{"id":11337,"date":"2021-03-09T09:14:04","date_gmt":"2021-03-09T09:14:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=11337"},"modified":"2023-04-13T22:14:34","modified_gmt":"2023-04-13T22:14:34","slug":"comma-before-subordinate-clauses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-subordinate-clauses\/","title":{"rendered":"Comma Before A Subordinate Clause \u2014 The Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-2::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-2{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-3::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-3{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-4::before{padding-top:150%; }img#mv-trellis-img-4{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-5::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-5{display:block;}<\/style><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Questions on comma placement before subordinate clauses seem to pop up quite a lot on the internet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This might be because the term &ldquo;subordinate&rdquo; sounds a bit too technical, or perhaps, most people think that the punctuation system is too complicated and hard to digest.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One thing&rsquo;s for sure though, and that is, the role of punctuation marks in the written language is simply to disambiguate meaning rather than to complicate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">without further ado, let us now discover the intricacies behind the <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-rules\/\" title=\"comma placement\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">comma placement<\/a> before subordinating clauses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<br>\n[toc]\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>When do we need a comma before a subordinate clause?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><strong>A pre-comma is necessary when we use subordinate clauses as parenthetical elements, no matter where they appear in the sentence. In particular, this rule applies to all nonrestrictive subordinate clauses, as well as all other types that introduce nonessential information. On the other hand, we should not place commas before any restrictive subordinate clauses because their meaning is crucial to the whole sentential meaning.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>The meaning and function of subordinate clauses<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reaching this post <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-either\/\"><b>either<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> means you&rsquo;re a student trying to recall your past lessons or you&rsquo;re a writer trying to confirm your understanding of the issue at hand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knowing these comma subtleties very well utterly saves a whole heap of searching-and-reading time that could be used <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-instead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">instead<\/a><\/strong> for other more critical matters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a nutshell, subordinate clauses are syntactically-inferior sentence elements to main <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-and\/\"><b>clauses<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> because of their inability to stand alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-and\/\"><b>And<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, there are three types of subordinate clauses, namely, the noun, adjective, and adverb clauses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-since\/\"><b>Since<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> understanding the differences among these types is fundamental in mastering the comma-placement guidelines, the next subsections aim to shed light on these nuances first.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>A comparison between subordinate and main clauses<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11400\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause.jpg\" alt=\"Main Clause\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause.jpg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-735x413.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-335x188.jpg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-347x195.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-520x293.jpg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause.jpg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11400 eager-load\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3Crect%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Main Clause\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause.jpg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-735x413.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-335x188.jpg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-347x195.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-520x293.jpg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Main-Clause-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A subordinate clause is simply a set of words that is unable to convey a complete meaning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, a clause <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/that-that\/\"><b>that<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> expresses a grammatically and pragmatically complete meaning is called a &ldquo;main clause,&rdquo; which can function independently.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To understand the meaning and function of the subordinate clause, we must first understand its relationship to the main or independent clause.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this point, I hope that you have already deduced that while the main clause is independent, the subordinate clause, on the flip side, carries a dependent meaning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/common-comma-mistakes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Our basic grammar knowledge<\/a><\/strong> would tell us that a sentence must contain at least a subject and a verb to be considered complete.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-thus\/\"><b>Thus<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the statement below is considered as a &ldquo;main clause&rdquo;, which is also referred to as a complete sentence, despite its extremely short construction.<\/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 am.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To illustrate these things more clearly, here&rsquo;s a better example showing the main clause <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-with\/\"><b>with<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> more complete and realistic meaning.<\/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 am hungry.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Albeit complete in meaning, the sentence above may not be enough to express our argument fully.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, we do have an option to add further information afterward, depending on the idea that we want to express.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is where our subordinate or dependent clause comes in, which is introduced by, none other than, the &ldquo;subordinating&rdquo; type of conjunction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The job of subordinating conjunctions is to link the main clause to the subordinate clause, forming <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/which-vs-what\/\"><b>what<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> we refer to as a &ldquo;complex sentence&rdquo; structure.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be careful not to mistakenly think of the other type of conjunction which has a coordinating function because they have a different job which is to tether two independent clauses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These coordinating conjunctions go by the acronym <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-usage-fanboys\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FANBOYS<\/a><\/strong> which stands for <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for, and, nor, but, or,<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">yet, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">so.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whereas, some of the most common <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/subordinating-conjunctions\/\" title=\"subordinating conjunctions\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">subordinating conjunctions<\/a> are <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">although, because, since, that, before, after, if, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">unless<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since we are talking about subordinating clauses in this post, we need to eliminate compound sentences in the picture, leaving us with complex sentences to <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/the-word-analyze-in-a-sentence\/\" title=\"analyze\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">analyze<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Going back to the example earlier, let us now form a complex sentence from &ldquo;I am hungry.