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Commas with Antithetical Elements

Rule

Separate antithetical elements—expressions that contrast a preceding word—with commas.

Examples:

I got a quarter, not a dollar.

The older, but still beautiful, woman gave it to me. 

I have a sweet tooth, but hate chocolate.

The wilted, yet beautiful, flower stood out.

We won the match, although we played our worst so far this season.

Note with the last example:
Usually, you don’t use a comma to separate a dependent clause that comes after an independent clause; however, you do if the dependent clause is antithetical.

Although we played our worst = antithetical.

Exceptions:

  • Don’t need commas with the word pairs “not only” and “but also”

Don’t need commas if the phrases are short and parallel

I am not only bored but also tired.

The war caused not only destruction and death but also generations of hatred between the two communities.

No commas needed. An author may choose to use a comma before “but also” if the sentence was particularly long.

We saw cheetahs, not lions.

We saw not lions but cheetas.

These are both short, but the first one takes a comma since the construction isn’t parallel. The second one doesn’t, as the construction is parallel.

Practice

  1. I hoped they would have a nice breakfast not just pastries.
  2. The downstairs not the upstairs has more toys.
  3. I unlike all my siblings do not enjoy watching sports.
  4. My husband decided to DIY our solar although he had never done anything similar.
  5. The rider promised not to use spurs unless absolutely necessary.
  6. The new restaurant although expensive was delightful.
  7. When writing, consider not only your topic but also your audience.
  8. A cat as opposed to a dog doesn’t need to be taken for walks.

Answers

  1. I hoped they would have a nice breakfast, not just pastries.
  2. The downstairs, not the upstairs, has more toys.
  3. I, unlike all my siblings, do not enjoy watching sports.
  4. My husband decided to DIY our solar, although he had never done anything similar.
  5. The rider promised not to use spurs unless absolutely necessary. (No comma. The “not” here isn’t contrasting anything)
  6. The new restaurant, although expensive, was delightful.
  7. When writing, consider not only your topic but also your audience. (No comma with the pair “not only” and “but also”)
  8. A cat, as opposed to a dog, doesn’t need to be taken for walks.

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With a passion for words, collecting quotes, and reading books, I love all things writing related. I will admit to having a love-hate relationship with writing as I am constantly critical, but I feel a grand sense of accomplishment spending hours editing my own writing.

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About the Author: Katie Chambers

Katie Chambers, owner and head editor of Beacon Point, loves helping authors learn to write better and editors learn to better manage their business. As a former English teacher, teaching is a big passion of hers. Follow her on LinkedIn or Instagram.

2 Comments

  1. Marlene Dryden 09/28/2024 at 12:29 am - Reply

    Hi, running through your blogs tonight (until dawn, looks like!). As a copyeditor/proofreader/rewrite pro for 50 years, I find that the ‘not only but also’ usage is much neater and cleaner when trimmed: The argument caused not only fighting and animosity, but years of hate between two families. However, my choice now is to eliminate it altogether: The argument caused fighting and animosity, [in addition to] [as well as] years of hate between two families.
    What’s your opinion? I’d like to know how those coming along after me are treating American English, with all its joys and sorrows!

    • Katie Chambers 09/30/2024 at 11:17 pm - Reply

      I agree that the “not only but also” is not required. I only retain it in formal texts. However, in this blog I was just discussing the technical rules surrounding commas with antithetical elements. And technically no comma is needed with “not only” and “but also.” But, yes, in less formal texts, the trend is to take out the “also.” Whether to use a comma or not before the “but” when the “also” is dropped is a matter of stylistic preference. Using the comma before the “but” isn’t wrong, but it also isn’t entirely necessary (at least that’s my take—I’m completely open to being wrong).

      Thanks for the thoughtful comment!

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