{"id":245729,"date":"2015-05-19T20:47:00","date_gmt":"2015-05-19T20:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dreyercoaching.com\/beardeddragonmedia\/writing\/comma-and\/"},"modified":"2015-05-19T20:47:00","modified_gmt":"2015-05-19T20:47:00","slug":"comma-and","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dreyercoaching.com\/beardeddragonmedia\/writing\/comma-and\/","title":{"rendered":"NEVER put a comma before “and”?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

Ask Scott Dreyer:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Friend: A teacher once told me never to put a comma before the word “and.”  Is that true ?<\/p>\n

Scott: Great to hear from you! No offense to your teacher, but he or she was wrong.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. With 2 independent clauses (that is, a clause that could stand alone as its own sentence), you can add them together with a comma + and (or “but, yet, not, so” etc.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Maddie brought the potato chips, and her mom brought the green tea.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

(Note: If you really want to look fancy, you can use a semi-colon here.)<\/p>\n

Maddie brought the potato chips; her mom brought the green tea.<\/em><\/p>\n

2. Before the last item for words in a series (in this case, it’s optional)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ricky brought chips, nachos, salsa, and napkins.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This is fine too:<\/p>\n

Ricky brought chips, nachos, salsa and napkins.<\/em><\/p>\n

For more info:<\/p>\n

“Grammar Tip 1” http:\/\/www.grammar-monster.com\/lessons\/commas_before_conjunctions.htm<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Grammar Tip 2” http:\/\/www.getitwriteonline.com\/archive\/020204whencommabfand.htm<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Want to boost YOUR word power? Join one of our ONLINE classes. Visit DreyerCoaching.com<\/a> today!<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Ask Scott Dreyer:   Friend: A teacher once told me never to put a comma before the word “and.”  Is that true ? Scott: Great to hear from you! No offense to your teacher, but he or she was wrong.   1. 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