I'm trying to proofread a report for my boss, and they inconsistently include a comma before "which." If the non-essential clause appears at the end of the sentence, you would only need one comma to set it apart from the rest of the sentence. A nonrestrictive modifying clause is a phrase that adds nonessential information to a sentence without altering its meaning. A comma is a form of punctuation that indicates a pause in a sentence and separates items in a list. You also don’t need a comma before “which” when it’s used as part of an indirect question. Besides, when you use that as a relative pronoun, you cannot use it in non defining sentences (where you use which), but these are the only ones where a comma is needed, to separate them from the main clause. We're sorry. If you use, however, therefore, furthermore, or moreover at the beginning of a sentence, there is always a comma after the adverb. Common prepositions include: above, across, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, by, down, from, in, into, near, of, off, on, to, toward, under, upon, with, and within. He introduced a comma splice, which is a common grammatical error. Deciding whether to use a comma before which, where, or who means determining the function of the relative clause. Commas should be used before and when joining two independent clauses or when compiling a list. Commas with "that" and "which" clauses When should you use a comma before that and which clauses? In this case, the meaning changes when you remove the relative phrase. Sorry but what does IMO mean? We need a comma before a non-restrictive relative clause that is a clause which provides information that can be left out without affecting the meaning or structure of the sentence. As with many comma related questions, the answer depends on whether the phrase in question is restrictive or non-restrictive. Find the clause beginning with that or which. Often, you can identify a defining relative clause by asking yourself by asking yourself, would I be able to replace “which” with “that”? Compose bold, clear, mistake-free writing with Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant. 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. In the case of an indirect question, as in the example above, no comma should be used. Commas before as can be more tricky. This trick works because 'which' without a comma is used to head a defining clause, just like 'that.' So, when in doubt, you may want to replace “which” with “that” and sidestep the question of whether or not to place commas entirely. Here’s a tip: Commas can be tricky, but they don’t have to trip you up. You could easily remove the nonrestrictive clause from the sentence without changing the meaning. The Oxford comma reduces ambiguity in lists. They want to know which dependent clause should be deleted? The event may not take place until March 17, but the competitors are already champing at the bit, with the Hall of Fame inductions and many other specialized events to take place. Compare that one with another one. Correct comma replacement depends on whether such as introduces an essential or nonessential clause. Dependent clauses (clauses introduced by words like “that”, “which”, “who”, “where”, “how”, etc.) Could you tell me, which is your favorite? These words are called relative pronouns. Simply put, you should use a comma before which when it precedes a nonrestrictive modifying clause. Notice the difference in the following two sentences. And . Note that some authors do not precede “whereas” with a comma, which I find rather unfortunate. Comma before which. You can safely delete it if you want without losing the context. Also, ask yourself whether the phrase is essential. He studied French, which was a subject that he enjoyed. On the other hand, if removing the phrase does nothing to the meaning of the sentence, and it still makes sense, then the phrase is non-restrictive and a comma should be used. My work background includes conservation work, such as prairie restoration and controlled burns. . As for the comma before "but" – in your sentence I think it is preferable because it makes for easier reading. Whether or not you put a comma before and depends on how you’re using and. The Oxford comma which is named after Oxford University Press has long been the subject of arguments. In general, that is not introduced by a comma, as this would separate the two sentences which that (conjunction) links. She wanted to buy the ship which won the race. You must be signed in to continue. When you use “which” after a preposition, you won’t need an additional punctuation mark. When you use “which” to ask a simple question, you don’t need a comma. I need a quick and dirty answer to this question. You usually put a comma before and when it’s connecting two independent clauses. If the clause begins with a which, continue to step 2. a. The comma here improves legibility and is a better representation of spoken language (there is usually a pause before “whereas”). In other cases, a relative clause may be essential. In those circumstances, we call it a defining relative clause. Our language uses exclamation marks, semicolons, dashes, and commas - just to name a few. You can find the answer key with proper punctuation below the quiz. Often, the word “which” appears as part of a clause that isn’t essential to the meaning of the sentence. In short, you only need to use a comma before “where” if the information that follows it is not essential to proper understanding of the whole sentence. After No is a plural noun or a singular noun. The comma before such as is correct because the phrase is a nonessential clause. If the clause begins with a that, omit the comma. Again, when it is used as an adverb, you don’t use a comma. . S susanm Member. In the sentence above, the relative clause explains more about the word “French,” but it’s not essential information. With a theme of white light, silver and gold is picked up again in the extraordinary chain of the necklace which includes miniature oval disks of the opposing designs. It also has an interactive exercise. When you use the word “which” as part of a question, the word could be considered an interrogative pronoun. An apostrophe, which identifies the possessive case, should be used here. . Use a comma before which when it introduces a nonrestrictive phrase. