{"id":7241,"date":"2020-07-31T20:09:27","date_gmt":"2020-07-31T20:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=7241"},"modified":"2023-08-24T07:48:03","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T07:48:03","slug":"comma-before-then","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-then\/","title":{"rendered":"Comma Before &#8220;Then&#8221;: Rules &#038; Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}<\/style><h2><strong>Do You Need a Comma Before &ldquo;Then&rdquo;?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>You need a comma before then in sentences that have conditional clauses (aka, &lsquo;if\/then&rsquo; statements). A comma is also needed when &lsquo;then&rsquo; separates two independent clauses. If you&rsquo;re omitting &lsquo;and&rsquo; or &lsquo;but&rsquo; before &lsquo;then,&rsquo; include a comma for clarity, even without two independent clauses.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Dividing Two Conditional Clauses<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Conditional clauses describe cause and effect relationships. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iue.edu\/hss\/writingcenter\/documents\/Commas.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The comma<\/a><\/strong> helps to make it clear that the &ldquo;then&rdquo; is another way of saying &ldquo;as a result of&rdquo; an &ldquo;if&rdquo; statement.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you are trying to explain the consequences of an action, you might write, &ldquo;If you refuse to take out the trash, then you will get in trouble with your parents.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>This also applies when the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/clauses-vs-phrases\/\">conditional clause<\/a> <\/strong>is theoretical in nature.<\/p>\n<p>An example of this is &ldquo;If you refuse to take out the trash, then you might get in trouble with your parents.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>So, whether the effect is definite or simply a possibility, you should put a comma before the &ldquo;then&rdquo; in if\/then sentences.<\/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<h2><strong>&ldquo;Then&rdquo; That Functions Like a Coordinating Conjunction<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>When &ldquo;then&rdquo; functions similarly to a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/coordinating-conjunctions\/\">coordinating conjunction<\/a><\/strong>, there should be a comma before it.<\/p>\n<p>Coordinating conjunctions join equal<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/clauses-vs-phrases\/\"> phrases<\/a><\/strong>, ideas, or parts of speech.<\/p>\n<p>For example, you should put a comma in the following sentence.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I graduated college, then I went to graduate school.&rdquo; The comma is necessary because both clauses (which are independent clauses) have equal grammatical weight.<\/p>\n<p>It is true that &ldquo;then&rdquo; is technically not a coordinating conjunction, in the above example or anywhere else.<\/p>\n<p>In the example, it is actually an adverbial. However, its use is very similar to an &ldquo;and&rdquo; &ldquo;but,&rdquo; or &ldquo;or.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>If it were in the same position as the &ldquo;then&rdquo; in our example, an &ldquo;and,&rdquo; &ldquo;but,&rdquo; or &ldquo;or&rdquo; would be a coordinating conjunction.<\/p>\n<p>Because of the grammatical similarity, the use of the comma before this form of &ldquo;then&rdquo; is now used more often than not.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Is a Comma Necessary Before &ldquo;And Then?&rdquo;<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>What should you do with a &ldquo;then&rdquo; that divides an independent and a subordinate clause?<\/p>\n<p>Take a sentence like &ldquo;He sped down the road and then was pulled over.&rdquo; In that example, you do not need the comma.<\/p>\n<p>However, you should use the comma if you are not using the &ldquo;and,&rdquo; such as when you write, &ldquo;He sped down the road, then got pulled over.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In this instance, the &ldquo;then&rdquo; still expresses cause and effect, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-even\/\">even<\/a><\/strong> without the &ldquo;if&rdquo; of a conditional, causal clause.<\/p>\n<p>Also, you would need a comma if you were making both clauses independent. An example of this would be if you wrote, &ldquo;He sped down the road, then he got pulled over.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What About a Comma Before a &ldquo;Then&rdquo; at the End of a Sentence?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This rule tends to trip up a lot of writers. However, it is easy to determine whether a comma is needed if you ask yourself whether the &ldquo;then&rdquo; a matter of time or consequence.<\/p>\n<p>Let&rsquo;s pretend you wrote, &ldquo;Is Bob going to the party? I&rsquo;m not going, then.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The comma before &ldquo;then&rdquo; is necessary. This is because another way of saying these two sentences would be, &ldquo;If Bob is going to the party, then I am not going.&rdquo; In that case, the &ldquo;then&rdquo; is clearly the result of an &ldquo;if.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>However, if you are designating a time, a comma before your &ldquo;then&rdquo; would make things awfully unclear.<\/p>\n<p>Take the following sentence. &ldquo;You want to meet at five o&rsquo;clock? Yes, let&rsquo;s meet then.&rdquo; Here, you are telling the reader that you want to meet at five o&rsquo;clock.<\/p>\n<p>However, let&rsquo;s say you wrote, &ldquo;You want to meet at five o&rsquo;clock? Let&rsquo;s meet, then.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>With the comma placed as it is, the reader may be confused about whether you are agreeing on a time or merely agreeing to meet.<\/p>\n<p>When navigating the often confusing rules of commas in the English language, it is important to remember that they exist primarily to make things clearer.<\/p>\n<p>The rules and examples above should help sentences with &ldquo;then&rdquo; remain as clear as possible.<br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do You Need a Comma Before &ldquo;Then&rdquo;? You need a comma before then in sentences that have conditional clauses (aka, &lsquo;if\/then&rsquo; statements). A comma is also needed when &lsquo;then&rsquo; separates two independent clauses. If you&rsquo;re omitting &lsquo;and&rsquo; or &lsquo;but&rsquo; before &lsquo;then,&rsquo; include a comma for clarity, even without two independent clauses. &nbsp; Dividing Two Conditional &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7252,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","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],"class_list":["post-7241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-comma-rules","category-grammar","tag-comma"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7241","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=7241"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7241\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26773,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7241\/revisions\/26773"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}