COMMAS WITH AND, OR,

BUT, AND OTHER

CONJUNCTIONS
GRADE 8
MS. JESSA C. CARTEL
Coordinating Conjunctions
are the most common way of joining independent clauses (a
group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence).

the easiest way to remember all seven coordinating

conjunctions is by the term FANBOYS.

FANBOYS = For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So

 A COMMA MUST GO IN FRONT OF THE
FANBOYS WHEN THE FANBOYS JOIN
For example: TWO INDEPENDENT CLUSES.

Jessie saw a small picture of her mother with a note at the back
asking her to come home, and she did.

A comma before FANBOYS (and) separates the two

independent clauses.
WHAT IS OXFORD COMMA?
"Oxford Comma" is an optional comma
before the word 'and' at the end of the list.

It is also known as 'serial comma'.

For example:
This song is dedicated to Taylor, Selena, and Miley.

I love to play basketball, volleyball, and football.

 It is easy to understand why punctuation errors
occur with coordinating conjunctions.

EXAMPLE 1 EXAMPLE 2

The small house was It wasn't too long before both

simple but adequate. the money and the pictures ran
out, and Maria had to go home.
WHEN TO USE A COMMA WITH
A COORDINATING
CONJUNCTION?
 TIPS
Tip#1 Tip#2

Pretend there is a
If the imaginary period
period before the
doesn't works or does
FANBOYS. If both
not separate the
sentences divided by
sentences as
the period and it can
independent clauses,
stand alone as
do not use a comma.
complete sentence, use
a comma.
 Tip#1 Tip#2

Example 1 LOOK Example 2

AT THE
Courtney was A snake wandered
finally able to finish
EXAMPLES into town and
his essay, but his scared several
teacher was not kids.
satisfied.
LET'S
TRY!
My mathematics teacher gave us a surprise quiz, and I was not
ready for it.

You must return my book by Thursday, or I will not

allow you to borrow it again.

Dean wrote me a letter, and he will put it in the mail

tomorrow.
ACTIVITY

Answer Exercises 1 & 2

pages 34 - 35.
THANK YOU FOR
PARTICIPATING!