Should you always put a comma before “and”?

What part of speech is “and”?

The word “and” is a coordinating conjunction. A conjunction is a part of speech is a word you can use to connect other words, phrases, or clauses. While there are other types of conjunctions, like subordinate ones, a coordinating conjunction is a word that connects two ideas of equal weight and importance. “And” is a coordinating conjunction because you will typically use it to connect words, phrases, and clauses that have similar value.

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Rules for using a comma before “and”

Even if you use “and” as a coordinating conjunction, you still have to punctuate it properly. Using proper punctuation, like commas, can help the meaning of your sentences and provide a clear writing structure. While you generally wouldn’t use a comma after it, there are instances where you should use a comma before “and”.

In lists of three or more things

There’s debate in the writing world about putting a comma before “and” in a list of three or more objects. In this instance, the serial comma would help connect the final object to the rest of the list. However, some writers prefer to omit this comma. No matter what, your writing should be clear and consistent. If you’re unsure of whether or not you should put a comma before “and”, and you don’t have any guidelines telling you otherwise, read the sentences aloud to see if they make sense with or without a comma. Examples are:

The American flag has red, white, and blue colors.

versus

The American flag has red, white and blue colors.

In this example, both sentences should hold the same meaning. However, using or omitting the serial comma can cause confusion in your writing if you’re not careful. For example:

I invited my friends, John, and Jane to the party.

versus

I invited my friends, John and Jane to the party.

There’s a comma before “and” in the first sentence, but the serial comma is omitted in the second sentence. These sentences could possibly have two different meanings. Someone reading the first sentence might infer that you invited three different sets of people to the party: (1) your friends, (2) John, and (3) Jane. However, a reader looking at the second sentence may assume that John and Jane are the friends you invited to the party.

If you’re following writing guidelines that require you to omit the serial comma before “and,” the sentence could still be correct. There are ways to fix sentences that have blurry meanings. If you try rearranging the sentence, its meaning could be clarified even without the serial comma. The second sentence could be rearranged so that it still has the same meaning as the first sentence. For example, instead of saying:

I invited my friends, John and Jane to the party.

You could say:

I invited John, Jane and my friends to the party.

Moving my friends to the end of the list keeps them as their own entity and still pushes the meaning that there are three different sets of people invited to the party.

To separate two independent clauses

Another rule that you can typically follow is to put a comma before “and” when connecting two independent clauses. An independent clause is a complete thought that includes a subject and a verb. When using a comma before “and”, you may write something like:

I like pizza, and she likes tacos.

Or

He rides a motorcycle, and I drive a truck.

Both examples use and to connect two independent clauses. You wouldn’t put a comma before “and” if one of the clauses are dependent. For example:

He rides a motorcycle and owns a truck.
Owns a truck is a dependent clause in this sentence. It’s dependent on the subject, he, in the first part of the sentence. Because this example doesn’t contain two independent clauses, you wouldn’t put a comma before and.

Exceptions to the rules

There are exceptions to the independent clause rule. Depending on the writing guidelines you’re following, it may be acceptable to omit the comma before “and” as long as both independent clauses are short and related. For example, you could write:

John sweeps and Jane mops.

Or

Mike talks and Jill listens.

In this example, using a comma before “and” or omitting it are both acceptable. The sentences have the same meaning with and without the comma.

Outside of these common rules of thumb, the most important aspect is that you’re consistent in your writing. If you’re choosing to use the serial comma in lists, make sure that you’re doing so in all lists that have at least three objects. If you’re choosing to omit the serial comma, read the sentences aloud to ensure that their meanings are clear. Practice writing sentences with two independent clauses so that you can see when it makes sense to use a comma before “and” versus when you can safely omit the comma. Knowing the rules and practicing them will not only help you become a stronger writer, but it’ll also help you write clearly.