Punctuation of clauses

by Michael Goodman
(New York, NY)

Though I can no longer find it in the "Chicago Manual of Style," I believe there was an entry in an earlier edition concerning the use of commas with clauses beginning with "as," "since," and "because." In the case of the first two, a distinction was made between their use to indicate simultaneity or a causal relationship:

I have played the piano since I was a little boy. (no comma)

But: He stopped writing to her, since she had made it clear that she was not interested in continuing the relationship.(comma)

And: His heart was racing as he walked to the podium to give a speech.

But: He no longer looked forward to going to work, as the internecine warfare made it an unpleasant environment.

On the other hand, I seem also to recall that the Chicago manual said "because" is always inclusive and is preceded by no comma, suggesting that where "since" and "as" are used as synonyms, no comma is necessary. And what does does that mean for "because" as a conjunction in a compound sentence whose two parts are normally separated by a comma.

In the same vein, how to handle punctuation for adverbial and participial clauses that conclude a sentence (placed at the beginning, a comma would usually follow the clause, yes?):

He became depressed following the death of his wife.

He would not have access to his inheritance until June 30 when he reached his majority.

He went to the bank after the checks were distributed at the office.

And when "while" is used as a synonym for "whereas" to indicate contrast, is it correct to use a comma?

He was given only four passes for his family to graduation, while his roommate was given six.

And "when" is used to indicate simultaneity, no comma?

The company was making immense profits while the economy was booming.

And what of this?

He left home in 1963 when he was drafted into the Army.