Hi - when its comes to the usage of comma + and
-- Does the 2nd clause (After the comma + and) -- have to a RESULT of the 1st clause ?
-- Can the 2nd clause (After the comma + and) --- be unrelated to the 1st clause ?
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- JbhB682
- Course Students
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- Joined: Fri May 16, 2014 2:13 pm
- JbhB682
- Course Students
- Posts: 520
- Joined: Fri May 16, 2014 2:13 pm
Re: Comma + AND
For example can i say
(a) JD loves KFC, and Sam brought a car
Obviously -- the 2nd clause is un-related to the 1st clause. Do you think the usage of comma + and, is okay in this instance ?
(b) Sam bought a Honda Civic, and it is blue in color
Obviously -- the 2nd clause IS NOT A RESULT of the 1st clause but the 2nd clause is related to the 1st clause -- Do you think the usage of comma + and, is okay in this instance ?
(a) JD loves KFC, and Sam brought a car
Obviously -- the 2nd clause is un-related to the 1st clause. Do you think the usage of comma + and, is okay in this instance ?
(b) Sam bought a Honda Civic, and it is blue in color
Obviously -- the 2nd clause IS NOT A RESULT of the 1st clause but the 2nd clause is related to the 1st clause -- Do you think the usage of comma + and, is okay in this instance ?
- Whit Garner
- ManhattanGMAT Staff
- Posts: 72
- Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2010 5:23 am
Re: Comma + AND
Just to be clear, comma + "and" has several uses - not just connecting two sentences. For example, we use a ", and" with a 3 or more item list:
She voted to increase the student lunch allowance, improve access to free breakfasts, and provide free tutors for students struggling with common core subjects.
We can also see ", and" when we have a 2-item list that has a modifier between the two items:
The new project will demolish the old building, which has been declared uninhabitable, and replace it with a new park.
The list is "will demolish and replace," but since the descriptor "which..." comes in the middle, it gets a comma before and after.
Finally is the example you're offering, where ", and" is being used to connect two independent clauses. In this case, "and" is a connecting conjunction. The only rule is that the clauses before and after the ", and" must be able to stand alone (independent), and they must be closely related. One doesn't need to cause or be the result of the other. Think of a ", and" as a semi-color or a period.
"My sister loves to cook, and she always hosts holiday dinners."
These two things are related, but the second isn't necessarily a "result" of the first.
As for your two examples - the first about JD would NOT be okay. The two must be strongly related. Your second example is perfect though!
Hope this helps!
She voted to increase the student lunch allowance, improve access to free breakfasts, and provide free tutors for students struggling with common core subjects.
We can also see ", and" when we have a 2-item list that has a modifier between the two items:
The new project will demolish the old building, which has been declared uninhabitable, and replace it with a new park.
The list is "will demolish and replace," but since the descriptor "which..." comes in the middle, it gets a comma before and after.
Finally is the example you're offering, where ", and" is being used to connect two independent clauses. In this case, "and" is a connecting conjunction. The only rule is that the clauses before and after the ", and" must be able to stand alone (independent), and they must be closely related. One doesn't need to cause or be the result of the other. Think of a ", and" as a semi-color or a period.
"My sister loves to cook, and she always hosts holiday dinners."
These two things are related, but the second isn't necessarily a "result" of the first.
As for your two examples - the first about JD would NOT be okay. The two must be strongly related. Your second example is perfect though!
Hope this helps!
"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing." - George Bernard Shaw
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