{"id":191,"date":"2025-04-17T16:35:03","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T16:35:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/conjunctions-and-lists\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T20:45:23","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T20:45:23","slug":"conjunctions-and-lists","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/conjunctions-and-lists\/","title":{"raw":"Commas: Learn It 2","rendered":"Commas: Learn It 2"},"content":{"raw":"<h2>Coordinating Conjunctions: FANBOYS<\/h2>\r\nCoordinating conjunctions are words that join two words or phrases of equal importance. The mnemonic FANBOYS helps us remember the seven most common:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>for<\/li>\r\n \t<li>and<\/li>\r\n \t<li>nor<\/li>\r\n \t<li>but<\/li>\r\n \t<li>or<\/li>\r\n \t<li>yet<\/li>\r\n \t<li>so<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWhen these conjunctions join two words or phrases, no comma is necessary. Let's take a look at the two examples.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">\r\n<h3>Joining Two Words or Phrases<\/h3>\r\n<strong>Example 1<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>Paula and Lucca had a great time on their date.<\/em>\r\n\r\nPaula and Lucca are two names, connected with a conjunction, and.\r\n\r\n<strong>Example 2: <\/strong><em>Minh turned off the lights but left the door unlocked.<\/em>\r\n\r\n\u201cTurned off\u201d and \u201cleft\u201d are both actions that Minh took. Both actions are connected by a conjunction, and.\r\n\r\n<\/section>However, when these conjunctions are used to join two independent clauses (or words that could otherwise stand on their own as complete sentences), a comma is required:\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">\r\n<h3>Joining Independent Clauses<\/h3>\r\nDanny studied the lifespan of rhinoceroses in their native Kenya, and he also studied the lifespan of rhinoceroses in captivity.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Danny studied the lifespan of rhinoceroses in their native Kenya. (This could be a sentence.)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>He also studied the lifespan of rhinoceroses in captivity. (This could also be a sentence.)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nSo, when we join these two with the conjunction \u201cand,\u201d we also need to add a comma. We could write this as two separate sentences, but we\u2019ve chosen to join them together here.\r\n\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h2>Commas in Lists<\/h2>\r\nThe <strong>serial comma<\/strong>, also known as the Oxford comma, is the comma placed before the conjunction (such as <em>and, or, nor<\/em>) in a series of three or more items. The rules surrounding the serial comma are contested; different style guides have varying rules on its usage:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>MLA, APA, and Chicago styles require the serial comma.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>AP style (commonly used in journalism) recommends omitting it.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nUsing the serial comma can help improve clarity, especially in complex lists.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">\r\n<h3>The Serial Comma<\/h3>\r\n<strong>Example 1: Simple Lists<\/strong>\r\n\r\nWithout the serial comma:\r\n<em>\"I am industrious, resourceful and loyal.\"<\/em>\r\n\r\nWith the serial comma:\r\n<em>\"I am industrious, resourceful, and loyal.\"<\/em>\r\n\r\nWhile both are grammatically correct, the serial comma eliminates potential ambiguity.\r\n\r\n<strong>Example 2: Complex Lists<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<em>\"Medical histories taken about each subject included smoking history, frequency of exercise, current height and weight and recent weight gain.\"<\/em>\r\n\r\nWithout the serial comma, it may seem like <em>current height and weight<\/em> and <em>recent weight gain<\/em> are grouped together. Adding the serial comma clarifies the intended separation:\r\n<em>\"Medical histories taken about each subject included smoking history, frequency of exercise, current height and weight, and recent weight gain.\"<\/em>\r\n\r\n<strong>Example 3: Avoiding Misinterpretation<\/strong>\r\n\r\nWithout the serial comma:\r\n<em>\"I\u2019d like to thank my sisters, Beyonc\u00e9 and Rhianna.\"<\/em>\r\n\r\nThis suggests that the speaker is thanking their two sisters, who are named Beyonc\u00e9 and Rhianna (which could be possible but isn\u2019t true in this case).\r\n\r\nWith the serial comma:\r\n<em>\"I\u2019d like to thank my sisters, Beyonc\u00e9, and Rhianna.\"<\/em>\r\n\r\nNow, it\u2019s clear the speaker is thanking three separate entities: their sisters, as well as the two famous singers Beyonc\u00e9 and Rhianna.\r\n\r\n<\/section>By always using a comma before the \"and\" in any series of three or more, you avoid any potential reader confusion..\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\" aria-label=\"Try It\">[ohm2_question]34362[\/ohm2_question]<\/section><section class=\"textbox interact\" aria-label=\"Interact\"><iframe title=\"The commas have been removed from the following sentences. Re-type them, adding the correct commas back in.\" src=\"https:\/\/lumenlearning.h5p.com\/content\/1292198226583164068\/embed\" width=\"1088\" height=\"637\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" aria-label=\"Commas Conjunctions and Lists\"><\/iframe><\/section>","rendered":"<h2>Coordinating Conjunctions: FANBOYS<\/h2>\n<p>Coordinating conjunctions are words that join two words or phrases of equal importance. The mnemonic FANBOYS helps us remember the seven most common:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>for<\/li>\n<li>and<\/li>\n<li>nor<\/li>\n<li>but<\/li>\n<li>or<\/li>\n<li>yet<\/li>\n<li>so<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When these conjunctions join two words or phrases, no comma is necessary. Let&#8217;s take a look at the two examples.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">\n<h3>Joining Two Words or Phrases<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Example 1<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>Paula and Lucca had a great time on their date.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Paula and Lucca are two names, connected with a conjunction, and.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example 2: <\/strong><em>Minh turned off the lights but left the door unlocked.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cTurned off\u201d and \u201cleft\u201d are both actions that Minh took. Both actions are connected by a conjunction, and.