Using Commas to Link

Coordinating Conjunctions | Items in a Series | Coordinate Adjectives | Exercises

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Commas with Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions can easily be remembered by using the acronym FANBOYS: for, and , nor, but, or, yet and so. These words are used to link independent clauses to form compound sentences. For example:

She tried to let him down gently , but he just didn’t get the hint.

Cats are low maintenance pets , and they can be very loyal if treated right.

Since “but” and “and” are both FANBOYS, they are preceded a comma.

Commas with Items in a Series

These will generally be a series of nouns. For example:

I bought a new shirt , new tie , and black shoes.

The comma before the “and” is actually optional in American English and may be left out of the sentence. Some instructors, however, insist on its inclusion. Check with your instructor to make certain of his or her individual preference.

Commas with Coordinate Adjectives

Coordinate adjectives are those that all modify the noun they precede, as opposed to adjectives in a series that modify each other. For example:

You have to be a kind , patient , creative person to teach kindergarten.

Since kind, patient, and creative all modify the same noun—person—they should be separated by commas.

A series of non-coordinate adjectives would be:

The bright blue sky was lovely.

Since bright is describing the shade of blue, these adjectives are not separated by commas.

Exercises

Commas that link interactive exercises
Commas that link printable exercises

Questions
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