the use of "though"

[uae918]

Hi Manhattan experts,

I have a question regarding the use of "though". I know that "though" can be used as either adv and conj. My question is that when "though" is used as conj, 1) does it always has to be followed by a clause (subject + verb), and 2) does it always have to be separated from the main clause by a comma?

Thank you!

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

I actually can't help you with that. I don't have a conscious knowledge of that kind of rule; even describing though as a conjunction and an adverb is nearing the limits of my grammar. It sounds like you're at risk of over-complicating things. Here are a few principles I'd adhere to:

-To solve GMAT problems, stick to the kind of issue that you've seen come up (preferably more than once).
-Don't use too many grammatical terms - try to explain the problems in GMAT SC sentences in a way that a child (or at least teenager) could understand.
-Remember that comma use isn't really tested on GMAT - I've never seen a problem in which an answer can be eliminated simply because of a comma.

Check out the following problems from OG 2020 to see for yourself how the word 'though' is used: 792, 761, 858, 852, 832, 819, 873, 812, 75, 875, 766, and 90 from the Diagnostic Test.

[uae918]

Thanks Sage for all your responses. Really appreciate it.

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

You're welcome.