{"id":11305,"date":"2021-03-07T12:55:04","date_gmt":"2021-03-07T12:55:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=11305"},"modified":"2023-04-10T13:19:53","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T13:19:53","slug":"comma-after-overall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-overall\/","title":{"rendered":"Comma after &#8220;overall&#8221;: The Definitive Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:150%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}<\/style><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the most annoying punctuation mark in English?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You guessed it right! Commas. But, are they really a hard nut to crack?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Please read through the end of this post, and you&rsquo;ll find out how easy peasy it is to punctuate sentences with commas, especially with the word &ldquo;overall.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Do we always need a comma after &ldquo;overall?&rdquo;<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Punctuating &ldquo;overall&rdquo; with a post-comma is necessary when it is used as an introductory adverb at the beginning of the sentence or after a semicolon. An after-comma is also required when &ldquo;overall&rdquo; ends the first clause in a compound sentence, as well as when it ends the first dependent clause in a complex sentence. Lastly, we need a post-comma too when it ends a mid-sentence parenthetical interruption. However, we need not place a comma after &ldquo;overall&rdquo; when it is used as a noun, an adjective, or when it causes a weak interruption, so long as the previously mentioned criteria on post-comma placement are not met.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>The meaning and function of &ldquo;overall&rdquo;<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&ldquo;Overall&rdquo; is a flexible word <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/that-that\/\"><b>that<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> may function as an adverb, adjective, or a noun in a sentence, in which the meaning varies depending on the context.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As an adverb, it is specifically classified as a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/writing.wisc.edu\/handbook\/grammarpunct\/conjadv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>conjunctive adverb<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or adverbial connector whose job is to summarize ideas or some set of items previously mentioned.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The adverbial sense of &ldquo;overall&rdquo; is similar to &ldquo;all in all,&rdquo; &ldquo;generally,&rdquo; or &ldquo;in conclusion&rdquo; which is necessary when we wrap our ideas up.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">Overall, we only want everyone to follow the new policy.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, it can also function as an adjective whose meaning is very similar to its adverbial sense, only <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-with\/\"><b>with<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a different<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> syntactic function.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the adverbial task of &ldquo;overall&rdquo; is to cohesively sum pieces of information up, its adjectival role is simply to define a noun or a pronoun.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">The overall result of the survey is promising.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lastly, we may also use &ldquo;overall&rdquo; as a noun which means, from the word <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-per-se\/\"><b>per se<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a type of clothing that covers the body from the neck to the ankle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It usually functions as a protective garment on top of the first layer of clothing just like what painters wear, which is otherwise known as &ldquo;bib and brace.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&ldquo;Overalls&rdquo; are also related to &ldquo;coveralls&rdquo; which are used in heavy-duty work environments <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/such-as-in-a-sentence\/\"><b>such as<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in an oil rig or cargo ship.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">My overall doesn&rsquo;t fit me anymore.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-since\/\"><b>Since<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> we already know the three different senses of &ldquo;overall,&rdquo; we are now ready to look at the conditions requiring the after-comma placement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Guidelines in placing a comma after &ldquo;overall&rdquo; in more detail<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contrary to the common belief that the best writers have this special talent of memorizing rigid punctuation rules, commas are simply about logic and rhythm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-often-the-definitive-guide\/\"><b>often<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> see lots of intimidating terminologies in comma-placement instructions which is why we feel that commas are quite complex tools.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These &ldquo;rules&rdquo; that we see are not necessarily set in stone, and therefore, must not be perceived in such a manner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-rather\/\"><b>rather<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> simplified guidelines that writers have come up with so that abstract concepts become more comprehensible and easier to remember.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may not believe these claims, and that&rsquo;s not a big deal, but, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-yes\/\"><b>yes<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the goal of these intimidating comma instructions is to make people&rsquo;s lives easier.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/which-vs-what\/\"><b>what<\/b><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">considerations do we have to take when punctuating &ldquo;overall&rdquo; with a subsequent comma?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-please\/\"><b>Please<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> read through the explanation and examples in the next subsections carefully so you won&rsquo;t have to worry about this issue ever again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11310\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall.jpg\" alt=\"Comma After Overall\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-735x1103.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-223x335.jpg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-231x347.jpg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-347x520.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-427x640.jpg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-512x768.jpg 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall.jpg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11310 eager-load\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201000%201500'%3E%3Crect%20width='1000'%20height='1500'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Comma After Overall\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-735x1103.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-223x335.jpg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-231x347.jpg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-347x520.