Generally speaking English text seems to lean towards a greater amount of commas used than Swedish text (my native language). Usually comma placement in English text doesn't disturb me, although occasionally I run into cases where it just looks odd. Here's a form I haven't been able to google up any sensible grammatical explanation for the commas:
Another example:
Anyway, is there a grammatical rule that explains the use of comma here? Is this form more (or less) correct than omitting them?
If I were to read this out load, I would never pause before or after "perhaps". That just feels awkward. I also don't feel it helps reading either. I feel this sentence both sounds and reads the best in one straight go.Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded ...
Another example:
Same thing here, although reading this out loud I think a pause after "then" is fine, but not before. I would also accept the latter comma for readability. But I would still prefer no commas at all. This style seems to occur primarily in formal text, such as some academic literature. I tend to think it's used by those people that write paragraph-length sentences.This text continues, then, as an effort to think through ...
Anyway, is there a grammatical rule that explains the use of comma here? Is this form more (or less) correct than omitting them?