{"id":11779,"date":"2021-03-27T17:47:29","date_gmt":"2021-03-27T17:47:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=11779"},"modified":"2023-10-12T00:08:14","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T00:08:14","slug":"comma-before-if","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-if\/","title":{"rendered":"Comma before &#8220;if&#8221; \u2015 All There is to Know!"},"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:150%; }img#mv-trellis-img-2{display:block;}<\/style><h2><b>When is a comma necessary before &ldquo;if?&rdquo;<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>A comma before &ldquo;if&rdquo; is necessary after an introductory remark at the beginning of a sentence. We also need a comma when &ldquo;if&rdquo; is used after a mid-sentence transition phrase, such as &ldquo;for example&rdquo; or &ldquo;that is.&rdquo; We also need to place a comma before &ldquo;if&rdquo; when it introduces a parenthetical remark either halfway through or toward the end of a sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Now, let us have a closer look at each of these instances when a comma before &ldquo;if&rdquo; is necessary.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<h2><b><\/b><b>Comma before &ldquo;if&rdquo;<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oftentimes, a pre-comma is not placed before &ldquo;if&rdquo; when it is used in its most basic function, which is to introduce a dependent clause after an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nmu.edu\/writingcenter\/independent-and-dependent-clauses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>independent clause<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is because, unlike independent clauses, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-subordinate-clauses\/\"><b>dependent or subordinate clauses<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> cannot stand independently in sentences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-hence\/\"><b>Hence<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, they need to be directly attached to the statement because of their importance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-however\/\"><b>However<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in more advanced sentence construction, a comma would be generally necessary when inserting any additional remark that helps to improve the meaning of the statement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These remarks are what we refer to as parentheses in stylistics, whose purpose is to make ideas more interesting to read.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the spoken language, you can simply think of those side comments or opinions a person utters while explaining something.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commas are used to set off parenthetical remarks <\/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 the sentence, as they are independently constructed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognizing these parenthetical remarks is fundamental in our comma decisions, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-especially\/\"><b>especially<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when dealing with higher-level sentence structures.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"grow-exclusive-content-widget-aa70192d-d134-4c49-86a3-d6f2effb13c9 grow-allow-content-ads\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1FcGWj9ZmJCqbVuKMOa6A7yA_r8YRdtsq\/view?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg\" alt=\"Comma Rules Cheat Sheet\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16942 size-full 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=\"Comma Rules Cheat Sheet\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;if&rdquo; comes after introductory remarks<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Introductory remarks are simply parenthetical elements used in front of the sentence, which may <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-either\/\"><b>either<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> be a word, a phrase, or a fragment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using introductory remarks makes statements clearer and easier to digest because they provide contextual background to the upcoming argument.<\/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;\"> As I was saying if you want to win her back, apologize to her.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We may <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-also-the-definitive-guide\/\"><b>also<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> use connective devices such as conjunctions and adverbial connectors to logically link a series of ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Therefore, a comma is also expected when &ldquo;if&rdquo; comes after connectors that are initially placed in 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;\">You can simply lie to her to quickly solve the problem. But, if you really want some peace of mind, then apologize.<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;if&rdquo; introduces a parenthetical remark midway or at the end of a sentence<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As mentioned, parenthetical remarks are sentence elements <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-that\/\"><b>that<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are grammatically independent of the main proposition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commas aid clarity when representing these auxiliary ideas, and, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-hence\/\"><b>hence<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, they are necessary before and after the parenthetical remark.<\/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 do whatever she wants if that&rsquo;s not going to hurt your ego, or you may also just regret forever.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can always check <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/whether-or-not-vs-whether\/\"><b>whether<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the remark is parenthetically functioning by removing it from the sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the remaining words can be considered grammatically well-formed, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-then\/\"><b>then<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> you&rsquo;re dealing with parenthetical remarks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/with-that-being-said\/\"><b>That said<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a parenthetical idea introduced by &ldquo;if&rdquo; may also be conveniently placed at the end of the statement.<\/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 have the option to apologize and set your pride aside, if that&rsquo;s not going to hurt your ego.