Q. Three people have three strong opinions about commas in the following passage: “He thinks that, if he asks for directions, his membership in the brotherhood of men will be revoked. He would rather be lost.” Person A likes both commas. Person B would omit the first but keep the second. Person C would strike both. Please judge us.
A. Group hug! You are all correct. Person A’s version is the least elegant to my ear, but it’s not wrong. Please see CMOS 6.26.