I wanted to ask about using commas with "not for... but for" My sentence is similar to the one below:
Why don't we buy presents, not for our family, but for those in need?
Note that for specific reasons I can not change the way the statement is written.
Are the commas placed correctly? I feel like I overdid it. Also another question is it possible to omit the but. Like so:
Why don't we buy presents, not for our family, for those in need?
Why don't we buy presents, not for our family, but for those in need?
That seems correct with regard to the comma placement.
Why don't we buy presents, not for our family, for those in need?
This is not good. You need to include the "but," otherwise it is a run-on sentence.
Also, this is a very conversational sounding sentence. If you were speaking conversationally, you might say those words, but it would come out more like "Why don't we buy presents? Not for our family; for those in need." Even though the second sentence here is not grammatically complete, it comes as a natural response in a conversation, i.e.
Person A: "Why don't we buy presents?
Person B: "For our family?"
Person A: "Not for our family; for those in need.
But if you're talking strictly grammar, you need the "but" in there to make the sentence correct.
