Comma before who is

The proper place for the comma is before the conjunction. The sentence above contains two independent clauses , so it requires a comma before and. Therefore, we need a comma before and. Sam tossed the ball, and watched the dog chase it. Sam tossed the ball and watched the dog chase it. But wait! Arthur cooked and Melvin cleaned. Want to learn about other ways to use a comma? Check out our general guide to comma usage. Real-time suggestions, wherever you write.

Comma Before And Grammarly. If, instead, you take a look at the function of that word in the context of the sentence containing it, you will be able to quickly and painlessly answer any comma question. Put simply, a clause is the core building block of a sentence. At a minimum, it needs to include a verb; in most cases, it also includes a subject and an object, as well. To be grammatical, a sentence needs to include one main clause. Most sentences also include subordinate clauses that add further information about the main clause, or change our understanding of it in some way.

As noted above, this means you are dealing with a restrictive clause. Because restrictive clauses provide essential information, you should never add a comma in front of them.

Commas always follow these clauses at the start of a sentence. If a dependent clause ends the sentence, however, it no longer requires a comma. Only use a comma to separate a dependent clause at the end of a sentence for added emphasis, usually when negation occurs.

Appositives act as synonyms for a juxtaposed word or phrase. In the above example — "While running, I saw a mallard, a kind of duck" — "A kind of duck" is the appositive, which gives more information about "a mallard. If the appositive occurs in the middle of the sentence, both sides of the phrase need a comma.

As in: "A mallard, a kind of duck, attacked me. Don't let the length of an appositive scare you. As long as the phrase somehow gives more information about its predecessor, you usually need a comma.

There's one exception to this rule. Don't offset a phrase that gives necessary information to the sentence. Usually, commas surround a non-essential clause or phrase. For example, "The duck that attacked me scared my friend" doesn't require any commas.

Even though the phrase "that attacked me" describes "the duck," it provides essential information to the sentence. Otherwise, no one would know why the duck scared your friend. Clauses that begin with "that" are usually essential to the sentence and do not require commas.

That last comma, known as the serial comma, Oxford comma, or Harvard comma, causes serious controversy. Although many consider it unnecessary, others including Business Insider insist on its use to reduce ambiguity. There's an Internet meme that demonstrates its necessity perfectly.

The version without the Oxford comma, however, takes on an entirely different meaning, potentially suggesting that only one invitation was sent — to two strippers named JFK and Stalin. Read more: 12 everyday phrases that you're probably saying incorrectly.

Many adverbs end in "ly" and answer the question "how? How did something happen? Adverbs that don't end in "ly," such as "when" or "while," usually introduce a dependent clause, which rule number two in this post already covered.

Also insert a comma when "however" starts a sentence, too. Phrases like "on the other hand" and "furthermore" also fall into this category. Starting a sentence with "however," however, is discouraged by many careful writers. A better method would be to use "however" within a sentence after the phrase you want to negate, as in the previous sentence.

Read more: 11 reasons the English language is impossible to learn. Another clever meme shows the problem with incorrect placement of this comma. The version with a comma, however, instructs them to stop attending hip dance clubs. Only coordinate adjectives require a comma between them. Two adjectives are coordinate if you can answer yes to both of these questions: 1. Does the sentence still make sense if you reverse the order of the words? Does the sentence still make sense if you insert "and" between the words?