Comma

Question

I would like to know the difference in the meaning between "1" and "2".1. I was so tired (that) I couldn't help yawning.2. I was so tired, (that) I couldn't help yawning.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

smartenglish@hanmail.net1. I was so tired (that) I couldn't help yawning.

Being tired was the cause of the yawning.

smartenglish@hanmail.net2. I was so tired, (that) I couldn't help yawning.

If you don't include 'that', you have a mistake called a comma splice.

You can correct that as follows.

I was so tired I couldn't help yawning. (same meaning as 1)
I was so tired. I couldn't help yawning.
I was so tired; I couldn't help yawning.
The last two have this meaning, which not really very different from the meaning of 1:

I was very tired. The evidence of this was the fact that I couldn't help yawning.

If you do include 'that', you have another mistake. In this function 'that' cannot be preceded by a comma. If you remove the comma, you have example 1.

CJ

Comma

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