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1) I'm just going to say it, if I'd had ran as far as him my legs would would be failing me by now.2) If I had studied, I would have passed the exam.What do we call the embolded part of the first sentence and why does this conditional clause not take a comma after 'him ? Is the comma optional?Is it a rule to use a comma such as in the second  example:  what is the difference in these two sentences ?You didn't find what you are looking for, but don't stop.Is the comma optional here. I'd only use one if it was an independent sentence being joined, but some writers use them with a conjunction this way.

Englishmaven · Accepted Answer

1) I'm just going to say it, if I'd had ran as far as him my legs would would be failing me by now.

There are several errors in this sentence, including the comma error ask about. There should be a comma after the "if" clause. But the sentence should read as follows:

I'm just going to say it: if I'd run as far as he, my legs would be failing me by now.

The comma follow the dependent clause when it comes before the independent clause because it is "introductory" to the independent clause. We use a comma after introductory elements.

2) If I had studied, I would have passed the exam. This is correct.

What do we call the bold part of the sentence ( part of the first sentence and why does this conditional clause not take a comma after 'him ? Is the comma optional? The answer to this is in the part above that I provided. And generally speaking, commas are not optional.

Is it a rule to use a comma such as in the second example? What is the difference in these two sentences ?

The first clause is a dependent clause. When the dependent clause starts the sentence, we use a comma after it. The second sentence part is an independent clause. When it starts the sentence, occurring before a dependent clause, no comma is used:

I would have passed the exam if I had studied.

You didn't find what you are looking for, but don't stop.

This sentence is a compound sentence. It consists of two independent clauses. A coordinating conjunction is used to separate (or you could think it connects them). The coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. A comma is used to separate two (or more) independent clauses in a compound sentence.

Is the comma optional here? I'd only use one if it was an independent sentence being joined, but some writers use them with a conjunction this way. The comma isn't required if the two independent clauses are very short or if the second clause has the same subject as the first and there is no possibility of confusion. Otherwise, commas are not generally optional.

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