Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Apr 2610:00 AM EDT
-11:00 AM EDT
The Target Test Prep course represents a quantum leap forward in GMAT preparation, a radical reinterpretation of the way that students should study. Try before you buy with a 5-day, full-access trial of the course for FREE!
Apr 2711:00 AM EDT
-12:00 PM EDT
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors
Apr 2808:00 AM PDT
-11:00 AM PDT
Whether you are just beginning your MBA journey or fine-tuning your path to a 700+ score, GMAT Day is designed to give you a competitive edge.
13 Jul 2012, 07:57
Kudos
Bookmarks
N
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
(N/A)
Question Stats:
0% (00:00) correct
0%
(00:00)
wrong
based on 1
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Hi All there...
I know this post is redundant but i need some clarity on when to use comma in-front of AND.
Below is an example sentence one with comma before AND & one without comma.
1) Since the last election, the lobbying effort initiated by environmental organizations, homeowners, andsmall business owners has increased awareness of pending environmental legislation.
2) Since the last election, the lobbying effort initiated by environmental organizations, homeowners and small business owners has increased awareness of pending environmental legislation.
Please explain the meaning of both the sentence.
For record 1) sentence is the actual Correct GMAT adherent sentence.
I know this post is redundant but i need some clarity on when to use comma in-front of AND.
Below is an example sentence one with comma before AND & one without comma.
1) Since the last election, the lobbying effort initiated by environmental organizations, homeowners, andsmall business owners has increased awareness of pending environmental legislation.
2) Since the last election, the lobbying effort initiated by environmental organizations, homeowners and small business owners has increased awareness of pending environmental legislation.
Please explain the meaning of both the sentence.
For record 1) sentence is the actual Correct GMAT adherent sentence.
31 Dec 2017, 00:24
Kudos
Bookmarks
1. Use a comma before any coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet) that links two independent clauses.
Example: "I went running, and I saw a duck."
2. Use a comma after a dependent clause that starts a sentence.
Example: "When I went running, I saw a duck."
3. Use commas to offset appositives from the rest of the sentence.
Appositives act as synonyms for a juxtaposed word or phrase. For example, "While running, I saw a mallard, a kind of duck." "A kind of duck" is the appositive, which gives more information about "a mallard."
If the appositive occurs in the middle of the sentence, both sides of the phrase need a comma. As in, "A mallard, a kind of duck, attacked me."
Don't let the length of an appositive scare you. As long as the phrase somehow gives more information about its predecessor, you usually need a comma.
"A mallard, the kind of duck I saw when I went running, attacked me."
There's one exception to this rule. Don't offset a phrase that gives necessary information to the sentence. Usually, commas surround a non-essential clause or phrase. For example, "The duck that attacked me scared my friend" doesn't require any commas. Even though the phrase "that attacked me" describes "the duck," it provides essential information to the sentence. Otherwise, no one would know why the duck scared your friend. Clauses that begin with "that" are usually essential to the sentence and do not require commas.
4. Use commas to separate items in a series.
Example, "I saw a duck, a magician, and a liquor store when I went running."
5. Use a comma after introductory adverbs.
Example : "Finally, I went running."
Example : "Unsurprisingly, I saw a duck when I went running."
6. Use a comma when the first word of the sentence is "yes" or "no."
Example :"Yes, I saw a duck when I went running."
Example :"No, the duck didn't bite me."
7. Use a comma when directly addressing someone or something in a sentence.
Example : My editor often asks, "Christina, is that article up yet?"
8. Use a comma between two adjectives that modify the same noun.
Example : "I saw the big, mean duck when I went running."
9. Use a comma to offset negation in a sentence.
Example : "I saw a duck, not a baby seal, when I went running."
Example: "I went running, and I saw a duck."
2. Use a comma after a dependent clause that starts a sentence.
Example: "When I went running, I saw a duck."
3. Use commas to offset appositives from the rest of the sentence.
Appositives act as synonyms for a juxtaposed word or phrase. For example, "While running, I saw a mallard, a kind of duck." "A kind of duck" is the appositive, which gives more information about "a mallard."
If the appositive occurs in the middle of the sentence, both sides of the phrase need a comma. As in, "A mallard, a kind of duck, attacked me."
Don't let the length of an appositive scare you. As long as the phrase somehow gives more information about its predecessor, you usually need a comma.
