Comma Before As Well As | Examples & Explanation
As well as means “and also” or “in addition to.” A comma before as well as is typically optional and not required in short sentences and clauses. You can use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to help you decide if a comma is necessary.
They sent me a replacement as well as a $50 gift card. [After an indirect object]
She is an excellent violinist as well as a competent pianist. [Connecting noun phrases after a linking verb like “be”]
We can wax as well as wash your car. [Connecting verbs]
Adding an optional comma can help the reader by breaking up a longer sentence.
- Does he cook as well as you?
- Does he cook, as well as you?
- I can’t write German as well as I can speak it.
- I can’t write German, as well as I can speak it.
Is there a comma before as well as?
You don’t usually need a comma before as well as. But you may decide to put a comma before “as well as” to emphasize that the phrase contains additional information (rather than the main information) or to break up the sentence or clause to make it easier to read.
She is an excellent violinist with a superb technique, as well as a competent pianist.
We can wax your newly serviced car on-site, as well as wash it.
When you need a comma
You need a comma before and after a phrase beginning with as well as when you use it to add extra information immediately after the subject.
The budget, as well as the timeline, requires regular review.
The budget, as well as taking more time to prepare, will require more regular review.
- The budget and the project proposal are late.
If you add extra information after a singular subject using as well as, then the verb stays singular.
- The budget, as well as the project proposal, is late.
Lists
Put a comma before as well as if you want to add an additional item onto the end of a list where the last item ends with “and.”
- The outdoor facilities include tennis and basketball courts as well as a picnicking area.
However, ending a list of three or more items with as well as instead of “and” is considered incorrect. To avoid this, you can often simply put the item in the list with “and” in an earlier position, which allows you to use “and” to introduce the final item.
If you decide to use “as well as” to add an additional item, then remember to put a comma before it.
- The outdoor facilities include a swimming pool, a playground, a walking trail, tennis and basketball courts, as well as a picnicking area.
- The outdoor facilities include a swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, a playground, a walking trail, and a picnicking area.
- The outdoor facilities include a swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, a playground, and a walking trail, as well as a picnicking area.
Comma before as well
Don’t put a comma before as well at the end of a sentence when you’re using it to mean “too” or “also” (e.g., “That’s a good point as well,” “Are you coming as well?”).
However, she refused this offer of compensation as well.
Frequently asked questions about a comma before as well as
- What does you as well mean?
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You as well is an informal phrase that means the same as you too. They are both used to reflect back a greeting or sentiment:
- Katka: Have a great holiday!
- Jan: You as well!
It is a simple phrase combining the second-person pronoun “you” and “as well,” a phrase meaning “too” or “also.”
You as well and you too are only suitable in informal circumstances and not in formal writing. And remember it’s always “you as well;” aswell is always incorrect.
QuillBot’s rephraser can help you vary your vocabulary to reflect your intended meaning.
- What’s the meaning of me as well?
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The meaning of “me as well” is “me too.”
“As well” is an adverb that means “also” or “too.” Do not get confused between aswell and as well. “As well” is the correct way to write this phrase; “aswell” is always incorrect.
For example:
- They gave my sister a computer, and they gave one to me as well.
- They gave my sister a computer, and they gave one to me aswell.
A QuillBot Grammar Check can make sure you always write “as well” correctly.
- What is the meaning of mine as well?
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Mine as well is a common mistaken version of might as well and should not be used when the meaning is might as well.
Might as well is a phrase that is used to express the idea that a certain course of action will make little difference (e.g., “We might as well take an umbrella”). It can also suggest there is no reason not to do something (e.g., “You might as well call her to see if she’s in”). In these cases “mine as well” would make no sense, and you should use might as well.
There are occasions when mine as well would be the correct choice, where you are saying that something is also true of something to do with you. In this case, mine is the first-person possessive pronoun:
- Jill: My kids are off school this week.
- Jack: Mine as well.
Remember aswell is always incorrect, and this phrase must be written with a space.
Use the QuillBot Grammar Checker to help you check your vocabulary and spelling.
- What does as well mean?
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As well means “too” or “also.” You can use the phrase to add an idea or an item to something you have said before (e.g., “I am tired of politics now as well”).
There are some common English phrases that include as well, such as “might as well,” “as well as,” “you as well,” and “just as well.”
Make sure to write this correctly; it’s never aswell.
Some synonyms for as well include “too,” “also,” “in addition to,” and “along with.”
If you want to vary your vocabulary, you can use the QuillBot Paraphrasing Tool.
