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Ryansamturner Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

Comma before 'before'?

Hi,

In sentences, is it usual to use a comma before the word 'before'.

For example:

'I dampened the same towel with some warm water, before returning to the bedroom and the bleakest of all settings.'

'She spent a little longer in bed, tossing and turning, before getting up.'

'William spoke about his work, before changing the subject to his hatred for Christmas shopping'.

Would you keep the commas?
  

Top answer

It's not necessary in #1 (if you had numbered them), but it marks a convenient place to break up a long sentence and is where you'd take a breath if you were speaking it. In #2, 'tossing and turning' is parenthetical (with a comma before and after). If you omit that phrase you wouldn't need a comma before 'before'.

— Rover_KE

  • It's not necessary in #1 (if you had numbered them), but it marks a convenient place to break up a long sentence and is where you'd take a breath if you were speaking it.
  • In #2, 'tossing and turning' is parenthetical (with a comma before and after).
  • If you omit that phrase you wouldn't need a comma before 'before'.
  • For #3, I'd say the same as for #1.
  • Personally, I'd leave it out.
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3 Answers
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It's not necessary in #1 (if you had numbered them), but it marks a convenient place to break up a long sentence and is where you'd take a breath if you were speaking it.

In #2, 'tossing and turning' is parenthetical (with a comma before and after). If you omit that phrase you wouldn't need a comma before 'before'.

For #3, I'd say the same as for #1. Personally, I'd leave
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So 1 & 3 are optional really?

I'd probably prefer to leave them in, but I just wanted to check.
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ryansamturnerSo 1 & 3 are optional really?
I would say so, and nobody has disagreed with me so far.
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