Comma Before “Where”: Here’s The Golden Rule + 7 Examples
- When to put a comma before “where”. ...
- Use a comma when “where” is at the start of a relative caluse. ...
- Don’t use a comma if “where” changes the meaning of the sentence. ...
- Playing around with our example. ...
- Sometimes use a comma if “Where” is part of a question. ...
- Conclusion. ...
When do you use comma before where?
Nonessential Relative Clause Examples
- Her book, which has been in the works for years, releases in October.
- My daughter, who is in college, is nineteen years old.
- I'm traveling to New York, where my best friend lives.
- There was a tornado, which was strange for November.
When to use and with a comma?
Use commas to set off all geographical names, items in dates (except the month and day), addresses (except the street number and name), and titles in names. Use a comma to shift between the main discourse and a quotation. Use commas wherever necessary to prevent possible confusion or misreading.
What are the 5 comma rules?
5. X,Y, and Z. Put commas between items in a list. When giving a short and simple list of things in a sentence, the last comma (right before the conjunction–usually and or or) is optional, but it is never wrong. If the items in the list are longer and more complicated, you should always place a final comma before the conjunction.
Where do commas go in a sentence?
Where do commas and full stops go?
- A full stop (or period) is primarily used to mark the end of a sentence. …
- If using a footnote referencing style, including OSCOLA, the citation should come after the full stop:
- An Oxford comma precedes the ‘and’ before the last entry of a list.
What does it mean when a clause is not restrictive?
If a clause is not restrictive, on the other hand, it is most often providing contextual information about something else in the sentence .
What does the lack of a comma before "where" mean?
In short, the lack of a comma before “where” tells readers that what comes next will provide details they cannot skip.
When do you not need a comma with "where"?
When you don’t need a comma with “where”. In contrast, if the information in the relative clause that follows “where” is absolutely essential to the sentence, you should not place a comma in front of it. Examples: “I went to the library where I borrowed a book.”. “The astronaut landed on the moon of Saturn where she had parked her spaceship.”.
What is the core of a clause?
The core of each clause is a verb or action word, often accompanied by a subject or object. The word “where” is used at the start of a specific type of clause called a relative clause.
Do you put a comma before "where"?
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. This typically means that the relative clause adds context or additional information that would not lead people astray if it were absent from the sentence.
Do you put a comma in a relative clause?
Because removing the relative clause would change the meaning of the main clause (you can’t tell which library without that information), you shouldn’t add a comma.
What is a nonrestrictive clause?
A nonrestrictive clause offers extra information about something you have mentioned in a sentence, but the information isn’t essential to identify the thing you’re talking about. Nonrestrictive clauses are usually introduced by which or who and should be set off by commas.
When to use parentheses in a sentence?
Parentheses are used to give additional information to the reader—information that would disrupt the flow of the sentence if written as a nonrestrictive clause. Commas may be placed after the closing parenthesis but not before either the opening or the closing parenthesis. If the sentence would not require any commas if the parenthetical statement were removed, the sentence should not have any commas when the parentheses are added.
What is a correlative conjunction?
Correlative conjunctions are conjunctions that come in pairs (such as either/or, neither/nor, and not only/but also) and connect words or phrases in a sentence to form a complete thought. Typically, commas are unnecessary with correlative conjunctions.
What does a comma mean in a sentence?
While a period ends a sentence, a comma indicates a smaller break. Some writers think of a comma as a soft pause—a punctuation mark that separates words, clauses, or ideas within a sentence.
What is an appositive in a sentence?
An appositive is a word or phrase that refers to the same thing as another noun in the same sentence. Often, the appositive provides additional information about the noun or helps to distinguish it in some way. If you could remove the appositive without changing the meaning of the sentence, it is said to be nonessential and should be set off with commas. If the appositive is necessary, it’s said to be essential and it should not be set off with commas.
When to use a comma in a list?
When you have a list that contains more than two elements, use commas to separate them. Julie loves ice cream books and kittens. Julie loves ice cream, books, and kittens. Julie loves ice cream, books and kittens. (The comma before the and in a list of three or more items is optional.
What is an interrupter in a sentence?
Interrupters are little thoughts that pop up in the middle of a sentence to show emotion, tone, or emphasis. A parenthetical element is a phrase that adds extra information to the sentence but could be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. Both interrupters and parenthetical elements should be set off with commas.
