When you remove the phrase “which I enjoy the most,” do you change the meaning of the sentence? No comma is needed. Rule #2: Use a Comma After an Introductory Word or Phrase. We'll show you how to use conjunctions, clauses, relative pronouns, and the proper way to use a comma after "and" with our comma cheat sheet. Example: “I told you to rinse the dishes in the sink because you tend to let milk dry,” she yelled from the kitchen to his office. Dependent clauses (clauses introduced by words like “that”, “which”, “who”, … Use commas to offset appositives from the rest of the sentence. For example: In other words, if the As appears before the main clause -like in your example- it needs a comma. Adding or not adding a comma is largely a grammatical preference. If you try taking it out of the sentence, the meaning changes: Cars always seem to break down. The punctuation with an interrupter is meant to offset it from the rest of the sentence. Keep an eye out for sentences that have a preposition before the word “which,” since that construction indicates that you do not need to use a comma. The envelope in, which the letter arrived had no return address. By making these two modifications—either replacing “which” with “that” or omitting the word “which”—you can avoid questions of comma usage. Re: comma before as and which Originally Posted by Piscean There is a natural pause in speech (shown by the comma in writing) when 'as' has a similar meaning to 'because'. Figure skating has always been my favorite sport. Compose bold, clear, mistake-free writing with Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant. You don’t need to use a comma before which when it introduces a question. The envelope in which the letter arrived had no return address. Before "then" when it separates two independent clauses. such a clause cannot be left out of the sentence without affecting the meaning. In other words, it depends on how important the phrase is to the overall meaning of the sentence. a. Could you tell me, which is your favorite? On the other hand, when a direct question appears within a longer sentence, it should always be set off by a comma. You can safely delete it if you want without losing the context. Don’t use a comma before the conjunction when the second clause can’t stand alone. Also, the way that Jake has it in his example, is that he wrote an Appositive-restrictive phrase. If ‘which’ introduces a restrictive relative clause, then you may not add a comma before it, but if it introduces a non-restrictive relative clause, then you must add a comma before it. I’m an award-winning playwright with a penchant for wordplay. Therefore, you need a comma before which and another one at the end of the nonrestrictive phrase. are restoring an old townhouse which will serve as a display shop for the . Always place a comma before or when it begins an independent clause, but if it begins a dependent clause, don’t. The quick answer to this question is no. The word “which” has a few different use cases in the English language. Used correctly, commas should clarify the meaning of the texts by dividing and grouping words, phrases or clauses to help the reader. The phrase, "which is in the garage," is a … Either way, you don’t need to put a comma before it. 2. Sometimes the grammer check on work says it calls for a semicolon. When the information that follows the relative pronouns is essential to the sentence, you do not use a comma. In the case of an indirect question, as in the example above, no comma should be used. Commas with adverb clauses or phrase - When an adverb clause [or … If the same part is a restrictive phrase then it should appear without commas and be an essencial part of … Mood: How to Use Tone and Mood in Your Writing, Beware of These Common Consistency Issues in Writing, Happy New Year, New Year’s, or New Years? You may also come across the word “which” used in a non-defining relative clause. And . So, when in doubt, you may want to replace “which” with “that” and sidestep the question of whether or not to place commas entirely. Don’t use a comma before which when it’s part of a prepositional phrase, such as “in which.”. I never know when to use a comma before with and when not. There are different punctuation marks in the English language. You can safely delete it if you want without losing the context. We heard three speeches, the longest of which went for an hour. Often, you can identify a defining relative clause by asking yourself by asking yourself, would I be able to replace “which” with “that”? Don’t use a comma … If a phrase is restrictive instead of nonrestrictive, it means that you can’t take it out of the sentence without changing the meaning. Experts are often divided on the issue. . If the clause is nonessential, you should place commas before the word “such” and at the end of the set of examples. Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause. Philippines - Tagalog Jun 13, 2007 #3 Hi, I don't think a comma is necessary there. . For instance, the word might appear as part of a parenthetical, explanatory phrase. As for the comma before "but" – in your sentence I think it is preferable because it makes for easier reading. That is always restrictive in use: it indicates that without what comes after it, you cannot really understand the sentence properly at all. (These are also called essential and nonessential clauses.) Whether or not you put a comma before and depends on how you’re using and.There’s no single rule that applies to all situations. We'll show you how to use conjunctions, clauses, relative pronouns, and the proper way to use a comma after "and" with our comma cheat sheet. In Coiffe's sentence, for example, the comma is very natural, and corresponds to a slight pause in speech. That has more to do with the formatting of dialogue than with the word “which”. That’s not much of a problem for direct questions, since which is usually the first word: But when a sentence contains an indirect question, which might not be the first word. These are big words that I won't make you memorize, though a teacher would. He studied French, which was a subject that he enjoyed. In this case, the meaning changes when you remove the relative phrase. Common Questions. From my home office in Maui, Hawaii, I currently work on freelance and ghostwriting projects. 