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Starstuff Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

"that" and comma

0 Is it ever correct to use a comma before a subordinate clause that starts with "that", which is used to start essential clauses.02br
02br
00ie: A complete sentence + , + that clause02br
02br
00Thanks.0-
  

Top answer

0 I think it may be possible on occasion to do that. 02i 02br 02br 00 There may be purists who frown on this practice. I don't know.

  • 0 I think it may be possible on occasion to do that.
  • 02i 02br 02br 00 There may be purists who frown on this practice.
  • I don't know.
  • 02br 02br 00 CJ0-
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7 Answers
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0 I think it may be possible on occasion to do that. For stylistic reasons you may want the comma to act as the word 01i00and02i00.02br
01i02br
00 She told him that she was fed up, that she was leaving him.02i
02br
02br
00 There may be purists who frown on this practice. I don't know. But I think you'll find such
0
0 Thanks CJ. I did find one such pattern.0-
0
0 Hi, 02br
00what about: 02br
01i01b00"She told him she was fed up with his job, that kept him away from home most of the time."02b02i02br
02br
00Ok how it is? What if I take the comma away? What if I change that "that" with "which"? ...Umm 0-
0
0 Argghh! With (restrictive) relative 01i00that02i00 you'll have to remove the comma (and make a slight modification). You can also substitute restrictive relative 01i00which02i00 for (restrictive) relative01i00 that02i00. Non-restrictive relative 01i00which02i00 goes with the comma. (There's no such t
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10CalifJim12cite11font11b10There's no such thing as non-restrictive relative 11i10that12i10.12b12font12blockquote
12br
00 Thank you Jim, 02br
00 I chose that example on purpose, since I was interested in "01u
0
0 01blockquote
00Does really nobody say anything similar to "The Yellow River is the longest river in China, that flows from Tibet to the China Sea"?12blockquote
10It seems very unlikely that anyone would write such a thing, but there you have it: Someone did! (You can't actually say the comma, so if you said the sentence aloud, it would be heard as
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0 01i00>The Yellow River is the longest river in China, that flows from Tibet to the China Sea.02i02br
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00 Not too good a sentence.02br
02br
00 Try:02br
02br
01i00"The Yellow River is the longest river in China, 01b00AND IT02b00 flows from Tibet to the China Sea."02br


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