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commas with whereas and if

English translation: yes

11:06 Jan 24, 2022
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Other / punctuation, use of comma
English term or phrase: commas with whereas and if
Should I use commas in this sentence?

Whereas if we look at the bottom of the chart we've got utilities and consumer staples.
Artur Baibulatov
Russian Federation
Local time: 19:06
Selected answer:yes
Explanation:
Whereas, if we look at the bottom of the chart, we've got utilities and consumer staples.

commas to mark out the subclause

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Note added at 21 mins (2022-01-24 11:28:16 GMT)
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it is really BASIC punctuation

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Note added at 14 days (2022-02-07 12:26:24 GMT) Post-grading
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In legal texts "whereas" is not usualy followed by a comma but the entire clause is kept intact.
However, this is not legal and the basic rules of punctuation apply.
HERE "whereas" means "On the other hand" and this would be followed by a comma because there would be a pause after it, hence my inclination for distinguishing the subclause by commas. I think it's clearer that way
Selected response from:

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 15:06
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +3yes
Yvonne Gallagher
4No
philgoddard


  

Answers


1 day 5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
No


Explanation:
A good way to decide whether a comma is needed is to read it aloud. If you pause at that point, you need one. You wouldn't pause after "whereas", but you would after "chart".

A comma after "if" would be quite wrong.

We've actually had this question before, but with "whereas" in the legal sense, meaning "since", rather than "on the other hand", which is the meaning here. However, the principle is the same.
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/english/linguistics/687152-an-auto...

We use a comma before whereas, but not after.
http://speakspeak.com/resources/english-grammar-rules/conjun...


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Note added at 1 day 5 hrs (2022-01-25 16:54:43 GMT)
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Whereas if we look at the bottom of the chart, we've got utilities and consumer staples.

philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 44

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: yes, there IS a pause after "whereas" just as there would be after "on the other hand"
5 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
yes


Explanation:
Whereas, if we look at the bottom of the chart, we've got utilities and consumer staples.

commas to mark out the subclause

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 mins (2022-01-24 11:28:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

it is really BASIC punctuation

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 days (2022-02-07 12:26:24 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

In legal texts "whereas" is not usualy followed by a comma but the entire clause is kept intact.
However, this is not legal and the basic rules of punctuation apply.
HERE "whereas" means "On the other hand" and this would be followed by a comma because there would be a pause after it, hence my inclination for distinguishing the subclause by commas. I think it's clearer that way

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 15:06
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 129
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  AllegroTrans: yes but this is not a translation question and shoudn't be in this forum // whilst the comma is preferable I don't see it as wrong to omit it
8 mins
  -> yes, I know. I fully agree and have made that point on countless occasions myself. At least it's non-pro this time unlike all the so-called "pro" grammar questions that slip by:-( //I would see it as wrong
agree  Mark Robertson
43 mins
  -> Thanks:-)
agree  Tina Vonhof (X): Are grammar/punctuation questions not part of translation? If not, should we then have "Grudoz" for those, sometimes tricky, problems?
4 hrs
  -> Thanks Tina. A lot of grammar questions asked here are proofreading rather than translation in my view. Clear sign native translators/prooofreaders are needed
neutral  philgoddard: I don't think your first comma is necessary. It doesn't make the sentence easier to read, whereas (!) the second one does. // I will - I think your confidence is unjustified, and you haven't given references :-)
13 hrs
  -> I disagree but post away
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