When To Use a Comma Before “And”

Comma Before “and”

Punctuations can be very tricky; a lot of people are usually not sure when to use them or even how to. when do you put a comma before and? This is a question that has stirred up a lot of conversations on the internet and even offline. Therefore, in this article, we would discuss the use cases of comma and whether or not you need a comma before and.

Even though there is no single rule that can be applied to every situation (I know, English right!), you should usually put a comma before and when it is used between two independent clauses.
An independent clause is a clause that can form a complete sentence on its own, it usually has a subject and a predicate (usually a verb).

It is optional however to use a comma before and when you use it in a list. This is what is described as oxford comma, or Harvard comma. Don’t worry I will explain in a minute.

There are even more use cases for commas but let us get down to the ones that relates to “and” first.

Separating Two Independent clauses with “And”

The first thing you need to know is that “and” is a conjunction (a word used to connect clauses). Therefore, when a conjunction like “and” is used to connect two clauses, then you should put a comma before and. A comma should actually be used before a conjunction when connecting two independent clauses regardless of what the conjunction is.

Example:

John will go home to play today, and on Monday Lisa will go for her singing lesson.

The future is pregnant with so much promise, and my mind is ready for a change.

The cat can sing, and my dog can play football (yeah, I was shocked when I realized this too).

Wrong:

My dog can sing, and my cat watches as it does this.

Exception:

There is a tiny exception to this rule. If the two independent clauses joined by and are short and closely related, do you always put a comma before and? The answer is no. it is optional to use a comma before and in this case. Most times, the comma is not used before and.

Example:

John cleaned and mike cooked.

Do you use a comma before and in a list?

This is the use case of comma before and that is usually referred to as Oxford commas, Harvard commas or even serial commas. Did you see what I did here?

This rule is also optional but it is quite popular. Say you decide to list a couple of things on your table, then you can decide to use a comma before and when listing the last item. However, this is not always necessary but you need to be consistent in your usage. If you decide to use Oxford commas at the beginning of an article for instance, then you should continue using it through out the article.

Example:

I love the fact that my drawer contains my comb, brush, books, and phone.

I love the fact that my drawer contains my comb, brush, books and phone.

My car can drag race, do a quarter mile run, and drift around bends easily.

One major exception is when you have a list of only two items or characteristics, then you should not put a comma before and.

Example:

My sword and bag are both safe here.

My cat fights Kungfu and taekwondo too. (don’t you dare say Kungfu and taekwondo mean the same thing).

Wrong:

My cat fights Kungfu, and taekwondo too.

Joshua, and Katherine are incredible fighters.

Popular Question:

Do I put a comma before and or Do you put a comma after and when the list is made up of names like this sentence right here?

A lot of boys including Michael, Joan, Junior, Asher, and Agrawal are around for the party.

Answer: The rule that applies here is that of the list. Since they are in a list, you can decide to put a comma before and or not put it at all. just remember that if you decide to use a comma before hand in this situation, then you should be consistent with it.