comma: "The cat carefully groomed itself looking at the cat." This version can be interpreted in two ways. One interpretation is that the cat is simultaneously grooming itself and looking at another cat. Another interpretation could be that the cat is carefully grooming itself in a manner that involves looking at itself. The absence of a comma can thus lead to ambiguity.

Now, let's consider the sentence with the comma: "The cat carefully groomed itself, looking at the cat." Here, the comma creates a pause that separates two independent clauses. This structure implies that there are two distinct actions taking place: the cat is carefully grooming itself, and separately, it is looking at another cat. The comma effectively clarifies that these actions occur independently of each other.

In conclusion, the comma in this sentence should be placed after "itself" to clearly distinguish between the two independent actions. This placement enhances readability and prevents any potential confusion about the sequence or relationship of the actions described.