"Don't I need a comma before the word because?" This is a common question from students. It also reflects a common mistake made by native English speakers who have poor grammar training or just don't care about effective and proper use of language. If you plan to use your English skills at Gas Panic, then this reference is meaningless to you. If you want to nail that job and beat out the competition at Ripplewoods, Carlyles, and the Cerbus's of this world, then pay heed:
OWL at Purdue University: Sentence Punctuation Patterns
Remember, language is the means by which we express our ideas. Express your ideas well and accurately, and you can go places unlike you have ever imagined possible.
The following sentence also contains a common mistake made by native and non-native English speakers alike:
ReplyDelete"It also reflects a common mistake made by native English speakers, who have poor grammar training, or just don't care about effective and proper use of language."
The relative clause ("who have poor grammar training") is a restrictive relative clause, so putting a comma before it is incorrect!
Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog and for pointing out my mistake. Corrections have been made. I'd still love to know what you think about the main point of the post--using a comma before "because." I've seen this usage of a comma way too often by native English speakers who are teaching English at schools here in Japan. Can you think of any exceptions? Thanks!
Chip