the use of comma with and, but and ing

[TracyC636]

Can someone please explain to me the difference between
1.comma+and, and just "and"
2. comma+but, and just"but"
3. comma+ing

when should I use which?
For question 1 above, I have seen previous post by staff saying there is only one situation we would use comma+ and, which is when there is a list. For example, "X, Y, AND Z". But according to Manhattan Sentence Correction Guide, we should use a comma plus a FANBOYS conjunction to connect independent clauses.

Thanks,
Tracy

[RonPurewal]

1.comma+and, and just "and"
2. comma+but, and just"but"

^^ these differences -- which are mostly stylistic -- will never be tested on this exam, so there is no point in thinking about them.
the presence/absence of punctuation is NOT tested on this exam.

3. comma+ing

^^ this is one of the most basic/fundamental modifiers that you need to know.
the essential use of this modifier is covered in our strategy guides, as well as in our Interact course and our live courses. this forum is not an appropriate place for a general description of how this modifier is used, but, if you have SPECIFIC questions about the way it is used in a SPECIFIC problem, feel free to post any such question(s) in the appropriate folder(s).
thanks.

[RonPurewal]

I have seen previous post by staff saying there is only one situation we would use comma+ and, which is when there is a list.

^^ i can guarantee you that we never wrote this (= that a list is the ONLY context in which comma + "and" is viable).
do you have a link to the post where we supposedly wrote this?
thanks.

__

in the formal written English used on this exam, it's true that lists of 3 or more things will always be punctuated that way. (if you see a construction written as "X, Y and Z", it's not a list; the "Y and Z" part is probably a modifier of some sort.)

...but, this will never be directly tested on the exam!
remember, the presence/absence of punctuation is NOT tested on this exam.

i.e., the presence/absence of these commas could help you figure out centain things about the context, but you will NEVER be tested on whether the comma should be there.