Comma could be used before that or that's: why?

[Tom]

Hello everybody

I was just wondering if a comma could be used before that or that's why . Is the given sentence correct keeping the comma in mind?

1- The real problem is that, I hardly know any people in that city.

I need a few examples of the same, please.

Thanks

Tom

[Jamie (K)]

In English we normally don't use a comma before "that" when it is joining two clauses. Of course, if you have a series of subordinate clauses, the commas will start before the second in the series.

Anyway, the sentence you gave is punctuated incorrectly, and that comma should not be there.

[Tere]

[Jamie (K)]

Sure, Tere, but we use "which" in a nondefining relative clause, and not "that", so you won't usually (maybe ever) find a relative clause with "that" preceded by a comma.

The movie that I saw yesterday was great. (No commas, and you don't even need "that".)
The movie, which I saw yesterday, was great. (Commas, and you can't use "that".)

[Tere]

[quote="Jamie (K)"]Sure, Tere, but we use "which" in a nondefining relative clause, and not "that",
quote]

Ooops...Did I say that...or use it wrongly in my examples?
I don?t think so.
What I said is quite right. You may claim it?s not complete because I didn?t mention the relative pronouns to be used in each case...but I just focused on the use of commas according to the type.

[Yankee]

What I want to know is why Tom asked about a comma 'before' the word that and then placed one after the word that in his example. :lol:

Is it possible (that) Tom wanted to confuse us? :lol:

(By the way, the above sentences are supposed to be examples of sentences not needing a comma.) :D

I've got to admit that my "comma-finger" doesn't always work properly in English on the first try anymore. Since coming to Germany and learning German, my "comma-finger" has gone "comma-crazy" on my keyboard. :D ;) :D

Amy
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[Tom]

Thank you, everybody.

No, I did not want to confuse anybody, :D ...it is only that I read a sentence in a novel a few days back( By the way I have lost it and furiously looking for it) in which the author wrote a long sentence and it came this way:

" ..., that's why..."

or this way:

" ...; that's why..."

Thanks again
Tom

[Anhminh1232002]

I have the similar matter now.
"The ladies were so much engrossed with counting the kisses, that all might go on fairly, that they did not perceive the Emperor."

Is there anyone who can help me get out of this trouble.
A lot of thanks.

[Beeesneees]

'The ladies were so engrossed with counting the kisses that they did not perceive the Emperor' is the main point of that sentence.

'that all might go on fairly' provides additional information, which can be left out of the sentence without changing the main meaning. The pair of commas separates the additional information from the rest of the sentence.
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[Cerberus™]

Another great explanation by Bee, who, as a nitpicker would say, did not use a comma before "which"... but please blame my enthusiasm on the beer. I really do envy Bee's way of explaining things.

[Beeesneees]

There you go Cerberus... just for you. You can also blame the omission on the beer if you like, though the truth would be that I always feel as if I am playing catch-up on the posts on this site and therefore type so much in haste.

For what it's worth, I think your explanations are very clear.
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[Alan]

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Hi,

If I may intrude. I'm not quite sure what the reference to commas and omission are all about but I do know that there is something awry with the sentence:

[Beeesneees]

Any strangeness is down to the age and source (non British, translated) of the text rather than the original poster's fault. Other than the fact that he has punctuated his quote in such a way that it appears to be a complete sentence, he has provided a direct quote from "The Swineherd" by Hans Christian Andersen. In the original context, the meaning is quite clear.

The titular character has demanded 100 kisses of the Princess in exchange for a musical instrument. However, the agreement is reached that he may take ten kisses from the Princess herself, and the rest from 9 ladies of the court, ten kisses each.

"What can be the reason for such a crowd close by the pigsty?" said the Emperor, who happened just then to step out on the balcony; he rubbed his eyes, and put on his spectacles. "They are the ladies of the court; I must go down and see what they are about!" So he pulled up his slippers at the heel, for he had trodden them down.

As soon as he had got into the court-yard, he moved very softly, and the ladies were so much engrossed with counting the kisses, that all might go on fairly, that they did not perceive the Emperor. He rose on his tiptoes.

"What is all this?" said he, when he saw what was going on, and he boxed the Princess's ears with his slipper, just as the swineherd was taking the eighty-sixth kiss.
"March out!" said the Emperor, for he was very angry; and both Princess and swineherd were thrust out of the city.
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[Alan]

Hi,

The question still remains - what is the meaning of the first 'that' and what is its grammatical function?

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
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[Beeesneees]

It's a familiar structure to me, but my mother brought me up on such stories.

...(so) that all (the kisses) might go on (would be distributed) fairly...
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