ssuchin

We write:

While I was eating, the cat scratched at the door.

But this is incorrect:

The cat scratched at the door, while I was eating.

Can someone help me understand this. Thanks.

rydenthorne

Because your first sentence starts with a gerund phrase "While I was eating" you put a comma after "eating."

The comma is unnecessary in the second sentence.

"The cat scratched at the door while I was eating."

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GradysGhost

While I was eating is an adverbial phrase which tells the reader when the cat scratched. When you put this phrase at the beginning of the sentence, we don't know yet which verb it is describing (scratched). Therefore, we use the comma as a kind of visual trigger saying that it does describe something and you'll see what that is in just a second when you finish the sentence.

When you put it after the sentence, we already know the main thought of the sentence and can determine easily enough for ourselves what the adverbial phrase is describing.

Also, if you put it before the rest of the sentence, it starts to look like you're eating the cat.

Fixed

the 2nd version makes it sound like the cat scratched the door, and then you started eating and did something else and if you didn't then the sentence would make no sense

and yeah getting rid of the comma would help in the 2nd one but still the first one is easier to understand

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Der_Parvenu_Meister

you know what you have to do dont you....


Oh yes you do....

KILL THE FUCKING CAT.