Comma Before But Or After

The only time you need a comma after but is when it is immediately followed by an interrupter. An interrupter is a little word or phrase that interrupts a sentence to show emotion tone or emphasis.

Commas

And for or nor so and yet.

Comma before but or after. As you can see there is a comma after but. A dependent clause needs the other clause to work as a sentence. Everyone was home but and this is important no one heard him knocking at the door.

Common starter words for introductory clauses that should be followed by a comma include after although as because if since when while. You place a comma before but when the two halves of your sentence can stand alone. We should only place a comma before but when we are joining together two sentences otherwise a comma is unnecessary.

Commas are used to pace our sentences and our writing. It s the subject of both verbs the one before and the one after the but. An independent clause can function on its own without the rest of the phrase.

It will always have a comma before and after its placement to draw attention to its inclusion. Use a comma before a conjunction conjunction are words like and or and but when it joins two independent clauses. Do not use a comma before a conjunction that joins list items unless you re an american or your institution advocates the serial comma.

If your sentence has an interrupter after but then go ahead and use the comma. But of course it s not safe for spot to go outside on his own. Taking the word but for example if it is being used to join two independent clauses together then there should be a comma before but.

If your sentence doesn t have an interrupter leave the comma out. In general you should put a comma before the word but when the word connects two independent clauses. You should always use a comma before and after an interrupter.

There are two basic and simple rules to follow for the use of a comma before but. The position of a comma can often reflect the sense in which the word is being used. The rule for but is the same as that for the other six coordinating conjunctions.

Because her alarm clock was broken she was late for class. The punctuation with an interrupter is meant to offset it from the rest of the sentence. While i was eating the cat scratched at the door.

The answer therefore is that no comma is needed before the but. Commas don t just signify pauses in a sentence precise rules govern when to use this punctuation mark. I used to be a werewolf but i m much better naaaoowwwwwww.

Commas are needed before coordinating conjunctions after dependent clauses when they. You omit the comma before but when the two sentence halves can t stand alone.

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