<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;if&rdquo; comes after a mid-sentence parenthetical remark<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-now\/\"><b>now<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> know that a comma-encapsulated parenthetical remark can be positioned halfway through the sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Therefore, we can already deduce <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/that-that\/\"><b>that<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the closing parenthetical comma should automatically precede &ldquo;if&rdquo; when it introduces another idea 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;\">You have to do it when you&rsquo;re both calm, although I think it is quite impossible, if you really want to win her trust again.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-11786 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin.jpeg\" alt=\"Comma Before If Pin\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-200x300.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-735x1103.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-223x335.jpeg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-231x347.jpeg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-347x520.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-427x640.jpeg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-512x768.jpeg 512w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-640x960.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-720x1080.jpeg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin.jpeg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-11786 size-full lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin.jpeg\" alt=\"Comma Before If Pin\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-200x300.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-735x1103.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-223x335.jpeg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-231x347.jpeg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-347x520.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-427x640.jpeg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-512x768.jpeg 512w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-640x960.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin-720x1080.jpeg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Comma-Before-If-Pin.jpeg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-2\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;if&rdquo; comes after transition phrases inserted midsentence<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lastly, we may also find transition phrases in the middle of the sentence, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/which-vs-what\/\"><b>which<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are, again, useful in logically representing our ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/most-if-not-all-punctuation-commas\/\"><b>Most<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of these transition phrases bear a particularizing function such as &ldquo;for instance,&rdquo; &ldquo;for example,&rdquo; and &ldquo;that is,&rdquo; which are also parenthetical elements.<\/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 think you just need to show some sincerity; for example, if you choose to apologize, you can write a letter by hand.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The phrases &ldquo;for example&rdquo; and &ldquo;that is&rdquo; can also be abbreviated into <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-e-g\/\"><b>&ldquo;e.g.&rdquo;<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and &ldquo;i.e.,&rdquo; respectively, which also needs comma encapsulation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more information on punctuating these abbreviations, please click on our other article covering this topic <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-abbreviations\/\"><b>here<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b><\/b><b>The incorrect comma placement before &ldquo;if&rdquo;<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that we know when to appropriately use a comma before &ldquo;if,&rdquo; let&rsquo;s discuss the circumstances that do not need any.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the pre-comma is always needed when introducing additional sentence elements, a comma must not be used for essential ones.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is also the default guideline that we can always refer to when things get confusing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When the &ldquo;if&rdquo; introduces a subordinate clause after the main clause<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Subordinate clauses should be treated as essential sentence parts because they cannot stand independently without the main argument.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As subordinating conjunctions are used in creating subordinate clauses, a comma must not come before conjunctions of this kind, including &ldquo;if.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Thus<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the same rule applies to all subordinating clauses posteriorly positioned in a sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the general case <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-except-the-definitive-guide\/\"><b>except<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for those that have dual purposes like &ldquo;while,&rdquo; &ldquo;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-whereas\/\"><b>whereas<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and &ldquo;although.&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;\">We would not need the police if apologies always worked.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rule changes, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-though\/\"><b>though<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, when reversing the structure of the sentence because the comma should be placed at the end of the subordinate clause if it takes the frontal position.<\/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;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If apologies always worked, we wouldn&rsquo;t need the police.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Always bear in mind, too, that parenthetically using if-clauses would always necessitate the pre-comma insertion, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-even\/\"><b>even<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if it introduces a subordinate clause.