Coordinating Conjunctions Joining Independent Clauses

Section 8.2.2

Coordinating Conjunctions Joining Independent Clauses

Place a comma before a coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses. However, if the clauses are very short and closely related, you may omit the comma.

Unacceptable

In almost all illicit markets, only the tip of the iceberg is visible and there is no reason why the nuclear-materials black market should be an exception.

Acceptable

In almost all illicit markets, only the tip of the iceberg is visible, and there is no reason why the nuclear-materials black market should be an exception.

--Phil Williams and Paul N. Woessner, "The Real Threat of Nuclear Smuggling," Scientific American

## Commas and Coordinating Conjunctions ##