Help with coordinating conjunctions and commas?

Question

I've read everywhere that coordinating conjunctions are used with commas to connect independent clauses; however, I've seen "commas" with "and" used to connect nonindependent clauses without extreme contrast:

His face had fallen in, and was unshorn;
pg. 223, Vanity Fair.
Osborne sinking back in his chair, and looking wildly after him.
pg. 262, Vanity Fair.

Therefore, Why are sentences like those connected with "and" and a "comma" when all the sites claim to not do that unless it's extreme contrast? Is it for emphasis or to show a degree of separation?

Thanks for your help, it's appreciated.

P.S. I am not an ESL student, just someone that is horrible with grammar and wants to learn to improve myself as a writer.
Take care,

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Vanity Fair was published in 1847, and punctuation standards have changed considerably since then. Today the commas would be omitted.

Anthony Souls · Answer

Indeed, those are two examples that I was able to quickly find; however, I've noticed that a lot of people still separates nonindependent clauses with an "and" and "comma" in today's age. They usually do so with "and" and "but" as the coordinating conjunctions: is there any reason but extreme contrast to separate nonindependent clause elements like that?

I wish that I had a modern example...

She bids your women make camp in the field within the Southern Wall, and invites you to be her guest in the palace with a friend, or two if you wish.
pg. 90, Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Thanks for your response, It's appreciated.

Take care,

Mister Micawber · Answer

You don't need to find an authentic example, because I know that it happens, but modern editors should still catch the error.  The occasional writer or editor will consider a mental pause adequate reason for a comma, and that is why it occurs.

Anthony Souls · Answer

Thanks, I appreciate you taking the time to explain/answer my question.

I do have two further questions, if you don't mind answering them.

1. Should you separate two nonindependent elements when there is extreme contrast: I love you, but hate you?
2. Should you separate two nonindependent elements when there is emphasis: I love you, and need you?

And if so, are those the only exceptions?

Take care,

Mister Micawber · Answer

I see no reason, grammatical or otherwise, for the commas in those sentences.

Fivejedjon · Answer

You may well have seen examples such as the ones you quote. They were probably written by British writers and/or published by British publishing houses. We speakers of British English are reasonable happy to use commas to indicate a mental pause, contrast (,) or emphasis. We also pay less atention to style guides than speakers of American English appear to.

Terryxpress · Answer

We speakers of British English...pay less atention to style guides than speakers of American English appear to.
This Brit. Eng. speaker would like to see your evidence for that statement! There is a difference, in both countries, between writing for a learned journal, where a particular style is enforced, and writers of fiction and of factual accounts of events.

Authors use punctuation to convey the information obvious in spoken speech - slight pauses, the stressing of a particular word - that is absent in the bald written word. That's why we use emoticons to indicate the tone of the words written in forums and blogs.
As Mr. M. has stated, if the author sees his character as making a slight pause in what he is saying, he will employ the comma.
In your sentence, "I love him but I hate him", it requires more emphasis to add drama. For this situation - the dash!
Compare
He said that he would go, and he did.
and
He said that he would go - and he did.
Depending on the context, and whether it was thought that the 'going' was an idle threat, but then he actually did go - well, the character recounting this might also add an exclamation mark.
He said that he would go - and he did!

Fivejedjon · Answer

fivejedjon: We speakers of British English...pay less atention to style guides than speakers of American English appear to. Terryxpress:This Brit. Eng. speaker would like to see your evidence for that statement!

I suggested only that speakers of American English appear to pay more attention to style guides that speakers of British English. This is an impression I have gained from working with British and American colleagues, and from training both British and American trainee teachers.

That British writers do not pay much attention to style guides is suggested by Burchfield in 'The acknowledged authority on English usage' (front cover claim) who, towards the end of his article on the comma, writes "Warning. These rules apply now (1995), but wide variation can be seen in the work of many contemporary writers ..."

Burchfield, R W (3rd edn) (1996) Fowler's Modern English Usage (3rd edn), Oxford: OUP

Fowler himself dismissed the 'rules' of earlier writers on such things as 'different from', 'first/firstly' and split infinitives.

Fowler, H W (1926) A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Fowler's work was influential for many years and is still, in revised editions on sale today. However, people did not follow his advice slavishly; they chose what suited them best. Despite Fowler's acceptance of the split infinitive, for example, many teachers chose to insist that it was a fault, and some still do today. (I am old enough to remember the minor fuss about Star Trek's 'to boldly go' back in the mid 1960s). Fowler's insistence on preserving the shall/will difference was probably out of touch with the usage of most speakers of British English even in his day, but most British teachers still insisted on it well into the 1970s, and probably beyond; some still do today.

Anthony Souls · Answer

Thanks for your response. I've read internet grammar resources that states how commas separates elements in extreme contrast and for emphasis: Would love to know which examples warrant contrasting commas and don't, or which uses quality for emphasis. In the example that I conjured up, I felt that love and hate are extreme contrasts, so when would extreme contrasts be extreme enough in what circumstances? As for emphasis/contrasts, can't you separate ideas for that effect under such conditions?

Take care,

Anthony Souls · Answer

Thanks for your response, it's appreciated. The latter examples on contrast/emphasis was created by me to try and demonstrate contrast/emphasis punctuation: I'm trying to figure out how to use commas for contrasts/emphasis in situations which normally wouldn't call for it:
My girlfriend kissed me earlier this morning, but was infuriated with me later in the evening.

The second is dependent on the first, but aren't they in contrast? Is that acceptable?

And as for emphasis:
The car was shiny, and new.

Wouldn't that be an emphasis that would warrant a comma that connects two parts of speech which aren't both independent? If not, which examples would fit for contrasting/emphasis areas?

Take care,

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