Comma here?

Question

Hi. Would you use a comma here? If so, why? Thank you. Don't the parts that come before and after the conjunction "but" share a same subject?

Others were similar to the living patterns of other people, but adaptable especially for Chinese peopele.

Mr Wordy · Accepted Answer

I wouldn't use a comma here (if I was paying attention).

A not-very-technical explanation: "but" doesn't introduce a new thought; the whole part "similar to ... Chinese people" is one unit.

Anonymous · Answer

Hi. Thank you. Would you mind giving me a sentence that has a comma before the conjunction "and" but the part before it and after it share the same subject? I am asking politely for it because I think I have seen some sentences like that. I can imagine such a sentence where a comma would be used eventhough the part before and after the conjunction "and" shared the same subject, and the sentence has a comma before the conjunction "and." -- and that would involve a case in which the part before the conjunction "and" is quite involving in content. What do you think?

Also, would you put a comma here or not?

For each phrase given (a comma??) write three other phrases.

Mr Wordy · Answer

AnonymousHi. Thank you. Would you mind giving me a sentence that has a comma before the conjunction "and" but the part before it and after it share the same subject? I am asking politely for it because I think I have seen some sentences like that. I can imagine such a sentence where a comma would be used eventhough the part before and after the conjunction "and" shared the same subject, and the sentence has a comma before the conjunction "and." -- and that would involve a case in which the part before the conjunction "and" is quite involving in content. What do you think?

I try to take a pragmatic approach to the use of commas: if I think a comma helps to remove ambiguity or clarify the logical structure of a sentence then I use one. For example, here I prefer the version with the comma:

She lives with three cats, four dogs and a horse and runs a hedgehog rescue centre.

She lives with three cats, four dogs and a horse, and runs a hedgehog rescue centre.

Some people routinely put a comma before the final "and" in a list of items (known as the "serial comma"). For example,

I bought apples, pears, bananas, and plums.

This is a style choice. I wouldn't personally use one in the above sentence, but here's an example from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_comma where a comma seems desirable after "cheese":

My favourite types of sandwiches are pastrami, ham, cream cheese and peanut butter and jelly.

My favourite types of sandwiches are pastrami, ham, cream cheese, and peanut butter and jelly.

A hilarious example that I just came across is this apocryphal book dedication:

To my parents, Mary and ***.

To my parents, Mary, and ***.
Anonymous
Also, would you put a comma here or not?

For each phrase given (a comma??) write three other phrases.

Yes.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you for your help.

Comma here?

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