&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;\">I am hungry because I haven&rsquo;t eaten anything since last night.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To note again, a subordinate clause needs a main clause to fully function in sentences because it cannot stand on its own.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that we&rsquo;ve compared and contrasted subordinate from main clauses, we can already proceed to the three types of subordinate clauses in English.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_11402\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11402\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11402\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence.jpg\" alt=\"Complex Sentence\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence.jpg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-735x413.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-335x188.jpg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-347x195.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-520x293.jpg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence.jpg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11402\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11402 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence.jpg\" alt=\"Complex Sentence\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence.jpg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-735x413.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-335x188.jpg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-347x195.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-520x293.jpg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Complexe-Sentence.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-2\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-11402\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Example of a Complex Sentence<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Types of subordinate clauses<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are three different types of subordinate clauses in English, namely, the noun, adjective, and adverb clauses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knowing the differences among these types will help us understand the pre-comma placement guidelines, which<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">come after this section.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><b>The noun clause<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11405\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object.jpg\" alt=\"noun clause functioning as an object\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object.jpg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-735x413.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-335x188.jpg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-347x195.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-520x293.jpg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object.jpg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11405 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object.jpg\" alt=\"noun clause functioning as an object\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object.jpg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-735x413.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-335x188.jpg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-347x195.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-520x293.jpg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/noun-clause-functioning-as-an-object.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-3\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first type of subordinate clause is what we refer to as the noun clause, which, obviously, functions as a noun in a sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, a noun clause is simply an extended noun phrase that can either be used as the subject or object in a sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s an example of a noun clause.<\/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;\">Whatever I said.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s a noun clause functioning 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;\"><strong>Whatever I said<\/strong> was unintentional.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And, here&rsquo;s a noun clause functioning as an object.<\/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 apologize for <strong>whatever I said<\/strong>.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The example above specifically acts as the object of the preposition &ldquo;for&rdquo; since one is necessary for the construction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><b>The adjective clause<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The second type is the adjective clause, which is further classified either as restrictive or nonrestrictive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A restrictive clause carries information that is critical or essential to the overall meaning of the sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, a nonrestrictive clause only carries supporting or additional information to the statement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s an example of an adjective clause.<\/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;\"><strong>Who can play some musical instruments<\/strong><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s an example of a restrictive adjective clause.<\/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;\">She&rsquo;s drawn to people <strong>who can play musical instruments<\/strong>.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And, here&rsquo;s an example of a sentence with a nonrestrictive clause.<\/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;\">Matthew, <strong>who can play many musical instruments<\/strong>, is also a comedian.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By the way, an adjective clause is also known as a relative clause. If you want to learn more about relative clauses, please <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-a-relative-clause\/\"><b>click here<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><b>The adverb clause<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last type is called an adverb clause, which, as the name <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-per-se\/\"><b>per se<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> suggests, also functions as an adverb in sentences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An adverb clause tells us when, how, why, or how <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-often-the-definitive-guide\/\"><b>often<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> things happen, just like how ordinary adverbs function in a sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These clauses are very easy to spot since they are introduced by subordinating conjunctions, similar to the example given in the first subsection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s an example, again, of an adverb clause.<\/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;\">You can&rsquo;t use your phone <strong>unless you finish your homework<\/strong>.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The adverb clause in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-e-g\/\"><b>the example<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> above expresses the condition that has to be met in relation to the main clause.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The subordinating conjunctions <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">if, even if, as long as, <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-an-ampersand\/\"><b>and<\/b><\/a> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">provided that <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are also used similarly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this point, I hope that you have already understood what subordinate clauses do, as well as identify them in sentences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&rsquo;s now time to know when to insert your commas, particularly before subordinate clauses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11350\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses.jpg\" alt=\"Comma Before Subordinate Clauses\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-735x1103.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-223x335.jpg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-231x347.jpg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-347x520.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-427x640.jpg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-512x768.jpg 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses.jpg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11350 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses.jpg\" alt=\"Comma Before Subordinate Clauses\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-735x1103.