Free E-Book, Plus Commas After Intro Clauses
It’s Christmas in July! From July 17 through July 21, you can get a free Kindle copy of Midnight Clear at Christmas from Amazon. If you already have it, tell your friends, but remember that the promotion does not start until Monday.
This month, in addition to discussing the e-book, let’s talk about using commas after introductory clauses. In the previous sentence, both “this month” and “in addition to discussing the e-book” are introductory clauses. The introductory clauses are introducing the main clause, which starts with “let’s talk about.” Introductory clauses are sometimes called dependent clauses because they depend on the clause that follows to be independent. An independent clause can stand on its own and has a subject, a verb, and a complete thought. For example, “When I read your book last month” is dependent on the next clause that follows it. Even though “When I read your book” has a subject and a verb, the word “when” makes it dependent on whatever may follow.
Of course, I hope that whatever follows that introductory clause is a positive review of my book, but either way, what follows should stand on its own: When I read your book, I remembered why I liked Christmas so much.
That’s enough clause-speak for the day; now, let’s get to the commas. You often need a comma after an introductory clause, but most modern style guides say that if the clause is short (less than five words), and especially if it is a prepositional phrase, you don’t have to add the comma. This is helpful in long sentences where too many commas get confusing. Here are some examples of okay places not to use commas after the introductions:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1, NIV).
After the reading I was hungry.
Tomorrow he will join me, and if he’s willing we’ll go swimming.
In the last example, we’re already using a comma to separate the two full clauses before the “and,” so eliminating the commas after each of the introductions is allowed: “tomorrow” and “if he’s willing.”
To be honest, I tend to use commas after introductory clauses more often than not. I tutor writing at a local college, and we advise students to always use a comma after an introductory clause to avoid confusion. Here are examples where you must use the comma for clarity:
When it’s raining cats and dogs like to hide. (Add the comma after “raining” because one could first read it as “raining cats and dogs.”)
Although he is smiling like a baby he is crying. (Is he smiling like a baby or crying like a baby? A comma after “baby” would be the former meaning, and a comma after “smiling” would be the latter.)
Please comment below to let me know what you think about commas and intros.
And if you’ve read Midnight Clear and liked it, please leave an Amazon and/or Goodreads review. Or get the e-book for free July 17 through 21!
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