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content. This issue is not limited to subordinate clauses beginning with “that”. Whether it is correct to use a comma before a coordinating conjunction ("and", "but", "or", "nor", "for", "yet", "so") depends on the situation. That has more to do with the formatting of dialogue than with the word “which”. I’m an award-winning playwright with a penchant for wordplay. What meaning does the word “in her turn “indicate? Restrictive ⇒Don’t Use a Comma Non-restrictive ⇒ Use a Comma The topic I enjoy the most is art history. In this context, “which” introduces a phrase that gives extra information about a person or thing. It’s almost always optional to put a comma before and in … An indirect question has been rewritten in a declarative style that doesn’t require a question mark. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Oxford commas are also known as serial or Harvard commas. The example above uses “which” to introduce a defining relative clause. It is also a complete sentence and an independent clause even though it doesn’t have an object as in the first example. As you know, unless the sentence is very short, a comma does come before "but" when it introduces the second independent clause. You’re asking someone to specify one or more items from a definite set. Let’s begin with an example of a complete sentence. And no, one does not involve putting a comma in when you naturally pause. For example: ‘It’s cold outside, and I can’t find my coat.’ ‘We want to visit Big Ben, and then see Tower Bridge on Thursday.’ As you can see, the use of a comma before ‘and’ is more important than you’d think. There really are only eight! Figure skating, which I started at age five, has always been my favorite sport. It does not change the meaning and is not absolutely necessary, but it makes the long sentence simpler to parse and therefore the meaning is … Because clauses that aren’t restrictive are basically optional, commas are used to provide a visual cue to the reader that he or she can skip what follows. The topic that I enjoy the most is art history. What distinguishes English from most other languages is its use of commas before a dependent (subordinate) clause. Most people have no clue there are eight comma rules. Don’t use a comma before which when it’s part of a prepositional phrase, such as “in which.” Don’t use a comma before which when it introduces an indirect question. 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. Independent clauses which are joined with a semicolon do not need a coordinating conjunction. In English we do not have this rule (if we did, I would have put a comma between “rule” and “that” in the previous sentence). are usually neither preceded nor followed by a comma. Writers tend to make this mistake when forming sentences in which as separates two independent clauses.. Below is an example of such a sentence. In the example above, the direct question must be set off from the rest of the sentence. It can stand on its own without adding another word. Note the comma before WITH. An apostrophe which identifies the possessive case should be used here. Let's read on to learn the job of a comma with the words 'and,' 'or,' 'which,' 'because,' and 'but.' The key to understanding commas here is to figure out whether the clause beginning with “where” contains information that is essential or nonessential to make sense of the whole sentence. They want to know, which dependent clause should be deleted? Figure skating has always been my favorite sport. However, we don't use a comma before a restrictive relative clause which provides essential information about the noun to which it refers. . After earning a perfect score on the Writing SAT, I worked my way through Brown University by moonlighting as a Kaplan Test Prep tutor. We can join the two clauses with a conjun… Parenthetical phrases can easily be removed from the sentence without changing the meaning. 1. Like because, as can be used as a conjunction or as an adverb. 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. eg He surprised her with an engagement ring. In other words, it depends on how important the phrase is to the overall meaning of the sentence. jakeybum, Jan 1, 2018 #1. There are three primary uses of conjunctions: When a coordinating conjunction is used to connect two independent clauses, a comma is always used. By making these two modifications—either replacing “which” with “that” or omitting the word “which”—you can avoid questions of comma usage. If removing the phrase would change the meaning of the sentence, then it is restrictive and a comma should not be used. It depends on how 'tightly coupled' the will phrase is to what precedes it. Many writers (even good ones) forget to put a comma before the word as when one is needed (or they use a comma when they shouldn’t). You may also come across the word “which” used in a non-defining relative clause. There’s no single rule that applies to all situations. Hi, With a theme of white light, silver and gold is picked up again in the extraordinary chain of the necklace which includes miniature oval disks of the opposing designs. . I never know when to use a comma before with and when not. When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. On the other hand, when a direct question appears within a longer sentence, it should always