To comma, or not to comma - that is the question
"The first laser gun was introduced by Bob Laser [,] and has since become a commercial success."
Grammarly doesn't like the word "this"
Grammarly doesn't like the word "this" and it says "It may be unclear who or what "this" refers to. here's the full comment - https://i.imgur.com/cIGvNYP.png ". Do you kills out this one when you grammarly?
Where do subordinate clauses reside?
and a subordinate clause: where they reside mainly on estuaries, lagoons, mud flats and salt lakes. Note that the meaning of the main clause doesn't change if the subordinate clause is removed. The following is my understanding of the usage of comma and "where" that I have come across: A comma is advised if the where -clause can be removed without ...
Where do commas live?
Comma and where. "They also live in Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador where they reside mainly on estuaries, lagoons, mud flats and salt lakes.". I understood like this: They also live in Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador. and in the countries they resides mainly on estuaries, lagoons, mud flats and salt lakes. Am I wrong, or did the writer forget ...
Where do the oldest votes live?
Active Oldest Votes. 3. In the sentence: They also live in Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador where they reside mainly on estuaries, lagoons, mud flats and salt lakes. we can distinguish two clauses. The main clause: They also live in Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador. and a subordinate clause:
Where do flamingo chicks live?
The sentence construction is correct as-is. The author meant to imply that apart from Chile, the flamingo chicks also live in Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador and in these countries they reside mainly on estuaries, lagoons [...] and salt lakes.
When to use a comma in a sentence?
A comma is advised if the where -clause can be removed without altering the meaning of the main clause. For example: I first saw him in Paris, where I lived in the early sixties. A comma is not advised if the where -clause cannot be removed. For example: This is where I live.
Is there a comma before "where"?
There is no comma before where in order to introduce continuity, describing the living conditions in the aforementioned countries. Suggest to take a look at the various (correct) ways of using a comma, as described in the Oxford Dictionaries. Share. Improve this answer.
American vs British
In American English people often use the Past Simple when they consider the action finished (technically, the Present Perfect) - I already saw that movie, I just had lunch, Did you do your homework yet?
Question regarding the use of 'was' vs 'is'
I'm writing about a dream I had, and i'm not sure which tense to use for the verb 'to be'. I'm writing a sentence along the lines of, "He told me that his mission was/is to turn a group of people against each other." In that sentence, do I write 'was' or 'is' if the objective that the person mentioned is still a current thing?
Question: Is Grammarly accurate?
Hello, I'm new here. Is Grammarly actually accurate for fixing mistakes?
When to leave a comma out?
When you have two independent clauses joined together by and, most style guides say that it’s OK to leave the comma out as long as the two independent clauses are very short and closely connected. Here’s an example: Arthur cooked and Melvin cleaned.
When to use a comma after a dog?
When you list your dog’s qualities, you have to use a comma after each quality you list except the one that comes immediately before and. That comma is optional. The dog is young, well trained, and good natured. The dog is young, well trained and good natured.
Do you need a comma before and?
The sentence above contains two independent clauses, so it requires a comma before and. (By the way, you can tell they’re independent clauses because each one could stand on its own as a complete sentence.) Here’s a tip: Remember, when you’re joining two independent clauses, you need both a comma and a conjunction.
When to put a comma before "and"?
There’s no single rule that applies to all situations. You usually put a comma before and when it’s connecting two independent clauses. It’s almost always optional to put a comma before and in a list.
Is the comma before and in a sentence?
The sentence is correct with or without the comma before and. ( There are a few exceptions that require you to use the Oxford comma in a list, but they are pretty rare.) Just be consistent. Don’t switch back and forth in the same document between using the Oxford comma and not using it.
Do you put a comma before or after a dependent clause?
Don’t use a comma before and when one of the clauses it’s connecting is a dependent clause. Sam tossed the ball, and watched the dog chase it. The first clause, Sam tossed the ball could stand on its own as a complete sentence, which means it’s an independent clause.
Do you put a comma before "dog"?
You should not use a comma before and if you’re only mentioning two qualities. The dog is well trained, and good natured. The dog is well trained and good natured. This is true for proper names, ordinary nouns, verbs, or anything else.