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>However, when these conjunctions are used to join two independent clauses (or words that could otherwise stand on their own as complete sentences), a comma is required:<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">\n<h3>Joining Independent Clauses<\/h3>\n<p>Danny studied the lifespan of rhinoceroses in their native Kenya, and he also studied the lifespan of rhinoceroses in captivity.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Danny studied the lifespan of rhinoceroses in their native Kenya. (This could be a sentence.)<\/li>\n<li>He also studied the lifespan of rhinoceroses in captivity. (This could also be a sentence.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So, when we join these two with the conjunction \u201cand,\u201d we also need to add a comma. We could write this as two separate sentences, but we\u2019ve chosen to join them together here.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<h2>Commas in Lists<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>serial comma<\/strong>, also known as the Oxford comma, is the comma placed before the conjunction (such as <em>and, or, nor<\/em>) in a series of three or more items. The rules surrounding the serial comma are contested; different style guides have varying rules on its usage:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>MLA, APA, and Chicago styles require the serial comma.<\/li>\n<li>AP style (commonly used in journalism) recommends omitting it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Using the serial comma can help improve clarity, especially in complex lists.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">\n<h3>The Serial Comma<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Example 1: Simple Lists<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Without the serial comma:<br \/>\n<em>&#8220;I am industrious, resourceful and loyal.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>With the serial comma:<br \/>\n<em>&#8220;I am industrious, resourceful, and loyal.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>While both are grammatically correct, the serial comma eliminates potential ambiguity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example 2: Complex Lists<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;Medical histories taken about each subject included smoking history, frequency of exercise, current height and weight and recent weight gain.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Without the serial comma, it may seem like <em>current height and weight<\/em> and <em>recent weight gain<\/em> are grouped together. Adding the serial comma clarifies the intended separation:<br \/>\n<em>&#8220;Medical histories taken about each subject included smoking history, frequency of exercise, current height and weight, and recent weight gain.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Example 3: Avoiding Misinterpretation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Without the serial comma:<br \/>\n<em>&#8220;I\u2019d like to thank my sisters, Beyonc\u00e9 and Rhianna.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This suggests that the speaker is thanking their two sisters, who are named Beyonc\u00e9 and Rhianna (which could be possible but isn\u2019t true in this case).<\/p>\n<p>With the serial comma:<br \/>\n<em>&#8220;I\u2019d like to thank my sisters, Beyonc\u00e9, and Rhianna.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Now, it\u2019s clear the speaker is thanking three separate entities: their sisters, as well as the two famous singers Beyonc\u00e9 and Rhianna.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>By always using a comma before the &#8220;and&#8221; in any series of three or more, you avoid any potential reader confusion..<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\" aria-label=\"Try It\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm34362\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=34362&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm34362&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n<section class=\"textbox interact\" aria-label=\"Interact\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The commas have been removed from the following sentences. Re-type them, adding the correct commas back in.\" src=\"https:\/\/lumenlearning.h5p.com\/content\/1292198226583164068\/embed\" width=\"1088\" height=\"637\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" aria-label=\"Commas Conjunctions and Lists\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"menu_order":18,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Revision and Adaptation\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Style For Students Online.\",\"author\":\"Joe Schall\",\"organization\":\"The Pennsylvania State University\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.e-education.psu.edu\/styleforstudents\/\",\"project\":\"Penn State\\'s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences\\' OER Initiative\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Try it Out Conjunctions\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Excelsior College OWL\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/owl.excelsior.edu\/grammar-essentials\/parts-of-speech\/conjunctions\/conjunctions-try-it-out\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"copyrighted_video\",\"description\":\"Grammar\\'s great divide: The Oxford comma - TED-Ed\",\"author\":\"Ted-Ed\",\"organization\":\"Ted-Ed\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ptM7FzyjtRk\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"arr\",\"license_terms\":\"Standard YouTube license\"},{\"type\":\"copyrighted_video\",\"description\":\"Comma story - Terisa Folaron\",\"author\":\"Terisa Folaron\",\"organization\":\"Ted-Ed\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=GHnl1O3NGJk\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"arr\",\"license_terms\":\"Standard YouTube license\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":180,"module-header":"learn_it","content_attributions":null,"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/191"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2619,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/191\/revisions\/2619"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/180"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/191\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=191"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=191"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}