<p>Here's just a made up sentence. Can you tell me if the commas are in the right spot...</p>
<p>Jerry decides to hug Tom, because his conscience views Tom as a friend, rather than an enemy. </p>
<p>Does a comma belong before "because" or "rather" ?</p>
<p>You can take out all the commas, and the sentence will be fine.</p>
<p>I'm 100% sure you don't need one before because (because the subject before and after "because" is the same), but as far as the "rather" is concerned, it's more of a gut feeling that you don't need it.</p>
<p>Jerry decides to hug Tom because his conscience views Tom as a friend rather than as an enemy.</p>
<p>I,think,that's,the,correct,sentence.</p>
<p>Is there ever a time when you put a comma before "because" ?</p>
<p>Ever? Yeah, you could come up with a time when it's OK.</p>
<p>In normal use? Nope.</p>
<p>I thought that if the subject of the clause after because was different than the subject of the clause before and is a full sentence, then you needed a comma.</p>
<p>ex.</p>
<p>John went to the store, because Martha wanted him to buy eggs.</p>
<p>I don't know, I never use "because" in formal stuff so I never think about it...haha.</p>
<p>Oooh, yeah, Groovin. That seems familiar. Forgot about that.</p>
<p>To the OP: Look it up. Wikipedia is awesome, as is Google.</p>
<p>nope, still not necessary.</p>
<p>This reminds me of D.O.L. back in middle school ::shudders::</p>
<p>Of course, the thread was started by a Cubs fan, and they always make me wonder ;)</p>
<p>Must be a new rule then, because I remember it being drilled into my head SO many times...(^look, I did it up there). Maybe it depends on the conjunction.</p>
<p>Edit: This is totally driving me insane now, lol. Most reputable sources online seem to say you never need a coma before "because", because (OMG, I can't stop!) by definition it introduces a subordinate phrase, and you only need commas to separate two...I guess...nonsubordinate phrases. Or something. Like when using "and". </p>
<p>OK, I'm so going to ask my English teacher.</p>
<p>yup, that's exactly it. if the two parts can be completely seperate and still make the same sense then it's the ", and" thing, but you never need a comma with "because" because the two have a relationship that is necessary for it to have the same meaning. That didn't make a whole lot of sense, so here's an example:</p>
<p>Mary went to the park, and John went skiing.
has the exact same meaning as:
Mary went to the park. John went skiing.</p>
<p>whereas</p>
<p>Mary went to the park because John went skiing.
has a different meaning than
Mary went to the park. John went skiing.</p>
<p>does that make any sense or help at all?</p>
<p>but you usually wouldn't use a comma in the first sentance either.
Mary went to the park and John went skiing.
Is better than if there were a comma before and.
The difference between cooridnating and subordinating conjunctions doesn't have to do with commas in that way.</p>
<p>having a comma before and and but is more traditional, but ultimately it is not a necessity.</p>
<p>A friend of mine (a teacher as well) tells me that in England a comma is used before the word 'and' and the word 'or.' That's not the case in American English (you can do with or without it in some cases).</p>
<p>As for commas before the word 'because' here is an example of where the comma changes the meaning of the word and where it would be necessary.</p>
<p>No comma needed: John bought Chelsea new sunglasses because he wanted to get her a present for her birthday.</p>
<p>Comma needed: I knew John would buy Chelsea new sunglasses, because he left me a message on my cell phone asking which brand to get.</p>
<p>Without the comma in that last sentence, the sentence would sound like the message that John left me caused him to buy Chelsea new sunglasses.</p>
<p>And here is what I learned a long time ago which adds to what I was trying to say in my previous post in regards to commas before 'because':</p>
[quote]
As pointed out above (Rule #3), an adverbial clause that begins a sentence is set off with a comma:</p>
<pre><code>* Although Queasybreath had spent several years in Antarctica, he still bundled up warmly in the brisk autumns of Ohio.
* Because Tashonda had learned to study by herself, she was able to pass the entrance exam.
</code></pre>
<p>When an adverbial clause comes later on in the sentence, however, the writer must determine if the clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence or not. A "because clause" can be particularly troublesome in this regard. In most sentences, a "because clause" is essential to the meaning of the sentence, and it will not be set off with a comma:</p>
<pre><code>* The Okies had to leave their farms in the midwest because the drought conditions had ruined their farms.
</code></pre>
<p>Sometimes, though, the "because clause" must be set off with a comma to avoid misreading:</p>
<pre><code>* I knew that President Nixon would resign that morning, because my sister-in-law worked in the White House and she called me with the news.
</code></pre>
<p>Without that comma, the sentence says that Nixon's resignation was the fault of my sister-in-law. Nixon did not resign because my sister-in-law worked in the White House, so we set off that clause to make the meaning clearly parenthetical.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>To the OP: Your original sentence does not need commas. 13351 was right. Your sentence should look like this: "Jerry decides to hug Tom because his conscience views Tom as a friend rather than as an enemy."</p>