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So, I have a sentence,

You can show it to him, if you haven't done it already.

My reasoning for this comma is that I don't really put a condition per se before my interlocutor, I'm merely saying "I allow it", "I don't mind", and then I sort of add "well, I guess - if you haven't done it already", but you can do whatever, I don't mind.

Does it make sense? Is it just a stylistic choice? Or is it plain wrong, and we shouldn't use a comma before "if" as per the general rules with conditionals that we always follow?

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    As the late. great John Lawler (RIP) said: "Commas are not determined by grammar or by which words they follow. Comma indicates a particular intonation. If you would use that intonation in speaking the sentence, use a comma; if not, don't. So it's important to hear what you're writing, in your mind if nowhere else."
    – Lambie
    Commented Dec 7, 2023 at 16:35
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    It's unusual to use a comma before a non-initial if-clause unless it (and/or the preceding independent clause) extremely lengthy / involved. If you want a pause there, a dash is probably the more usual choice. With an initial if-clause, a comma is standard.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Dec 7, 2023 at 17:33
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    @Lambie Did he actually pass away? His last activity here was a month ago, but I can't find anything online about his death.
    – Barmar
    Commented Dec 7, 2023 at 18:04
  • @Barmar Go to the chat and you will see the notice from his university.
    – Lambie
    Commented Dec 7, 2023 at 22:39

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