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I have been asked for a little more explanation on the last post. A dependent clause is dependent because it has a word out in the front of it that "introduces" it. ...He left. (a sentence, an in...

You all know this rule: Cardinal Rule No. 1: Put a comma before a coordinate conjunction when it is followed by an independent subject and verb. But be careful of the dependent clause that LOOKS L...

A discussion of this construction comes up about once a month. Is there or is there not a comma after "that" in the following sentence. ...I knew that, if I turned right, I'd get there sooner. Th...

When two INDEPENDENT clauses are linked by a coordinate conjunction, there is a comma before the conjunction; when there is not an independent clause, independent subject and verb, after the coordi...

When the "if" clause at the end of the sentence is a modifier for a word in the main clause, there is no comma. ...I will go if I can scrape the money together. ...She will call if she gets there...

Though there are some nuances I am omitting here, picking out a dependent clause is about finding the subject and verb and then checking for a word out in the front that goes with that subject and ...

"Which is/are" begins an adjective clause. If the clause is necessary to define the word it modifies and could not be removed without losing communication, then there is no comma before it. If the ...

When the word that begins a dependent clause and several of those clauses are linked together with and, there is NO comma before the and even when the word that is missing and is "understood." NOT...

When an adverb clause -- it has a subject and verb and a word out in front of it that is part of the clause and is used to answer when, where, why, how -- starts a sentence, it is always followed b...