Coordinating Conjunctions Joining Independent
Clauses






Section 8.2.2
Coordinating Conjunctions Joining Independent Clauses
Place a comma before a coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses. However, if the clauses are
very short and closely related, you may omit the comma.
Unacceptable
In almost all illicit markets, only the tip of the iceberg
is visible and there is no reason why the
nuclear-materials black market should be an exception.
Acceptable
In almost all illicit markets, only the tip of the iceberg
is visible, and there is no reason why the
nuclear-materials black market should be an exception.
--Phil Williams and Paul N. Woessner, "The Real
Threat of Nuclear Smuggling," Scientific American
## Commas and Coordinating Conjunctions ##
[ Home | Table of Contents
| Writing Timeline | Index |
Help | Credits]