When do you use a comma with fanboys

What is missing from these sentences?

I will not revise the draft at this point so the final should look the same.
If not, we will send the final report by itself and you could send the original to accounting.
We would like to purchase the product but we do not have the budget right now.

Right! You guessed it! They are missing the comma before the coordinating conjunction. (Wasn’t that just on the tip of your tongue?)

We are not going into the whole rigmarole about coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. We will focus here on one kind of conjunction and its pal, the comma.

In the Worktalk business writing training, we explain that commas serve three functions. They introduce, separate, and enclose.

As you can see, commas separate many things. One of their main roles is to separate independent clauses that are connected by a coordinating conjunction.

In plain English, an independent clause is a group of words that has a noun and a verb (subject and predicate), and that can stand alone. It represents a distinct thought.

A coordinating conjunction is a word that connects parts of a sentence that are of the same order or rank. These conjunctions often connect independent clauses. Coordinating conjunctions spell out the acronym FANBOYS. Place a comma before these conjunctions.The comma represents a pause between the thoughts. The FANBOYS conjunctions are:

• For
• And
• Nor
• But
• Or
• Yet
• So

FANBOYS Sentences

• I am going to sleep, for I am tired.
• We went to the restaurant, and then we went to the theater.
• We are not going to the party, nor are we going to the show.
• He would like to apply for the job, but he lacks the qualifications.
• He is a quiet person, yet he has a lot to say when you get to know him.
• I am hungry, so I am going to eat lunch.

Writers often omit these commas. This lack of punctuation leads the reader to plunge headlong through the sentence without seeing where she can look up, take a breath, or parse the sentence into its component thoughts.

Commas are our friends: They tell the reader’s eye which words belong together. In future Writamins, we will explore more facets of the magical world of commas. For now, just remember to put a comma before your FANBOYS.

For a more comprehensive description of comma usages, see Purdue OWL’s web site at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02/
Or take a look at Jane Strauss’s Grammarbook.com
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.asp

What are coordinating conjunctions, and when do you use a comma with them? Read on to tackle those pesky comma placements and raise your rating.

What is a coordinating conjunction?

A coordinating conjunction is a special word that joins two clauses of a sentence together. These special words are:

For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So

which can be remembered through the acronym FANBOYS.

When do you use a comma?

There is a simple and effective test that you can use to determine if a comma is needed: Read each clause that is joined by the conjunction separately and see if it can stand on its own as a sentence. A clause that can stand on its own is also known as an independent clause. If both sides can stand on their own, a comma is required before the conjunction.

“I went to the store, and I bought some apples.”

Since “I went to the store” and “I bought some apples” are both independent clauses, this comma is required.

However, if one of the clauses cannot stand on its own as a complete sentence (aka a dependent clause), do not separate the clauses with a comma.

“I went to the store and bought some apples.”

Since “bought some apples” is a dependent clause, do not use a comma before the conjunction.

The trick with “nor”

Although the test works for any of the FANBOYS. “Nor” can be a little tricky. Just look for the subject in the second clause. If the subject is included in the second clause, use a comma. Otherwise, do not use a comma.

“I could not lift the boulder, nor could I budge it.”

The subject “I” is included in the second clause, so the comma is required.

“I could not lift the boulder nor budge it.”

No subject, no comma.

Imperative sentences with FANBOYS

Imperative sentences are sentences that command the reader to do something, such as “Call us now” or “Read ahead.” Imperative sentences are independent clauses, so when one is joined to another independent clause with a coordinating conjunction, a comma is required before the conjunction. Here are some various examples.

Imperative to imperative:
“Go to your room, but don’t slam the door.”

Imperative to an independent clause with a different subject:

“Pull your car forward, and the mechanic will service your car.”

Imperative to an independent clause with the same subject:

“Grab your keys, and you can drive to the store.”

Independent to imperative with subject change:

“The doctor will see you now, so grab your things.”

Independent to imperative with the same subject:

“You can go to the store, but don’t forget to grab cat food.”

Do not split a compound predicate with a comma, however.

“You can go to the store and buy some apples.”

This sentence does not use a comma because it lists two things that the reader can do: “go to the store” and “buy some apples.”

With these tips and some practice, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the FANBOYS comma.

• April 30, 2010
• August 08, 2018


• Blog, For authors, Grammar
• 16 Comments