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-223x335.jpg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-231x347.jpg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-347x520.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-427x640.jpg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses-512x768.jpg 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-Subordinate-Clauses.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-4\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>A guide on the comma placement before subordinate clauses<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The easiest way to recognize the necessary pre-comma placement is to identify grammatically-nonessential <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-yet\/\"><b>yet<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> stylistically-interesting information.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These clauses are called parentheses, whose role is to add an emphatic effect to a statement that evokes persuasion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nonrestrictive adjective clauses are a classic example of parenthetical elements, but parenthetical elements are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/included-but-not-limited-to\/\"><b>not limited to<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> clauses alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, a parenthesis may otherwise consist of a single word, a phrase, a fragment, or even an entire sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rule of thumb is to always set off these subordinate clauses with commas <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-no-matter\/\"><b>no matter<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> where they appear in a sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Put a comma before a nonrestrictive adjective clause<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11407\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause.jpg\" alt=\"Example of a nonrestrictive adjective clause\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause.jpg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-735x413.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-335x188.jpg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-347x195.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-520x293.jpg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause.jpg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11407 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause.jpg\" alt=\"Example of a nonrestrictive adjective clause\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause.jpg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-735x413.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-335x188.jpg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-347x195.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-520x293.jpg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Example-of-a-nonrestrictive-adjective-clause.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-5\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As elaborated earlier, a nonrestrictive adjective clause carries grammatically-inessential information in relation to the rest of the statement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These nonrestrictive clauses may either come midway or toward the end of the sentence, which need to be singled out with commas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The commas mark the clause&rsquo;s grammatical independence, as well as the emphasis intended to be conveyed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s a mid-sentence nonrestrictive adjective clause.<\/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;\">Coriander, <strong>which tastes like soap<\/strong>, is the worst herb in the world.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And, here&rsquo;s one at the end 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;\">The worst herb in the world is coriander, <strong>which tastes like soap<\/strong>.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The adjective clauses in the examples mentioned are nonessential sentence elements, which means they can be conveniently removed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commas, therefore, are deemed necessary in marking the removability of such subordinate clauses in sentences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Put a comma before any parenthetical subordinate clause<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While adjective clauses are quite easy to spot, other subordinate clauses may be slightly hazier.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, as long as we understand the nonessentiality of any information, regardless of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/whether-or-not-vs-whether\/\"><b>whether<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> it is a clause or not, then it should be easy to<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/included-but-not-limited-to\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> set it off with commas<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s an example of a parenthetical noun clause.<\/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;\">Hailey or Bailey, whatever that dog is called, doesn&rsquo;t like me at all.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s an example of a parenthetical adverb clause.<\/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;\">Laura, despite being born and raised in North Dakota, hates the cold so much.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To know whether a clause is parenthetical, just simply take it out from the sentence.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When what remains still makes full grammatical sense, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-then\/\"><b>then<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> your sentence <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/suggest-i-do-or-suggest-me-to-do\/\"><b>suggests<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that you need your commas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>The incorrect comma use before a subordinate clause<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that we have grasped the necessary pre-comma usage, let&rsquo;s also see the circumstances where the comma insertion becomes wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Do not put a comma before a restrictive adjective clause<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While nonrestrictive adjective clauses need pre-commas, the restrictive ones must not be preceded with a comma on the other hand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, this is because restrictive information, from the word itself, is highly crucial to the meaning of the whole statement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And thus, it cannot be taken out from the sentence because doing so makes the grammaticality and overall meaning fall apart.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s an example to show that.<\/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;\">People who dislike coriander think that it tastes like soap.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The quick and easy way around restrictive clauses is to check the antecedent used, which means the noun being described by the clause.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An unspecified noun needs restrictive information afterward, while a specific one only needs additional, nonrestrictive description.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Do not put a comma before an adverb clause that comes<\/b> <b>after the main clause<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The other case that makes a pre-comma inappropriate is the reversed complex sentence structure.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A reversed complex sentence is introduced by the adverb clause, and then, followed by the main clause afterward.<\/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;\">Despite being born and raised in North Dakota, Stacy dislikes the cold weather so much.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We cannot start a sentence with a comma, so, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-obviously\/\"><b>obviously<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, we must never put one before &ldquo;despite&rdquo; in the example above.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This condition is true among most subordinate adverb clauses, with a few special cases that need some thorough consideration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An exception to the rule applies to a few subordinating conjunctions, which is explained in the next section.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don&rsquo;t worry, we&rsquo;re almost done, so <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-please\/\"><b>please<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> hold tight just a little bit more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>The optional comma placement before subordinate clauses<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So far, we have already discussed the conditions that prompt either the pre-comma placement or omission.