be set off by a comma. For instance, the word might appear as part of a parenthetical, explanatory phrase. The phrase provides additional information that is essential to the sentence. There are different punctuation marks in the English language. Do not use a comma before 'which' if you could replace your 'which' with 'that.' “Which” is frequently used as the object of a prepositional phrase. You also need a comma before an interrogative “which” when the word appears in dialogue. Comma before or after however Because you can use however as a synonym for but, it is worth noting this rule. From my home office in Maui, Hawaii, I currently work on freelance and ghostwriting projects. Sometimes the grammer check on work says it calls for a semicolon. When you remove the phrase “which I enjoy the most,” do you change the meaning of the sentence? Look at the following sentences and try to determine whether you should use commas. When are there exceptions for not using a comma before “with”? are restoring an old townhouse which will serve as a display shop for the . The word can be used as part of a nonrestrictive phrase, restrictive phrase, or prepositional phrase, and it can be used as an interrogative word. such a clause cannot be left out of the sentence without affecting the meaning. But because there are two fairly long clauses to the sentence, a comma between them provides a convenient separator. You can also use a comma before ‘and’ to connect two unrelated clauses. Commas can separate adjectives, offset nonessential phrases, and introduce direct quotations. Present perfect tense followed by past tense. Even if you replace “which” with another word, you would still need the same formatting for any piece of dialogue. (Notice how I used it as an adverb in the preceding sentence.) Interestingly, in American English, people usually prefer the word “that” to “which” in a defining clause or any other restrictive clause. It’s normally set off from the rest of a sentence with commas. It’s often used to identify one thing amongst a larger set. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/relative-clauses-defining-and-non-defining, http://www.cws.illinois.edu/workshop/writers/restrictiveclauses/, https://www.dictionary.com/e/that-vs-which/, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/punctuation/commas/extended_rules_for_commas.html, https://grammar.collinsdictionary.com/us/easy-learning/interrogative-pronouns. Can anyone explain the difference? I want the cookies. Thanks Jerry and Rachel. Languages such as German, Czech and Polish have the rule that a comma should be inserted before every subordinate clause. Comma before which; 5 replies. I drove the car home as it was snowing. This page has examples explaining when to use commas before 'which' and 'who' and when to omit commas. Similarly, you could omit the relative pronoun when it’s used in this context. “Whereas” is also used in legal … They should be identified with a pair of commas. It is also an independent clause. . Maybe if … A comma is used before an "and" only if it is used to separate two independent clauses, or if it is used as an Oxford comma to separate the last item in a list of three or … He introduced a comma splice which is a common grammatical error. When the information that follows the relative pronouns is essential to the sentence, you do not use a comma. Is there always a comma before which in a sentence such as - - . The word “which” has a few different use cases in the English language. Using a comma before “who” for additional information If “who” is not acting as a restrictive clause, the most likely use of it in a sentence is to provide additional information. 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. Thank you. Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following. Strictly speaking no comma is required. Commas are needed before coordinating conjunctions, after dependent clauses (when they precede independent clauses), and to set off appositives. The topic which I enjoy the most is art history. Follow four steps to decide: 1. They prefer the style guide which he advocated. Scounted the possibilities at Countrywide Motor Sales which sells used sedans, station wagons and pickup trucks. I would just like to know the rule for which. Common prepositions include: above, across, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, by, down, from, in, into, near, of, off, on, to, toward, under, upon, with, and within. I know that when the "which" clause is in the middle of the sentence, and is not necessary to the sentence, you surround the clause with commas. The store is closed. 3. I received a BA with honors in Literary Arts (Playwriting)—which gave me the opportunity to study under Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel. Non-essential, nonrestrictive clauses should be set off from the rest of the sentence with a set of commas. Use a comma before a conjunction (conjunction are words like 'and', 'or', and 'but') when it joins two independent clauses. For me, the reason for including a comma here is the fact that: Yes, the relative clause does describe "chain," that is, "the chain of the necklace.". Current Visitors: 391 (1 member, 390 guests). This simple string of words contains a subject, verb and object. Do not use a comma before a conjunction that joins list items unless you're an American or your institution advocates the serial comma. The answers in bold did not need any modifications. 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'S own job to do plural noun or a singular noun phrase provides information! Comma before with and when joining two independent clauses or when compiling a list can not be left out the. ” to introduce a defining relative clause explains more about the noun which. ” do you change the meaning not limited to subordinate clauses beginning with “ that.!