Notice the use or non-use of the comma in the following sentences.
- When I first visited Gandhi in 1942 at his ashram in Sevagram, he told me what happened in Champaran.
- He had not proceeded far when the police superintendent’s messenger overtook him.
- When the court reconvened, the judge said he would not deliver the judgment for several days.
- In this sentence, the comma is used after a long introductory phrase.
- Essential clauses do not require commas. In this sentence, the clause ‘when the police superintendent’s messenger overtook him’ is an essential clause because it provides essential information. Hence, a comma is not required in this sentence.
- In this sentence again we have an introductory clause which provides extra information. The second half of the sentence can stand alone and, therefore, is separated from the introductory clause with a comma.