"A mallard, the kind of duck I saw when I went running, attacked me."
There's one exception to this rule. Don't offset a phrase that gives necessary information to the sentence. Usually, commas surround a non-essential clause or phrase. For example, "The duck that attacked me scared my friend" doesn't require any commas. Even though the phrase "that attacked me" describes "the duck," it provides essential information to the sentence. Otherwise, no one would know why the duck scared your friend. Clauses that begin with "that" are usually essential to the sentence and do not require commas.
4. Use commas to separate items in a series.
Example, "I saw a duck, a magician, and a liquor store when I went running."
5. Use a comma after introductory adverbs.
Example : "Finally, I went running."
Example : "Unsurprisingly, I saw a duck when I went running."
6. Use a comma when the first word of the sentence is "yes" or "no."
Example :"Yes, I saw a duck when I went running."
Example :"No, the duck didn't bite me."
7. Use a comma when directly addressing someone or something in a sentence.
Example : My editor often asks, "Christina, is that article up yet?"
8. Use a comma between two adjectives that modify the same noun.
Example : "I saw the big, mean duck when I went running."
9. Use a comma to offset negation in a sentence.
Example : "I saw a duck, not a baby seal, when I went running."
19 Jul 2012, 10:35
Kudos
Bookmarks
The comma before the AND in a list of 3 or more items is permissive. That means you may choose to use it, or you may choose to omit it. It tends to be included in non-journalistic writing, but it is commonly omitted in newspapers and magazines. I believe this to be a result of the cost of printing an extra character millions of times.
In deciding to use or not use such a comma, you should consider the meaning.
1.) The main issue with using the comma occurs when we have a sentence structure like this:
I like [A], [potential appositive], and [C].
I like Joe, my brother, and Steve.
In this case, it looks like three items are in a list. However, there are actually only two items with a modifier. This becomes ambiguous. Is Joe being renamed by "my brother" (meaning they are the same thing), or is Joe a different person from my brother? How many people do I like?
This is fixed by omitting the comma before AND:
I like Joe, my brother and Steve.
Now, it is clear that Joe is not my brother, since the only potential modifier here is "my brother and Steve," and it is impossible for Joe to be renamed as both "my brother" and "Steve."
2.) On the other hand, omitting the comma can result in ambiguity. Consider the following example:
I like [plural A], [potential plural appositive].
I like my parents, Joe and Lisa.
In this case, are my parents being renamed by "Joe and Lisa," or are Joe and Lisa separate from my parents? How many people do I like?
This ambiguity would be fixed by adding the comma:
I like my parents, Joe, and Lisa.
Now, it is clear that my parents are separate from Joe and Lisa, since "Joe" cannot rename my parents.
Conclusion: In deciding whether or not to include the comma before the AND in a 3+ item list, consider the meaning and pick the outcome with the least ambiguity. If neither way is ambiguous, then it doesn't matter whether you include the comma or not (unless you work for a company that has a preference, such as a newspaper company).
In deciding to use or not use such a comma, you should consider the meaning.
1.) The main issue with using the comma occurs when we have a sentence structure like this:
I like [A], [potential appositive], and [C].
I like Joe, my brother, and Steve.
In this case, it looks like three items are in a list. However, there are actually only two items with a modifier. This becomes ambiguous. Is Joe being renamed by "my brother" (meaning they are the same thing), or is Joe a different person from my brother? How many people do I like?
This is fixed by omitting the comma before AND:
I like Joe, my brother and Steve.
Now, it is clear that Joe is not my brother, since the only potential modifier here is "my brother and Steve," and it is impossible for Joe to be renamed as both "my brother" and "Steve."
2.) On the other hand, omitting the comma can result in ambiguity. Consider the following example:
I like [plural A], [potential plural appositive].
I like my parents, Joe and Lisa.
In this case, are my parents being renamed by "Joe and Lisa," or are Joe and Lisa separate from my parents? How many people do I like?
This ambiguity would be fixed by adding the comma:
I like my parents, Joe, and Lisa.
Now, it is clear that my parents are separate from Joe and Lisa, since "Joe" cannot rename my parents.
Conclusion: In deciding whether or not to include the comma before the AND in a 3+ item list, consider the meaning and pick the outcome with the least ambiguity. If neither way is ambiguous, then it doesn't matter whether you include the comma or not (unless you work for a company that has a preference, such as a newspaper company).
