You have been successfully subscribed to the Grammarly blog. Some writers think of a comma as a soft pause—a punctuation mark that separates words, clauses, or ideas within a sentence. Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases, and words that are not … Writing, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox. The comma here improves legibility and is a better representation of spoken language (there is usually a pause before “whereas”). When it is used to provide supplementary information that partly negates what has been said previously (in which case it can basically be replaced by “but”), you should use a comma: However, “although” can be used at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a fact that makes the rest of the sentence somewhat surprising, e.g. In many Middle Eastern countries, it is quite common for parents to find suitable brides and grooms for their children. Because clauses starting with “whereas”, “while”, “although”, and similar conjunctions are just special cases of this rule. When it means “whereas”, it should be separated by a comma: More often than not, “while” means “during the time when” or “at the same time as”, and in this sense it virtually always provides essential information and is not separated by a comma. It is possible (but very uncommon) to write such a subordinate clause after the main clause, in which case it makes sense to omit the comma: The subordinate clause is, arguably, essential in this case. In many western countries, the elderly live in retirement homes run by health professionals.
It will teach you how to avoid mistakes with commas, prepositions, irregular verbs, and much more.
Here's How to Know the Difference Between Miss, Mrs., and Ms. The comma should go between … For example. Let’s discuss them in more detail. “While” is somewhat more complicated because it has two different meanings. Appositives act as synonyms for a … to receive a weekly summary of new articles, Follow me to get updates and engage in a discussion, You can use the image on another website, provided that you, guide on how to avoid the most common mistakes. If you want to read more about the distinction, you can read my other article on the topic. He doesn’t know how to solve integrals although he is a mathematician. I prefer chocolate cake while my sister prefers key lime pie. Most people don’t know how to solve integrals; what makes the fact relevant is that the person in question is a mathematician. Unless you practice law, you don’t have to worry about this. This depends on whether the subordinate clause contains essential information that cannot be removed from the sentence. When talking about time, don’t use a comma.
Use a comma before while in the middle of a sentence when you mean “whereas” or “although.”. When while is the first word of your sentence, you obviously shouldn’t add a comma in front of it. The comma should go between the things that are happening at the same time. “Although” also has two meanings. While and whereas are conjunctions. One meaning is related to time. Although he is a mathematician, he doesn’t know how to solve integrals. In India. The rule of thumb is: When you contrast two things, use a comma. It goes at the beginning of the second clause and is usually separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma. I didn’t know that you were here. The price of eggs is rising, while the price of milk has stayed the same. I decided to take a nap under my desk while everyone else was in the meeting. On the other hand is not a conjunction.
I decided to take a nap under my desk, while everyone else was in the meeting. Let’s order the curtains while they’re still on sale. Put it at the end of the clause that while introduces. They connect two clauses. But if you’re using while to mean “whereas,” you still need to put a comma somewhere. Here’s a tip: Commas can be tricky, but they don’t have to trip you up. If it does, it is not preceded by a comma, and if it doesn’t, it must be preceded by a comma. I prefer chocolate cake, while my sister prefers key lime pie. And why am I telling you all this? Don’t use a comma before while when you’re talking about two things happening at the same time. Compare: Remember: When contrasting two facts, use a comma.