comma before 'where' [conjunction]: my life at home, where I was

[Hela]

Dear friends,

Here are more questions about punctuation. Would please give me the reason for your choice?

In academic / formal English is it possible :


1) to have a comma before a subordinating conjunction?
2) to start a sentence with "That's why"?

"I even asked God to help me find a solution 1) , because I was torn between my love for you and my duty to (toward(s) ?) my family.

When I was at the station with you, I was scared. There were so many people. I could only think of my family 2). That's why I ran away at the last minute."


3) Is it possible/necessary to have a comma before "where" here? If yes, why?

I remember the day I first met you. I immediately fell in love with you. I was so happy 1. :/. [colon or full stop ?] I could be myself at last and forget my terrible life at home 2. , where I was afraid of my father's violence.

Isn't the adverb "where" directly linked to "home" ?

Thank you for your help.
Hela

 

[petereid]

I remember the day I first met you. I immediately fell in love with you. I was so happy. I could be myself at last and forget my terrible life at home, where I was afraid of my father's violence.

Isn't the adverb "where" directly linked to "home" ?
I would say "yes" but I am not a grammarian

 

[la reine victoria]

Dear friends,

Here are more questions about punctuation. Would please give me the reason for your choice?

In academic / formal English is it possible :


1) to have a comma before a subordinating conjunction?
2) to start a sentence with "That's why"?

"I even asked God to help me find a solution 1) , because I was torn between my love for you and my duty to (toward(s) ?) my family.

When I was at the station with you, I was scared. There were so many people. I could only think of my family 2). That's why I ran away at the last minute."


3) Is it possible/necessary to have a comma before "where" here? If yes, why?

I remember the day I first met you. I immediately fell in love with you. I was so happy 1. :/. [colon or full stop ?] I could be myself at last and forget my terrible life at home 2. , where I was afraid of my father's violence.

Isn't the adverb "where" directly linked to "home" ?

Thank you for your help.
Hela

Hello Hela,

"Where" can be an adverb, a noun or a conjunction. In your example it refers to "my terrible life at home", therefore it is not an adverbial usage. It serves as a conjunction linking "my terrible life at home" and "I was afraid of my father's violence." I think the insertion of a comma is necessary to allow a slight pause before qualifying "my terrible life at home".

I agree with Pete's placing of a full stop (point 1).

I'm not a grammarian either. I used to be, back in the dark ages, but one tends to forget!


LRV

 

[Tabac]

Dear friends,

Here are more questions about punctuation. Would please give me the reason for your choice?

In academic / formal English is it possible :


1) to have a comma before a subordinating conjunction?
2) to start a sentence with "That's why"?

"I even asked God to help me find a solution 1) , because I was torn between my love for you and my duty to (toward(s) ?) my family.

When I was at the station with you, I was scared. There were so many people. I could only think of my family 2). That's why I ran away at the last minute."


3) Is it possible/necessary to have a comma before "where" here? If yes, why?

I remember the day I first met you. I immediately fell in love with you. I was so happy 1. :/. [colon or full stop ?] I could be myself at last and forget my terrible life at home 2. , where I was afraid of my father's violence.

Isn't the adverb "where" directly linked to "home" ?

Thank you for your help.
Hela

Yes, to the comma.

 

[bartonig]

Dear friends,

Here are more questions about punctuation. Would please give me the reason for your choice?

In academic / formal English is it possible :


1) to have a comma before a subordinating conjunction?
2) to start a sentence with "That's why"?

"I even asked God to help me find a solution 1) , because I was torn between my love for you and my duty to (toward(s) ?) my family.

When I was at the station with you, I was scared. There were so many people. I could only think of my family 2). That's why I ran away at the last minute."


3) Is it possible/necessary to have a comma before "where" here? If yes, why?

I remember the day I first met you. I immediately fell in love with you. I was so happy 1. :/. [colon or full stop ?] I could be myself at last and forget my terrible life at home 2. , where I was afraid of my father's violence.

Isn't the adverb "where" directly linked to "home" ?

Thank you for your help.
Hela

Isn't the adverb "where" directly linked to "home" ? Yes, it is. ...where I was afraid of my father's violence... is a clause post-modifying the noun home. It's a relative clause and the adverb where has also the properties of a relative pronoun.