Be Wary of That Dependent Clause

Margie Wakeman WellsThe Comma, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

You all know this rule: Cardinal Rule No. 1: Put a comma before a coordinate conjunction when it is followed by an independent subject and verb. But be careful of the dependent clause that LOOKS LIKE an independent clause. …You have to be careful that you have checked out all the details and you know the pitfalls of the deal. …She …

Which is…

Margie Wakeman WellsEssential versus Nonessential, The Comma, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

“Which is/are” begins an adjective clause. If the clause is necessary to define the word it modifies and could not be removed without losing communication, then there is no comma before it. If the clause contains information which is nice to know but does not really define the word it modifies and is not really necessary to the meaning, there …

The Story of “Whereas” and “Although”

Margie Wakeman WellsThe Comma 2 Comments

So often we see whereas and although incorrectly punctuated with a semicolon in front and a comma after as in …was seen with him; although, she did not… …was seen with him; whereas, she did not…. This punctuation implies that these words are conjunctions (conjunctive adverbs) that start a new sentence. Instead, whereas and although are conjunctions (subordinate conjunctions) that …