Comma Before “That” – Rules, Examples & Practice Sheet

Many students struggle with proper comma placement in their academic writing. This is usually due to a lack of understanding of the specific rules and exceptions surrounding the usage of commas. To help clarify one specific instance, the use of commas before the word “that”, this article provides examples and outlines the exceptions to the rules along with a practice sheet.

When to place a comma before “that”

Generally, a comma before “that” should only be placed when it introduces a parenthetical phrase. No comma before “that” should be used if the word “that” functions as an adjective, pronoun, determiner, adverb, or conjunction. In the following text, we will cover the specifics of each case.

Comma rules may vary depending on style guides, and complex sentences may have exceptions for placement. Consider readability without commas.

Comma before “that”

There is only one rule when a comma before “that” is used: introducing a parenthetical phrase.

Parenthetical phrase

A comma is typically placed before “that” when it introduces a parenthetical phrase. This is because a parenthetical phrase is non-restrictive, meaning it provides additional, non-essential information that can be removed from the sentence without changing the core meaning. The comma is used to set off this additional information. Here are three short examples.

No comma before “that”

When “that” functions as either an adjective, pronoun, determiner, adverb, or conjunction, you do not put a comma before “that”.

“That” as an adjective

“That” can function as a demonstrative adjective in English, where it is used to specify a particular object or person from a group or a type. When “that” is used in this way, it modifies a noun by pointing out which specific item or items are being referred to, especially to distinguish it from others. No comma is being placed in this case.

“That” as a pronoun

You generally do not put a comma before “that” when it functions as a pronoun. When used as a pronoun, it replaces a noun previously mentioned or easily identified in the context. It can refer to a specific thing or situation mentioned before, and it helps to avoid repetition.

“That” as a determiner

“That” functions as a determiner when it is used to indicate a specific noun that is far from the speaker, in contrast to “this,” which indicates something close to the speaker. It specifies which particular noun one is referring to, and is often used with singular or uncountable nouns. You don’t place a comma before that when used in this grammatical context.

“That” as an adverb

“That” can also function as an adverb, albeit less commonly, where it is used to modify the degree of an adjective or another adverb, often to emphasize the extent or degree of something. It’s usually used in comparative structures, and no comma is placed before “that”.

“That” as a conjunction

“That” functions as a conjunction when it is used to connect two clauses, where the second clause is dependent on the first. It often introduces a clause that is the object of a verb or follows adjectives and nouns to provide additional information.

Restrictive relative clause

“That” is often used to introduce restrictive relative clauses, which are essential to the meaning of the sentence because they define or restrict the noun they are referring to. A restrictive relative clause cannot be removed without changing the fundamental meaning of the sentence. The word “that” as a relative pronoun is used to connect the clause to the noun or pronoun it modifies. You do not use a comma before “that”.

In each of these examples, “that” introduces additional information that narrows down the noun to a specific one that the speaker has in mind. Without the information introduced by “that”, the nouns “book”, “dress”, and “meeting” could be any book, dress, or meeting, respectively. The restrictive clause makes clear which one is being discussed.

Practice sheet

Below, you’ll find practice sentences of when to place a comma before “that”. You can check whether your answers are correct in the second tab labelled “answers”.