Revising and Editing

Reconsidering your ideas, examining your paragraphs, checking your style and grammar.

Commas before Conjunctions

Conjunctions are a group of words that are used to connect words, phrases, clauses or sentences.
These words are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so.

Tip

“FANBOYS” will help remind you of the six conjunctions that can be used in a sentence.

The comma is placed before the conjunction in a sentence where both parts are independent clauses.

Example:

	I went to the store and I bought myself a soda.
	I went to the store and, I bought myself a soda.
	I went to the store, and bought myself a soda.
	I went to the store, and I bought myself a soda.

The last sentence is correct because the comma is before the conjunction and the parts on either side are independent clauses.

Source

Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007.