Putting comma before which

The highlighted phrase in the sentence above is restrictive. If you try taking it out of the sentence, the meaning changes: Cars always seem to break down. That means the phrase is restrictive and you should not use commas with it.

Rob tripped over his shoes, which he had left lying in the middle of the floor. We heard three speeches, the longest of, which went for an hour. We heard three speeches, the longest of which went for an hour. The high school from which I graduated was highly ranked. Figure skating, which I started at age five, has always been my favorite sport. Figure skating has always been my favorite sport.

He studied French , which was a subject that he enjoyed. The topic that I enjoy the most is art history. The topic is art history. The topic I enjoy the most is art history. Do You Need Commas? Quiz Which toy is bouncier? She asked which laundry soap we use. He introduced a comma splice which is a common grammatical error.

The Oxford comma which is named after Oxford University Press has long been the subject of arguments. They want to know which dependent clause should be deleted? She wanted to buy the ship which won the race. We have two books: 1 "Smashing Grammar" Written by the founder of Grammar Monster , "Smashing Grammar" has an A-Z glossary of grammar terms, a punctuation section, and a chapter on easily confused words.

Each entry starts with a simple explanation and some basic examples before giving real-life, entertaining examples. Every entry ends with a summary explaining why the grammar point matters to a writer. If you like Grammar Monster, you'll love this book. Practical rather than academic, this best seller is packed with real-life examples and great quotations from Homer the Greek to Homer the Simpson.

It is a light-hearted, easily digestible grammar reference. Everything on Grammar Monster is free. A-Z glossary punctuation A-Z confused words common mistakes ordered by seriousness vocabulary for learners tests and games More free grammar help When they occur in the middle of a sentence, they are wrapped in two commas. They are very easy to recognize because you can remove them from a sentence, and the sentence remains complete.

White Manor House, which was built in , is an important local monument. Social networking sites, which are very popular , will definitely change business marketing. The Caspian Sea, which is the largest inland body of water in the world , lies between Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan.

In all these examples, you can remove the clauses in blue because they are not restricted by the sentences. They only add extra information. In a restrictive or defining clause , there is no comma because it is essential to the sentence. The school which that she attends is famous. The meal which that I ordered was expensive but delicious.

The house in which I lived as a child was over years old. The land on which it stood was bought by my great-great-grandfather. In a question, which is an interrogative pronoun.