"that" followed by a comma, correct or incorrect ?

[nanu.nantaki]

I read in some of the posts that the sentence construction having "that" followed by a comma is incorrect. Is that true ?

For example, in the following GMATPrep question, can I strike out answer choice B because it has such construction ?

Because she knew many of the leaders of colonial America and the American Revolution personally, Mercy Otis Warren was continually at or near the center of political events from 1765 to 1789, a vantage point combining with her talent for writing to make her one of the most valuable historians of the era

(A) a vantage point combining with her talent for writing to make

(B) a vantage point, when combined with her talent for writing, that made

(C) a vantage point that combined with her talent for writing, and it made

(D) and this vantage point, which combined with her talent for writing to make

(E) and this vantage point, combined with her talent for writing, made

OA is E.

Please clarify. Thank you in advance !

[amits]

There is an obvious error in B, "when" needs to communicate an idea about time period. In option B relative pronoun when is referring to what?

[nanu.nantaki]

Thanks amits. But I would like to know whether that followed by comma is in general incorrect. Thanks.

[RonPurewal]

I read in some of the posts that the sentence construction having "that" followed by a comma is incorrect. Is that true ?

For example, in the following GMATPrep question, can I strike out answer choice B because it has such construction ?

Because she knew many of the leaders of colonial America and the American Revolution personally, Mercy Otis Warren was continually at or near the center of political events from 1765 to 1789, a vantage point combining with her talent for writing to make her one of the most valuable historians of the era

(A) a vantage point combining with her talent for writing to make

(B) a vantage point, when combined with her talent for writing, that made

(C) a vantage point that combined with her talent for writing, and it made

(D) and this vantage point, which combined with her talent for writing to make

(E) and this vantage point, combined with her talent for writing, made

OA is E.

Please clarify. Thank you in advance !

first of all, you're asking a question that's unrelated to your example. your question asks about "that" followed by a comma, but you've posted an example with "that" following a comma.
(in case you didn't know, "followed by X" means coming BEFORE X; "following X" means coming AFTER X.)

--

as for your example:
you shouldn't have a comma before "that". however, if the comma BELONGS TO A MODIFIER, then it can be fine.

for instance:
this is the book that i bought at the store --> correct.
this is the book, that i bought at the store --> wrong.
this is the book, recommended to me by my brother, that i bought at the store --> correct. in this case, the commas belong to the modifier; if you remove the modifier, the underlying structure of the sentence is like the first one (i.e., without the comma).

[goelmohit2002]

as for your example:
you shouldn't have a comma before "that". however, if the comma BELONGS TO A MODIFIER, then it can be fine.

for instance:
this is the book that i bought at the store --> correct.
this is the book, that i bought at the store --> wrong.
this is the book, recommended to me by my brother, that i bought at the store --> correct. in this case, the commas belong to the modifier; if you remove the modifier, the underlying structure of the sentence is like the first one (i.e., without the comma).

Thanks Ron.

Based on similar reasoning....can you please tell is there any exception to this rule that "which" not followed by comma is always wrong in GMAT ?

[goelmohit2002]

I read in some of the posts that the sentence construction having "that" followed by a comma is incorrect. Is that true ?

For example, in the following GMATPrep question, can I strike out answer choice B because it has such construction ?

Because she knew many of the leaders of colonial America and the American Revolution personally, Mercy Otis Warren was continually at or near the center of political events from 1765 to 1789, a vantage point combining with her talent for writing to make her one of the most valuable historians of the era

(A) a vantage point combining with her talent for writing to make

(B) a vantage point, when combined with her talent for writing, that made

(C) a vantage point that combined with her talent for writing, and it made

(D) and this vantage point, which combined with her talent for writing to make

(E) and this vantage point, combined with her talent for writing, made

OA is E.

Please clarify. Thank you in advance !

first of all, you're asking a question that's unrelated to your example. your question asks about "that" followed by a comma, but you've posted an example with "that" following a comma.
(in case you didn't know, "followed by X" means coming BEFORE X; "following X" means coming AFTER X.)