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-427x640.jpg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-After-Overall-512x768.jpg 512w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;overall&rdquo; is used as an introductory element<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since &ldquo;overall&rdquo; is a conjunctive adverb, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-then\/\"><b>then<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> it can be used to introduce an idea at the beginning of the sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the most common and the easiest way to use the adverbial function of this word.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">Overall, the research results suggest that humor plays an integral role in maintaining harmonious relationships in society.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The example above is commonly observed in the conclusion part of an academic paper, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-thereby\/\"><b>thereby<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> stressing the importance of summative adverbial connectors in the formal register.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;overall&rdquo; is used in a compound sentence<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another circumstance that prompts a necessary comma after &ldquo;overall&rdquo; is when we use it at the end of the first clause of a compound sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Compound sentences made up of two independent clauses linked by coordinating conjunctions <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-including\/\"><b>including<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &ldquo;and,&rdquo; &ldquo;or,&rdquo; and &ldquo;but.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We would know that a sentence is compound by looking at the presence of a subject and a verb in each clause.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We need to place the comma before the coordinating conjunction, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-and\/\"><b>and<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> not after it.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">I can&rsquo;t find my son&rsquo;s denim overall, and I&rsquo;m getting frustrated now.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this type of sentence construction, the part of speech of &ldquo;overall&rdquo; doesn&rsquo;t matter, therefore, we can use it in any of the three mentioned earlier.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;overall&rdquo; is used in a complex sentence<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides the compound sentence structure, the complex sentence <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-also-the-definitive-guide\/\"><b>also<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> necessitates a comma after &ldquo;overall.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A complex sentence is a combination of at least one dependent and one independent clause tethered by a subordinating conjunction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/subordinating-conjunctions\/\" title=\"Subordinating conjunctions\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">Subordinating conjunctions<\/a> such as &ldquo;that,&rdquo; &ldquo;because,&rdquo; or &ldquo;unless&rdquo; must not be preceded with a comma when they link the sentence midway.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-however\/\"><b>However<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a comma is necessary when the dependent clause introduces the sentence, particularly starting with a subordinating conjunction.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">Since I couldn&rsquo;t find my son&rsquo;s denim overall, I have decided to let him wear his sister&rsquo;s instead. He was not impressed by the idea, yet he had no choice either.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commas are essential in separating clauses because they facilitate the rhythm of the sentence, which definitely helps in the readability of the sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;overall&rdquo; is used after a semicolon<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Semicolons, another punctuation mark that is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-apparently\/\"><b>apparently<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> irksome for many, may also signal the placement of a comma after &ldquo;overall.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is simply true because one of the functions of semicolons is to link closely-related arguments in one sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In linking the second argument, we might need the connecting function of &ldquo;overall&rdquo; every once <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/how-long-is-a-while\/\"><b>in a while<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, just like &ldquo;hence&rdquo; and &ldquo;therefore.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">On the surface, everybody seems to be different from each other based on socio-cultural aspects; but overall, we are just non-human animals living on one planet.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The semicolon in the sentence above helps in bridging the relationship of two ideas that are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-too-the-definitive-guide\/\"><b>too<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> closely related to be separated into two sentences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A semicolon, therefore, functions a little bit more powerful than a comma but a little less than the period.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you need to know more details about semicolons, you can check our other article covering this topic <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/semicolons\/\"><b>here<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;overall&rdquo; is used in a parenthesis<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last but not the least case that requires post-comma usage is with what we call &ldquo;parenthetical elements.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parenthetical elements are interruptive thoughts inserted within a sentence to create emphasis to achieve a rhetorical effect.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-and\/\"><b>And<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, they are offset with commas to mark their grammatical independence and dispensability from the rest of the sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">There might have been a few grammatical lapses in your essay, but overall, your arguments are really good.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parenthetical elements are discouraged in formal writing, by the way, because of how they disrupt the neutral tone of sentences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>There&rsquo;s no comma after overall, when&hellip;<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-now\/\"><b>Now<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that the comma-placement guidelines have been laid out, it is also important that we know when not to use one in writing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This section lists down the cases wherein putting a comma after &ldquo;overall&rdquo; is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-either\/\"><b>either<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> incorrect or unnecessary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Placing a comma after &ldquo;overall&rdquo; is incorrect when it functions either as a noun or adjective that doesn&rsquo;t meet any of the criteria mentioned in the previous section.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-whereas\/\"><b>Whereas<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the post-comma is optional when it is used as a conjunctive adverb that only creates a very weak interruption.