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, you know, as English teachers often say, some exceptions to the rule apply every once in a while.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A few adverb clauses may or may not need a pre-comma placement <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-despite\/\"><b>despite<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> being used in the normal order in complex sentence format.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is true when the subordinating conjunction used may imply the meaning &ldquo;but,&rdquo; which is a coordinating conjunction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/coordinating-conjunctions\/\" title=\"coordinating conjunctions\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">coordinating conjunctions<\/a> are used in creating compound sentences, which prompts a pre-comma usage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&rsquo;s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-now\/\"><b>now<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> go over these conjunctions with dual purposes, which might need a little bit of self-deliberation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>&ldquo;Although&rdquo; that means &ldquo;but&rdquo;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The subordinating conjunction &ldquo;although&rdquo; can either be used to mean &ldquo;even though&rdquo; or &ldquo;but.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it is used to mean &ldquo;even though,&rdquo; a pre-comma is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-not\/\"><b>not<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> needed, as shown in the example below.<\/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;\">He still went out although it was raining.<\/div><\/div>\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 we use &ldquo;although&rdquo; to mean &ldquo;but.&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;\">He had always wanted a divorce, although he also wanted to save the relationship.<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>&ldquo;While&rdquo; that means &ldquo;but&rdquo;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The same is true with the &ldquo;while,&rdquo; which could either mean &ldquo;during the time&rdquo; or &ldquo;whereas.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A comma is inessential when the meaning of &ldquo;while&rdquo; refers to time.<\/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;\">She was cheating behind his back while he was away.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And, you must have guessed it right. A comma is necessary when we use &ldquo;while&rdquo; to compare and contrast two arguments.<\/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;\">He wants a divorce, while she wants to save the family.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pretty easy, yes? I hope things are much clearer now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>&ldquo;Whereas&rdquo; that means &ldquo;but&rdquo;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lastly, the comma before &ldquo;whereas&rdquo; is also optional, at least for some writers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the sake of this post, I would like to take the position that a comma before &ldquo;whereas&rdquo; when used mid-sentence is crucial for textual readability purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-meanwhile\/\"><b>Meanwhile<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, we also need to consider the arbitrariness of language and people&rsquo;s preferences, which means not everyone practices pre-comma usage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s how to use &ldquo;whereas&rdquo; in a sentence to contrast ideas.<\/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;\">He has already decided to take legal actions, whereas his wife is still trying to convince him not to.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And, here&rsquo;s another option of not using a pre-comma, which is possible as long as the omission does not lead to misinterpretation.<\/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;\">Josh likes swimming whereas John likes hiking.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So what do you think is the default equation in deciding whether to put a comma before &ldquo;whereas&rdquo;?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-apparently\/\"><b>Apparently<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it&rsquo;s quite easy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The longer the contrastive argument is, the more necessary the pre-comma to &ldquo;whereas&rdquo; becomes. That&rsquo;s. Just. It.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Frequently Asked Questions<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When is a comma necessary before subordinating conjunctions?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A pre-comma is essential before a subordinating conjunction only if the clause is parenthetically interrupting the sentence either midway or towards the end. And, we also need a preceding comma when using the conjunctions <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">while, although<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">whereas<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when they mean &ldquo;but.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>What are the types of subordinate clauses?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The three major types of subordinate clauses are called noun clauses, adjective clauses, and adverb clauses. These subordinate clauses cannot stand alone, therefore, their meaning is dependent on the main clauses that they are paired with.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>What are some examples of subordinating conjunctions?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most common examples of subordinating conjunctions are those that don&rsquo;t belong in the FANBOYS. These are <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">because, although, since, unless, provided that, despite, since, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as long as<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/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\": \"When is a comma necessary before subordinating conjunctions?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"A pre-comma is essential before a subordinating conjunction only if the clause is parenthetically interrupting the sentence either midway or towards the end. And, we also need a preceding comma when using the conjunctions while, although, and whereas when they mean &ldquo;but.&rdquo;\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What are the types of subordinate clauses?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The three major types of subordinate clauses are called noun clauses, adjective clauses, and adverb clauses. These subordinate clauses cannot stand alone, therefore, their meaning is dependent on the main clauses that they are paired with.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What are some examples of subordinating conjunctions?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The most common examples of subordinating conjunctions are those that don&rsquo;t belong in the FANBOYS. These are because, although, since, unless, provided that, despite, since, and as long as.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script><br>\n<!--FAQPage Code Generated by https:\/\/saijogeorge.com\/json-ld-schema-generator\/faq\/--><\/p>\n<h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This text is quite exhaustive, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-hence\/\"><b>hence<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you can pat yourself on the back if you&rsquo;ve reached this part.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All I&lsquo;m hoping for is that you&rsquo;ll never have to worry about whether or not to insert a comma before subordinating clauses, ever again.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Questions on comma placement before subordinate clauses seem to pop up quite a lot on the internet. This might be because the term &ldquo;subordinate&rdquo; sounds a bit too technical, or perhaps, most people think that the punctuation system is too complicated and hard to digest. One thing&rsquo;s for sure though, and that is, the role &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11348,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"Article","disable-critical-css":false,"_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1119,1116],"tags":[80,421],"class_list":["post-11337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-comma-rules","category-grammar","tag-comma","tag-comma-before-subordinate-clause"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11337","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=11337"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25050,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11337\/revisions\/25050"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}