Relative Clause

Question

The day was very hot, which is very nice for swimming.The underlined part is a relative clause, which is a type of dependent clause.If the relative clause is non-essential it is separated from the main clause, like the above sentence example.Does this mean that if all dependent clauses are non-essential they should be separated by the main clause with a comma?I always believed that if a dependent clause, such as an adverb clause, follows a main clause, there is no need for a comma. So, with an adverb clause, for example, is there a need for a comma if it is non-essential to the main clause?For example, I walked home at miday, when it was too hot to run.The underlined words are an adverb clause. I thought no comma is needed, but it is non essential to the rest of the sentence; therefore, do I need to have a comma like with the relative clause?Thanks for your help.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

The day was very hot, which is very nice for swimming.
The sentence has some problems, and not because of the comma discussion.
First, the tense of the verb in the dependent clause must be the same as in the main clause.
Also, the relative clause should be placed following its antecedent. The following is correct.
The day, which was very nice for swimming, was very hot.
The clause is non-essential, since it does not restrict the subject "day." That day was very hot. It so happens that itwas also nice forswimming.
Now if you mean something different, that all hot days were nice for swimming, then that is a different story.
The days which were nice for swimming were very hot.
Now the clause is restrictive, since it identifies particular days.In this case, no commas are used.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Eddie88For example, I walked home at miday, when it was too hot to run.

The underlined words are an adverb clause. I thought no comma is needed, but it is non essential to the rest of the sentence; therefore, do I need to have a comma like with the relative clause?

In this case, a comma is not used. See the rule below.

Here is a handy reference guide: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02/

Don't put a comma after the main clause when a dependent (subordinate) clause follows it (except for cases of extreme contrast).

Incorrect (extreme contrast):She was late for class, because her alarm clock was broken. (incorrect)
Incorrect:The cat scratched at the door, while I was eating.
Incorrect:She was still quite upset, although she had won the Oscar.

Eddie88 · Answer

Hi,

thanks for showing the mistakes I made in my example- they were obvious! I was being lazy.

Secondly, I have learned the rules about commas; in fact, I learned them from the link you proivded me.

I just have three questions which I'm sure you can help me with.

1) It is the same question I asked above: I know that an adverb/dependent clause needs no comma if it follows the main clause, but I was just slightly confused because a relative clause is also a type of dependent clause and this can have a comma following a main clause, but an adverb/dependent clause does not. Understand what I mean?

2) I walked home, and then I sat down on my couch.

I walked home=main clause
and=coordinating conjunction
then=conjunctive adverb
I sat down on my couch=main clause

With this sentence, as an example, I was wondering if I need a comma after then as conjunctive adverbs usually need a comma following them. For example,

I walked home, and therefore, I felt good that I had done exercise.

Should I do the same with then?

3) When one has a compound complex sentence, does one punctuate it the same way they punctuate compound sentences and complex sentences This is how I believed it was done. But I just want to know if the sentence begins with two dependent clauses, are they separated by commas? I was told by another post they are separated depending on whether the clauses are dependent and if they are essential to the main clause or not.

For example, Although I was hungry, when I arrived home, I did not eat, so I was starving by dinner time.

Are commas needed between the two subordinate clauses?

Thanks a lot for your help!

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Eddie882) I walked home, and then I sat down on my couch.

I walked home=main clause
and=coordinating conjunction
then=conjunctive adverb
I sat down on my couch=main clause

With this sentence, as an example, I was wondering if I need a comma after then as conjunctive adverbs usually need a comma following them. For example,

I walked home, and therefore, I felt good that I had done exercise.

Should I do the same with then?

I would not use a comma. "Then" is more of a simple adverb of time, and does not add very much meaning to the sentence

I walked home, and then I sat down on my couch.
A better sentence does not repeat the subject. In this instance, no comma is used at all: I walked home and then sat down on my couch.

You cannot make the same change to the other sentence. "Therefore" adds much more meaning. In speaking, there is a natural pause after "therefore".
I walked home, and therefore, I felt good that I had done exercise.

That being said, sometimes commas are used for speech effects. If there were a comma after "next," the reader would get the sense that you were so tired after walking that you had to rest a bit before you sat down.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Eddie883) When one has a compound complex sentence, does one punctuate it the same way they punctuate compound sentences and complex sentences This is how I believed it was done. But I just want to know if the sentence begins with two dependent clauses, are they separated by commas? I was told by another post they are separated depending on whether the clauses are dependent and if they are essential to the main clause or not.

For example, Although I was hungry, when I arrived home, I did not eat, so I was starving by dinner time.

Are commas needed between the two subordinate clauses?

All the commas chop the sentence up so much, that it does not read naturally. The first comma also breaks the association of the second clause's modifying the first verb.The introductory dependent clause should be treated as a whole: The main clause is "I did not eat".

Although I was hungry when I arrived home, I did not eat, so I was starving by dinner time.
Also, if you make a main clause, there is no comma, either:

I was hungry when I arrived home,

Relative Clause

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