Grammar for Everyone - Barbara Dykes 2007

A comma before the word ‘and’
Introduction
Part II The parts of speech

It is often said that a comma should not precede the word ’and’. However, this is quite misleading as the word ’and’ is used to link many kinds of sense groups.

When and links two similar items or sentence forms, the comma has no place:

Breakfast and lunch

Jill chose ice-cream and Tom picked a cold drink.

Similarly, when actions follow closely on one another:

He strode out of the house and jumped into his car.

But where the two parts of the sentence are not balanced, or vary in structure, the comma indicates this and serves as a guide to the reader:

Then Darren suggested tying the rope to a branch, and that proved to be the answer.

In children’s readers, commas are often inserted with particular care to help them split the sentences into sense groups.

For example:

Mum put away the dishes, and they left home, each carrying an empty basket.

12.1 Activities: commas

1. Students construct on the board a sentence that includes a list. They take turns to add an item, remembering to follow it with a comma (and omitting the one preceding the word ’and’ at the end). They then choose one or two to be written in their grammar exercise books.

Ideas for lists:

a. We went shopping and bought ...

b. At the zoo we saw ...

c. For my birthday I had ...

d. On a camp you need ...

e. In our pantry we have ...

f. In the garage Dad has ...

g. We returned home to find the thieves had gone off with ...

h. The divers recovered a chest containing ...

i. The following items may be claimed from Lost Property ...

j. I would like to live on a farm, with ...

2. Students are provided with a selected passage, which they read aloud, taking care to pause, raising their voice a little at each comma, for example:

a. From Kalulu The Hare by Frank Worthington:

It was when Hippopotamus had much hair on his body, like all Antelopes do, and ate grass by day, as all Antelopes do.

And now, because of Fire, Hippopotamus lives in the river always, and is afraid to come out on dry land.

b. From How Dumb Animals Talk by Christina Rossetti

... of the cat

If she is unhappy, or in pain, or hungry, she meows. If she is angry, she sets up her back and her fur, moves her tail from side to side, and spits. If teased, she growls and puts back her ears. If she is treated in a way she does not like, up goes her tail straight in the air, and she marches out of the room.

3. Students insert commas into unpunctuated sentences, for example: a. Lucy was late for school(,) having got up late.

b. Then after gobbling her breakfast(,) she had hiccups.

c. Her belt dangling on the ground(,) she ran to catch the bus.

d. Just as she reached the bus stop(,) her friend(,) Emma(,) trod on the end of the belt.

e. Lucy fell backwards(,) treading on Jenny’s foot(,) knocking her into a lamp post.

f. Lucy started to laugh(,) but then realised her friend had hurt herself(,) so she said she was sorry(,)* and hugged her.

g. Just then(,) the new(,) shiny green bus(,) driven by Emma’s Uncle Gary(,) swept around the bend.

* This comma is optional. Note, too, that a thing may be new, green and shiny, in which case it would read, shiny, green bus, or the word ’shiny’ may describe the kind of green, as in the sentence above.

Checklist: commas

Students should now be able to:

• explain at least two different ways to use commas

• use commas correctly in a written list

• use commas correctly in written work to indicate sense groups