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When &ldquo;if&rdquo; is used as a noun<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As observed in this post, &ldquo;if&rdquo; has been deliberately and repeatedly used as a noun, either as a subject or an object of the sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most of the time, we can always improve readability <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/before-vs-by-dates\/\"><b>by<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> using quotation marks, italicizing, and bolding.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, in case these hacks are not in your options, then a comma must never be placed before &ldquo;if&rdquo; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-unless-rules-usage-examples\/\"><b>unless<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> it is, again, parenthetically used.<\/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;\">A comma is not necessary before if when it is used as a noun and when it introduces a dependent clause after the main clause.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-also-the-definitive-guide\/\"><b>Also<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, take note that using &ldquo;if,&rdquo; as in the example above, easily invites misinterpretation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-after-so\/\"><b>So<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, this usage has to be avoided as much as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b><\/b><b>The optional comma placement before &ldquo;if&rdquo;<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contrary to what most people think, <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" title=\"comma placement\" href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-rules\/\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">comma placement<\/a> rules are not necessarily set in stone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, there are some rigid conventions like when listing series, but <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-apparently\/\"><b>apparently<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, we, as language users, are free to tweak the general rules every once in a while.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Therefore, stylistic choices may also compel a writer to use commas <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-despite\/\"><b>despite<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> grammatical conventions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put simply, a writer may deliberately defy some of the guidelines when there is a reason to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When the &ldquo;if-clause&rdquo; is part of a clunky, complicated sentence<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clunky sentences are often formed when we want to express a complicated idea in one sitting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, this is something that we want to avoid at all costs, especially when the audience is composed of non-technical readers <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-or\/\"><b>or<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> non-natives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But if breaking or paraphrasing is not on the list again, the writer may place a comma before &ldquo;if&rdquo; to emphasize the following remark.<\/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;\">It&rsquo;s not always a bad idea to let your guard down and apologize every once in a while when you&rsquo;re in the wrong if your ego also allows you to do so.<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b><\/b><b>Frequently Asked Questions on Comma Before &ldquo;If&rdquo;<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>What&rsquo;s the difference between &ldquo;if&rdquo; and &ldquo;whether?&rdquo;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The difference between &ldquo;if&rdquo; and &ldquo;whether&rdquo; is the strength of the implied force of the statement. While &ldquo;whether&rdquo; implies a binary choice, &ldquo;if,&rdquo; on the other hand, is more obligatory and imposing. Therefore, although &ldquo;whether&rdquo; is generally more polite than &ldquo;if,&rdquo; it also evokes weaker force.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>When should we put a comma before &ldquo;if any?&rdquo;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A comma is placed before &ldquo;if any&rdquo; if it is parenthetically used to draw emphasis within the sentence as in &ldquo;What are the grounds of your complaint, if any?&rdquo; or &ldquo;Your essay seems to have very few grammatical mistakes, if any, which means you have improved a lot.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>What is an example sentence that needs a comma before &ldquo;if?&rdquo;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s a parenthetical if-clause at the end of the sentence: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m hoping to ask a couple of questions regarding comma usage, if you don&rsquo;t mind.&rdquo; Or you may also insert it midway as in &ldquo;I&rsquo;m hoping to ask a couple of questions, if you don&rsquo;t mind, regarding comma usage.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b><\/b><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The written language is so powerful that it could influence people&rsquo;s emotional perceptions and, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/more-so-vs-moreso\/\"><b>more so<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, even alter beliefs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-since\/\"><b>Since<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> conjunctions like &ldquo;if&rdquo; and punctuation marks like commas are highly essential writing devices, then we should use them appropriately as much as we could.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When is a comma necessary before &ldquo;if?&rdquo; A comma before &ldquo;if&rdquo; is necessary after an introductory remark at the beginning of a sentence. We also need a comma when &ldquo;if&rdquo; is used after a mid-sentence transition phrase, such as &ldquo;for example&rdquo; or &ldquo;that is.&rdquo; We also need to place a comma before &ldquo;if&rdquo; when it &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11785,"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":[80,459,103],"class_list":["post-11779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-comma-rules","category-grammar","tag-comma","tag-comma-before-if","tag-comma-usage"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11779","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=11779"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11779\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27538,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11779\/revisions\/27538"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}