A-manual-for-writers-of-research-papers-theses-and-dissertations

Before leaving, the members of the committee met in the assembly room.For use of commas in numbers, see 23.2.2. For use of commas in citations, see 16.1.2 and18.1.2.21.2.1 Independent ClausesIn a sentence containing two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinatingconjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet), put a comma before the conjunction. This is not ahard-and-fast rule; no comma is needed between two short independent clauses with nointernal punctuation.Students around the world want to learn English, and many young Americans are eager to teach them.The senator arrived at noon and the president left at one.In a sentence containing three or more short and simple independent clauses with nointernal punctuation, separate the clauses with commas and add a coordinating conjunctionbefore the last one. (Always include a comma before the coordinating conjunction.) If theclauses are longer and more complex, separate them with semicolons (see 21.3)—or, better,rewrite the sentence.The committee designed the questionnaire, the field workers collected responses, and the statisticiananalyzed the results.The committee designed the questionnaire, which was short; the field workers, who did not participate,collected responses; and the statistician analyzed the results, though not until several days later.Ordinarily, do not insert a comma before a conjunction joining two subjects or twopredicates.The agencies that design the surveys and the analysts who evaluate the results should work together.They do not condone such practices but attempt to refute them theoretically.When a sentence opens with a phrase or dependent clause that modifies following twoindependent coordinate clauses, put a comma after the introductory element but not betweenthe two independent clauses.Within ten years, interest rates surged and the housing market declined.21.2.2 SeriesIn a series consisting of three or more words, phrases, or clauses with no internal punctuationof their own, separate the elements with commas. Always use a comma before theconjunction that introduces the last item.The governor wrote his senators, the president, and the vice president.Attending the conference were Fernandez, Sullivan, and Kendrick.The public approved, the committee agreed, but the measure failed.