When do you place a comma before the word in sentence?

You're asking a great question! It's tricky to remember all the comma rules, but here are some of the most common situations where you'd place a comma before "in" within a sentence:

1. Introductory Phrases:

* Example: "In the early morning hours, the birds began to sing."

2. Nonrestrictive Clauses:

* Example: "The old house, in need of a good paint job, stood on the hill."

* Note: This clause adds extra information but isn't essential to the sentence's meaning.

3. Appositives:

* Example: "My dog, a golden retriever named Buddy, loves to play fetch."

* Note: An appositive renames or explains a noun.

4. Series:

* Example: "The recipe calls for flour, sugar, and in some cases, milk."

5. Between Two Independent Clauses Connected by a Coordinating Conjunction:

* Example: "The children played in the park, and in the evening, they had dinner."

Remember: The comma is not always necessary before "in". It depends on the grammatical structure of the sentence!