Rule 1: You can put commas around “in fact” when you use it as an interrupter.
However, you can also omit the commas if the interruption is not substantial.
- Correct: I was, in fact, here on time, but you were not here, so I left.
- Correct: I was in fact here on time, but you were not here, so I left.
Rule 2: You can put a comma before “in fact” when it comes at the end of a sentence.
However, it is not essential, and you can also omit it.
- Correct: Everything went wrong! The whole day was a disaster, in fact.
- Correct: Everything went wrong! The whole day was a disaster in fact.
Rule 3: You need to put a semicolon before “in fact” and a comma afterward when the following clause is independent.
- Correct: He was born in the US; in fact, he was born in Canada.
- Incorrect: He was born in the US, in fact, he was born in Canada.
Rule 4: You should always place a comma after “in fact” when starting a sentence with the term.
- Correct: He wasn’t available to speak. In fact, he wasn’t even in the office.
- Incorrect: He wasn’t available to speak. In fact he wasn’t even in the office.
Keep reading the rest of the page to discover more about using commas and punctuation with the term “in fact.”
When to Use a Comma Before and After “In Fact”
To learn when to put a comma before and after “in fact,” you should refer to Rule 1.
Rule 1: You can use a comma before and after “in fact” when you use it to interrupt a clause.
However, it is not essential to do this, and if the interruption is weak, you can omit both commas.
Therefore, the following two sentences are both correct and the choice to include the commas or not is a stylistic one:
- She was, in fact, battling the illness most of her life.
- She was in fact battling the illness most of her life.
When to Use a Comma Before “In Fact”
Rule 2 indicates when you must use a comma before “in fact.”
Rule 2: You can use a comma before “in fact” when you end a sentence with the word.
However, it is not a requirement, and you can omit it if you don’t want to include a pause before it.
Therefore the following two sentences are both correct:
- She is a leader in her field, in fact.
- She is a leader in her field in fact.
When to Use a Comma After “In Fact”
To learn when you need to put a comma after the term “in fact,” please check Rules 3 and 4.
Rule 3: Use a comma after “in fact” when an independent clause appears directly after it.
On these occasions, you also need to use a semicolon before “in fact.”
- He didn’t study medicine; in fact, he studied law.
- We didn’t make the flight because of the weather; in fact, we canceled the whole trip.
Rule 4: You should put a comma after “in fact” at the beginning of a sentence.
At the start of a sentence, “in fact” functions as an introductory element and must have a comma after it.
- She wasn’t happy. In fact, she was furious.
- We were not on time. In fact, we were over an hour late.
When to Avoid a Comma With “In Fact”
Rule 1 explains when you can avoid using a comma with “in fact.”
Rule 1: You don’t need to use a comma after “In fact” when you use it to interrupt a clause, and the interruption is weak.
Whether an interruption is weak or not often depends on the perception of the writer.
Therefore, if you do not wish to emphasize the term “in fact,” you can omit the commas.
- It was in fact Jane’s responsibility to inform the others about the meeting.
- He was one of the best players of his generation in fact.
Conclusion
You should use a semicolon before and a comma after “in fact” when an independent clause comes after. Also, you can put a comma before and after “in fact” when you use it to interrupt a clause. However, you can also omit the comma if the interruption is weak.