He stopped rehearsal for fifteen minutes, during which he made me try to cry in front of him. Is the comma needed here? And if so, why? I would appreciate the help!!!!
Why not google the following: "during which" comma then read up on it yourself -- you'll learn better that way
That was the first thing I did -- and got many different answers. Before posting this thread, I have researched comma rules faithfully. Perhaps I am just dense.
Google "owl.english.edu" . When you get to the site, click on the big orange tab with "purdue online writing lab" written in it. Under navigation you'll see "Grammar and Mechanics". Be careful to only use trusted sites like Purdue OWL. The Chicago Manual of Style is another. It's fee based but worth the cost. Blogs and such will sometimes be full of inaccurate information due to misconceptions. There is more to correct comma usage than serving as a "pause" in a sentence. Specific rules apply and must be followed.
Probably yes simply because "which" clauses are always offset by a comma. But also because you're using "during which" to introduce a new, separate thought that contains both a subject and predicate--like a new sentence. So, you need to separate each sentence-like part: "He stopped rehearsal for fifteen minutes" and "he made me try to cry in front of him," whether or not you're using "during which" (or something like "and") to connect them. There is a "rule of thumb" about commas: "When in doubt, leave it out." In the example you give, the meaning would be equally clear, either way, in my opinion. So, although I wouldn't advise you to leave it out (and putting it in is perfectly correct), a good editor would most likely suggest the comma, at least as a stylistic preference; and your omission wouldn't mean the end of the world to your manuscript. That's my two.
"during which" requires a comma, because of the "which" but not because of the "during." Essentially, "that" never has a comma, while "which" always has a comma. He stopped the rehearsal so that I could cry. He stopped the rehearsal, at which time I cried. Edit: I'm sorry, I'm totally wrong here. My personal preference is to always put a comma before which, but it doesn't require one. It depends on the sentence.