--

as for your example:
you shouldn't have a comma before "that". however, if the comma BELONGS TO A MODIFIER, then it can be fine.

for instance:
this is the book that i bought at the store --> correct.
this is the book, that i bought at the store --> wrong.
this is the book, recommended to me by my brother, that i bought at the store --> correct. in this case, the commas belong to the modifier; if you remove the modifier, the underlying structure of the sentence is like the first one (i.e., without the comma).

Hi Ron,

Many thanks for clearing this that following a comma. Can you please tell about "that" followed by the comma ? Is it correct to let "that" + "," ? If possible can you please give one example telling the usage of the same(if it is correct in GMAT)

[RonPurewal]

Many thanks for clearing this that following a comma. Can you please tell about "that" followed by the comma ? Is it correct to let "that" + "," ? If possible can you please give one example telling the usage of the same(if it is correct in GMAT)

"that" can be followed by a comma, most notably in the same sort of construction: where the comma "belongs" to a modifier that is blocked off by commas on both sides.

for instance, both of the following are correct:
this animal belongs to a genus that is related to monkeys and great apes.
this animal belongs to a genus that, scientists have said, is related to monkeys and great apes.

[SC312]

Ron,

What's wrong with the option A) ?
Isn't it a appositive modifier of the form NOUN + MODIFIER form ?

Thanks

[jlucero]

If you want to call this an appositive, than it should be modifying the noun in front of it: 1765 to 1789. Those years were not a vantage point. The center of political events was a vantage point. Furthermore, you're left with an appositive that doesn't make any sense:

"a vantage point combining with her talent for writing to make her one of the most valuable historians of the era"

The vantage point is combining with her talent for writing? No- she had two distinct advantages: a vantage point and a talent for writing.

A vantage point to make her a valuable historian? No- a vantage point THAT made her a valuable historian.

[mcmebk]

If you want to call this an appositive, than it should be modifying the noun in front of it: 1765 to 1789. Those years were not a vantage point. The center of political events was a vantage point. Furthermore, you're left with an appositive that doesn't make any sense:

"a vantage point combining with her talent for writing to make her one of the most valuable historians of the era"

The vantage point is combining with her talent for writing? No- she had two distinct advantages: a vantage point and a talent for writing.

A vantage point to make her a valuable historian? No- a vantage point THAT made her a valuable historian.

Hi Joe

I find it difficult to understand your explanation.

First of all, I think since "a vantage point" is a conceptual noun, and can represent the whole preceding clause when used as an appositive:

He asked us to go skating this weekend, a suggestion that delighted all of us - Weekend is not a suggestion, rather, the whole idea is the suggestion.

The issue with "combining"? I think the problem is it uses present participle to modify the noun rather than past participle, since A vantage point combined with her talent...makes perfect sense.

Would you agree?

Thanks

[jlucero]

Hi Joe

I find it difficult to understand your explanation.

First of all, I think since "a vantage point" is a conceptual noun, and can represent the whole preceding clause when used as an appositive:

He asked us to go skating this weekend, a suggestion that delighted all of us - Weekend is not a suggestion, rather, the whole idea is the suggestion.

The issue with "combining"? I think the problem is it uses present participle to modify the noun rather than past participle, since A vantage point combined with her talent...makes perfect sense.

Would you agree?

Thanks

First off, notice that your correction "He asked us to go skating this weekend, a suggestion that delighted all of us" is the exact way that I ended my explanation to SC312: "a vantage point THAT made her a valuable historian". This is more than just a present/past participle issue, this is an issue of needing the word "that" to convey proper meaning.

There are several issues in A, one of which you addressed. But SC312's question (as far as I can understand) was about the ending of the sentence "a vantage point combining with her talent for writing to make her one of the most valuable historians of the era" which can not be tacked on to the end of the sentence as it is in the original because it is not talking about the words "1765 to 1789".