For example, when "and" is followed by a phrase beginning with a preposition, such as "for example" or "as you will see", you might think to add a comma after the "and".
This is because it might seem that there is a pause there. However, as you have already included a comma before the "and" a comma here is unnecessary and even ugly. Incorrect: You will read this, and, as you will see, you will also understand it.
Incorrect: You will read this and, as you will see, you will also understand it. Correct: You will read this, and as you will see, you will also understand it. Incorrect: He will come, and, if you see him, he will give you an autograph. Incorrect: He will come and, if you see him, he will give you an autograph. Correct: He will come, and if you see him, he will give you an autograph.
The easy way to remember this rule is that if you have an "and" that joins two independent phrases and is followed by a preposition, you should have a comma before the "and" and not after it. The Grammar Guide Comma Is it grammatically correct to put a comma before "and"? There are three ways that "and" can be used in a sentence: To separate two independent clauses, i.
To separate two dependent clauses, i. To separate items in a list, e. A comma is used before an "and" only if it is used to separate two independent clauses, or if it is used as an Oxford comma to separate the last item in a list of three or more things.
Correct: He is great, and I admire him. Correct: He is great and works hard. Incorrect: He is great, and works hard. Should an introductory phrase be followed by a comma? When should you use a comma before a coordinating conjunction? How do I add commas to a number for clarity? What is a comma splice and how do you fix it?
Do I need a comma after a subordinate clause? Do I need a comma after a participle phrase? How should I use commas with "not only Should I use a comma before a subordinate conjunction? Have you checked our other articles about comma usage, like how to use comma before which or before but? Feel free to visit them and let us know your thoughts. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by! Sign in to access your personalized homepage, follow authors and topics you love, and clap for stories that matter to you.
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She made a casserole out of chicken, pasta, and leftover broccoli. Note: This could easily read: She had a healthy, happy baby. Note: An independent clause must have a subject and verb. It should express a complete thought. Adam, who had loved Marybeth since he was in elementary school, knew it was time to let her go.
That store clerk, by the way, was once an executive at an international bank. Will you, Elizabeth Pruitt, marry me? There were many people at the concert, and some of the attendees stayed late for the fireworks display. It was raining, so I stayed at home the whole day. You can buy him a gift, or you can take him to dinner. Mother loves dancing, but she hates singing.
Peter often went to sci-fi conventions. Peter often went to sci-fi conventions, he always dressed in costume. Peter often went to sci-fi conventions, and he always dressed in costume.
Peter wrote and Jonathan illustrated. Animal-loving Judy always had a house filled with dogs, cats, birds, and hamsters. Sometimes, the omission of this serial comma is even advisable. Comma Before And Question 1. When joining two independent clauses. In a series or list. To introduce direct quotations. All of the above. That's incorrect. Comma Before And Question 2. Oxford comma. Serial comma. In that case, it would no longer need a comma: "I went running and saw a duck.
A dependent clause is a grammatical unit that contains both subject and verb but cannot stand on its own, like "When I went running Commas always follow these clauses at the start of a sentence. If a dependent clause ends the sentence, however, it no longer requires a comma.
Only use a comma to separate a dependent clause at the end of a sentence for added emphasis, usually when negation occurs. Appositives act as synonyms for a juxtaposed word or phrase.
In the above example — "While running, I saw a mallard, a kind of duck" — "A kind of duck" is the appositive, which gives more information about "a mallard. If the appositive occurs in the middle of the sentence, both sides of the phrase need a comma.
As in: "A mallard, a kind of duck, attacked me. Don't let the length of an appositive scare you. As long as the phrase somehow gives more information about its predecessor, you usually need a comma. There's one exception to this rule. Don't offset a phrase that gives necessary information to the sentence. Usually, commas surround a non-essential clause or phrase.
For example, "The duck that attacked me scared my friend" doesn't require any commas. Even though the phrase "that attacked me" describes "the duck," it provides essential information to the sentence. Otherwise, no one would know why the duck scared your friend. Clauses that begin with "that" are usually essential to the sentence and do not require commas. That last comma, known as the serial comma, Oxford comma, or Harvard comma, causes serious controversy.
Although many consider it unnecessary, others including Business Insider insist on its use to reduce ambiguity. There's an Internet meme that demonstrates its necessity perfectly. The version without the Oxford comma, however, takes on an entirely different meaning, potentially suggesting that only one invitation was sent — to two strippers named JFK and Stalin. Read more: 12 everyday phrases that you're probably saying incorrectly.
Many adverbs end in "ly" and answer the question "how? How did something happen? Adverbs that don't end in "ly," such as "when" or "while," usually introduce a dependent clause, which rule number two in this post already covered.
Also insert a comma when "however" starts a sentence, too. Phrases like "on the other hand" and "furthermore" also fall into this category. Starting a sentence with "however," however, is discouraged by many careful writers. A better method would be to use "however" within a sentence after the phrase you want to negate, as in the previous sentence.
Read more: 11 reasons the English language is impossible to learn. Another clever meme shows the problem with incorrect placement of this comma. The version with a comma, however, instructs them to stop attending hip dance clubs. Only coordinate adjectives require a comma between them. Two adjectives are coordinate if you can answer yes to both of these questions: 1.
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