5 Writing "Rules" That Are Really Guidelines, Tone vs. A nonrestrictive phrase adds a little bit of extra (but not essential) information about a noun phrase that you’ve already mentioned in your sentence. I never know when to use a comma before with and when not. Do not use commas to set off essential elements of the sentence, such as clauses … Of those four uses, you’ll only need to use a comma before the word “which” at the beginning of a nonrestrictive phrase and in certain direct questions. Not placing a comma … The comma before a conjunction in a list is known as an an Oxford Comma or a serial comma. It is the context that determines which of … I came through a sentence that comma precedes "in which," but I have heard that no comma precedes "which" that has a preposition before it. After earning a perfect score on the Writing SAT, I worked my way through Brown University by moonlighting as a Kaplan Test Prep tutor. The Oxford comma, which is named after Oxford University Press, has long been the subject of arguments. Parenthetical phrases can easily be removed from the sentence without changing the meaning. When a word or phrase forms an introduction to a sentence, you should follow it with a comma, as recommended by Purdue OWL. I received a BA with honors in Literary Arts (Playwriting)—which gave me the opportunity to study under Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel. They should be identified with a pair of commas. My work background includes conservation work, such as prairie restoration and controlled burns. For example, this usage of "but" does not take a comma: "To quack but to have no one hear is a sad thing for a duck." Common starter words for introductory clauses that should be followed by a comma include after, although, as, because, if, since, when, while. It’s almost always optional to put a comma before and in a list.. Comma Before And in Lists. Besides, when you use that as a relative pronoun, you cannot use it in non defining … Using a Comma before “And” (and Other Coordinating Conjunctions) in a Sentence. Note that the final quotation mark follows the full stop at the end of the direct speech: Steve replied, ‘No problem.’ You also need to use a comma at the end of a piece of direct speech, if the speech comes before the informatio… These words are called relative pronouns. If you are referring to restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses, then YES. The topic I enjoy the most is art history. Interestingly, in American English, people usually prefer the word “that” to “which” in a defining clause or any other restrictive clause. You cannot use the punctuation rules of your native language when you write in English – you must use English rules. You’re asking someone to specify one or more items from a definite set. jakeybum, Jan 1, 2018 #1. ; Commas can separate adjectives, offset nonessential phrases, and introduce direct quotations. . There are several … It is not always incorrect to place a comma before because. Is there always a comma before which in a sentence such as - - . When you use the word “which” as part of a question, the word could be considered an interrogative pronoun. In the sentence above, which introduces a nonrestrictive phrase (highlighted in gray). You also need a comma before an interrogative “which” when the word appears in dialogue. OR An indirect question has been rewritten in a declarative style that doesn’t require a question mark. Here is the EXACT rule for Adverbable phrases and clauses when using Commas (which using an 'as' makes it an adverb.) When you use “which” after a preposition, you won’t need an additional punctuation mark. An apostrophe, which identifies the possessive case, should be used here. Note the comma before WITH. In those circumstances, we call it a defining relative clause. Different languages have different rules about how to use commas. Mignon Fogarty is the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips and the author of seven books on language, including the New York Times bestseller "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better … Examples of the comma before and, so, yet and or. Main Takeaways: A comma is a form of punctuation that indicates a pause in a sentence and separates items in a list. For both of those reasons, we know that “which I enjoy the most” functions as a restrictive phrase in this case, and it therefore does not require commas. He introduced a comma splice, which is a common grammatical error. How can you tell that it’s a nonrestrictive phrase? It depends on how 'tightly coupled' the will phrase is to what … Putting a comma before “that… The third sentence, like the first, would never be said by anyone with an education. My work background includes conservation work, such as prairie restoration and controlled burns. Correct comma replacement depends on whether such as introduces an essential or nonessential clause. ; Commas should be used before and when joining two independent clauses or when compiling a list. We heard three speeches, the longest of, which went for an hour. If the piece of direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, you need to use a comma to introduce the direct speech. To restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses should be set off by a comma there always a comma nonrestrictive clauses be! Isn ’ t change—it just contains slightly less detail now t need an additional punctuation mark a coordinating.... As appears before the conjunction when it ’ s connecting two independent clauses. 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