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some examples to illustrate the explanation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;overall&rdquo; is used as a noun that doesn&rsquo;t meet the post-comma placement criteria<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The nominal sense of &ldquo;overall&rdquo; can be used as a subject or an object in a sentence, just like how all nouns serve their function.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This holds for as long as it is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-not\/\"><b>not<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> used at the end of the first clause in a compound or complex sentence, as explained a while ago, or as a final parenthetical element.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s an example of using &ldquo;overall&rdquo; as a subject.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">An overall is otherwise known as dungarees.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And here&rsquo;s how to use it as an object in a sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">Mom is washing my white overall.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, when using &ldquo;overall&rdquo; as a noun, it simply works like other nouns in sentences, which is pretty easy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;overall&rdquo; is used as an adjective that doesn&rsquo;t meet the post-comma criteria<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another circumstance that would make a post-comma insertion incorrect is when we use &ldquo;overall&rdquo; as an adjective, again, without meeting the post-comma criteria earlier.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just like other adjectives do, &ldquo;overall&rdquo; can modify nouns in sentences that roughly mean &ldquo;entire&rdquo; or &ldquo;complete.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">The overall economy hasn&rsquo;t recovered yet.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Placing a comma after &ldquo;overall&rdquo; in the example <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/as-above-so-below-meaning\/\"><b>above<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> not only makes it grammatically incorrect but also off-beat which potentially leads to misinterpretation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;overall&rdquo; causes a weak interruption<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, we may remove the comma after the introductory adverb when the sentence is too short and clear to create misinterpretation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But of course, we do have to know that placing a post-comma is also possible and, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-hence\/\"><b>hence<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, defined as an &ldquo;optional&rdquo; comma insertion.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">Overall I enjoyed it.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The difference that the <a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-rules\/\">comma placement<\/a> would make has something to do with the rhythm and focusing effect.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without the comma, the short remark will be interpreted as a whole sentence with a neutral tone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-meanwhile\/\"><b>Meanwhile<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, putting the comma creates a more emphatic focus on &ldquo;overall&rdquo; because it prompts the reader to delay the intended remark a little bit.<\/span><br>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How can we use &ldquo;overall&rdquo; in a sentence?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Overall can be used three-way in a sentence, namely, as a conjunctive adverb, as an adjective, and as a noun. It is often used as a conjunctive adverb that means &ldquo;all in all&rdquo; at the beginning of the sentence, while its adjectival sense is similar to &ldquo;entire&rdquo; or &ldquo;complete.&rdquo; As a noun, it means a protective garment commonly used by painters to prevent spilling paint on their first-layer clothing.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is meant by &ldquo;overall&rdquo;?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The meaning of &ldquo;overall&rdquo; varies depending on which part of speech it functions in a sentence. For instance, it can be used as a conjunctive adverb that means &ldquo;in general,&rdquo; an adjective that means &ldquo;entire,&rdquo; and a noun that means &ldquo;garment that protects the first layer of clothes.&rdquo;\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script><br>\n<!--FAQPage Code Generated by https:\/\/saijogeorge.com\/json-ld-schema-generator\/faq\/--><\/p>\n<h2><b>Frequently Asked Questions<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>How can we use &ldquo;overall&rdquo; in a sentence?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overall can be used three-way in a sentence, namely, as a conjunctive adverb, as an adjective, and as a noun. It is often used as a conjunctive adverb that means &ldquo;all in all&rdquo; at the beginning of the sentence, while its adjectival sense is similar to &ldquo;entire&rdquo; or &ldquo;complete.&rdquo; As a noun, it means a protective garment commonly used by painters to prevent spilling paint on their first-layer clothing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>What is meant by &ldquo;overall&rdquo;?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The meaning of &ldquo;overall&rdquo; varies depending on which part of speech it functions in a sentence. For instance, it can be used as a conjunctive adverb that means &ldquo;in general,&rdquo; an adjective that means &ldquo;entire,&rdquo; and a noun that means &ldquo;garment that protects the first layer of clothes.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Should we always put a comma after an introductory adverb?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most of the time, a comma is placed after an introductory adverb to help the reader understand the message better. A post-comma may also be seen when the conjunctive adverb is used after a semicolon just like &ldquo;hence&rdquo; and &ldquo;therefore.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A language is so powerful that even a single word can have multiple meanings and functions that can only be understood when put in context.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/that-that\/\"><b>nonetheless<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> astonishing how punctuation marks like commas facilitate disambiguating the overall sentence meaning, as well as how one sentence element relates to another.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-hence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hence<\/a><\/strong>, punctuation marks serve an inarguably beneficial purpose in the world of written languages, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-after-so\/\"><b>so<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> we might as well use them appropriately.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is the most annoying punctuation mark in English? You guessed it right! Commas. But, are they really a hard nut to crack? Please read through the end of this post, and you&rsquo;ll find out how easy peasy it is to punctuate sentences with commas, especially with the word &ldquo;overall.&rdquo; &nbsp; Do we always need &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11309,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"","disable-critical-css":false,"_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,1119,1116],"tags":[80,417],"class_list":["post-11305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-comma-rules","category-grammar","tag-comma","tag-comma-after-overall"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11305"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11305\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24536,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11305\/revisions\/24536"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}