[Grammar] Q regarding usage of comma

[vcolts]

Hi.

One thing that gets me thinking all the time is the usage of comma.

I would like to know when you should and shouldn't use a comma before "even though."

I was able to get two examples for the case:

He continued to talk with his friends, even though there was much work to do.

I don't know. But I'll bet that our deadlines don't change even though it's going to be one huge disruption.


Also, should I just stick to the rule of skipping comma when in doubt? Just like everybody, I was told not to use comma when in doubt in school. I waste too much time thinking about it. At the same time, I want to learn to write proper, formal English.

If you know great websites that contain various detailed cases for comma usage, please tell me. I have checked out some that came up from google search but the listed cases were very limited.

Thanks in advance.

[Tdol]

Punctuation is a bit erratic in English and I think that your examples show this rather than a rule. I would use a comma in both and would do the same if the order were reversed:
Even though there was much work to do, he continued ...