(British) English comma usage

Originally posted by Thomaster
Make the list longer, do you still hear no comma?
If so, I don't know what to do anymore 🙂

Nope.
It still sounds and looks wrong to me.

Originally posted by Traveling Again
I plan to eat lunch with Jesus, and Moses will be picking up my laundry.

once again - there is no need for it here

I understand your point of trying to remove ambiguity but this one does not need it to clarify the points within the sentence.

If you are going to lunch with both Jesus and Moses, then who is picking up the laundry? The sentence only makes sense when read one way - so does not need the comma.

There is no need for both comma and the word "and":

"I plan to eat lunch with Jesus, Moses will be picking up my laundry."

OR

"I plan to eat lunch with Jesus and Moses will be picking up my laundry."

Originally posted by Thomaster
So do other words. Should a comma be followed by 'because', 'or', 'if', 'but' etc etc?

All depends on the situation and particular sentence but in most cases no comma would be required.

Originally posted by MCA
If you are going to lunch with both Jesus and Moses, then who is picking up the laundry?

you mean jesus can't be in two places at the same time? ye of little faith!



🙂

Originally posted by MCA
once again - there is no need for it here

I understand your point of trying to remove ambiguity but this one does not need it to clarify the points within the sentence.

If you are going to lunch with both Jesus and Moses, then who is picking up the laundry? The sentence only makes sense when read one way - so does not need the comma.

There is no need fo

OR

"I plan to eat lunch with Jesus and Moses will be picking up my laundry."

I plan to eat lunch with Jesus and Moses will be picking up my laundry and do my homework.

I plan to eat lunch with Jesus, and Moses will be picking up my laundry and do my homework.

I plan to eat lunch with Jesus and Moses, will be picking up my laundry, and do my homework.

Originally posted by MCA
once again - there is no need for it here

I understand your point of trying to remove ambiguity but this one does not need it to clarify the points within the sentence.

If you are going to lunch with both Jesus and Moses, then who is picking up the laundry? The sentence only makes sense when read one way - so does not need the comma.

There is no need fo ...[text shortened]...

OR

"I plan to eat lunch with Jesus and Moses will be picking up my laundry."

A comma is necessary in this situation. Not using it would be grammatically incorrect.

"I plan to eat lunch with Jesus" is an independent clause (meaning it can stand by itself as a
complete sentence). "Moses will be picking up my laundry" is an independent clause. The
rules of grammar require a comma before the "and" conjunction when joining two
independent clauses. (The same goes for these conjunctions: but, for, or, nor, so, yet.)

correct: I plan to eat lunch with Jesus, and Moses will be picking up my laundry.
incorrect: I plan to eat lunch with Jesus and Moses will be picking up my laundry.

Also, use a semi-colon (not comma) if you want to join two independent clauses without using
a conjunction.

correct: I plan to eat lunch with Jesus; Moses will be picking up my laundry.
incorrect: I plan to eat lunch with Jesus, Moses will be picking up my laundry.

Commas: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02/
Semi-colons vs. commas: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/04/

Originally posted by Thomaster
I plan to eat lunch with Jesus and Moses will be picking up my laundry and do my homework.

I plan to eat lunch with Jesus, and Moses will be picking up my laundry and do my homework.

I plan to eat lunch with Jesus and Moses, will be picking up my laundry, and do my homework.

"I plan to eat lunch with Jesus, and Moses will be picking up my laundry and doing my homework."

(see above post) A comma is needed before the first "and" because it is joining two independent
clauses. A comma is not needed before the second "and" because it is joining a dependent clause
"doing my homework" to the independent clause "Moses will be picking up my laundry."

Check out Purdue University's Online Writing Lab. It's a great source for writing issues, especially grammar.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

Originally posted by Traveling Again
"I plan to eat lunch with Jesus, and Moses will be picking up my laundry and doing my homework."

(see above post) A comma is needed before the first "and" because it is joining two independent
clauses. A comma is not needed before the second "and" because it is joining a dependent clause
"doing my homework" to the independent clause "Moses wil ...[text shortened]... t source for writing issues, especially grammar.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

So I was correct?

Originally posted by Traveling Again


http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

That's an American site so take it with a pinch of salt where correct English is concerned. 😛

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
That's an American site so take it with a pinch of salt where correct English is concerned. 😛

Im knot shore eye get you're pointe.

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
That's an American site so take it with a pinch of salt where correct English is concerned. 😛

That's an American site, so take it with a pinch of salt where correct English is concerned. 😛

Originally posted by Thomaster
I plan to eat lunch with Jesus and Moses will be picking up my laundry and do my homework.

I plan to eat lunch with Jesus, and Moses will be picking up my laundry and do my homework.

I plan to eat lunch with Jesus and Moses, will be picking up my laundry, and do my homework.

you should never use "and" twice in the same sentence. if you need to use "and" twice then it is most likely better off as two sentences:

I plan to eat lunch with Jesus. Moses will be picking up my laundry and doing my homework."

or

I plan to eat lunch with Jesus and do my homework. Moses will be picking up my laundry."

unless this is a list in which case a semi-colon would be correct (as mentioned above)