I've been struggling with an independent clause question:     I always run at night, and then I go see my nephew.   Would a comma go before "and"? I wasn't sure if "then I go see my nephew" would be considered an independent clause. I know "then" is an adverb, but I'm not sure if I can start a sentence with it.
123487
This was at a moment when the magistrate, overcome with tiredness, had   gone down into the garden of his house and, dark, bent beneath   some implacable thought, like Tarquin cutting the heads off the   tallest poppies with his cane, M. de Villefort was knocking down   the long, dying  stems of the hollyhocks that rose on either side of   the path like ghosts of those flowers that had been so brilliant in   the seasons that had passed away.   Why is there no comma before the bolded and? My understanding is that there is an independent clause on each side of the bolded and.   By the way, the subject of the two independent clauses is the same.
78027
Given the following sentences that use will in the if clause (which is seldom with if-clauses and therefore, I'm not sure they all are even grammatical or not).        If you will/would kindly lend me your book, I will be thankful to you.   If you will not/would not mind lending me your book, I will be thankful to you.     If you will/would wait for a while, I will check it for you.              If you will use it, you can have it   If you will not arrive before six o'clock, I cannot meet you.      What if the last sentence is modified as follows?     If you will not be arriving before six o'clock, I cannot meet you.   Once upon a time, it was found in a grammar book.       If the play will not be finished until ten o'clock, I will have to spend the night at your place.   Can the following version of this sentence have a different meaning (or no meaning at all&nbsp;— a wrong sense)?     If the play is not going to be finished until ten o'clock, I will have to spend the night at your place.   After all, the question is when is will used in if-clauses as the title implies?    Moreover, both the following sentences appear to indicate a probable condition.        If he came, I should help him.   If he came, I would help him.      Using should and would interchangeably in such contexts implies a significant difference in meaning?
2920
Here, Cambridge doesn't use a comma.  I am confused. Example in Cambridge Dictionary: Unfortunately we can't come this evening after all.    On different pages i found some rules telling there needs to be a comma. Examples follow:  We do usually put a comma after adverbs like 'unfortunately'. They are called 'sentence adverbs' because they modify the whole sentence and often give the opinion of the speaker/writer.  A parenthetical phrase adding detail to the main clause. Initially placed parentheticals are normally set off by a comma.  Cause I'm studying for my Level 2 graduation, i want going crazy reading here and there comma rules followed by looking in the Cambridge Dictionary without finding them there.   HELP me out please !
13666
What is the grammar behind the construction "I think it strange/necessary that ...", and when can and cannot this apparent omission of the copula be used? Do we always need the "that" clause?  Also, this seems to be only allowed when the object is a pronoun (it in the above example). That is, we don't say "I think this method strange", correct?
93997
I would just like to clarify if in this kind of sentence, where you state the name of a person, are commas always needed to offset Anne?     His sister, Anne, was not feeling well.   Or is it acceptable to remove the commas? If yes, when?  Thank you!
31443
Is a comma required after the date (year only or day of week only) that is in a prepositional phrase before the subject of the sentence?  For example:      In 1966 I began college.
70025
Is using a comma then an "and" or an "or" after it proper punctuation? Example:         I fell over, and hurt my knee.   Should I go, or not?
28639
In response to the long-term measures recommended by the School Board,   the then Principal initiated the Pledge Day on “Clean LA", to encourage   all schools to make the “Clean LA” commitment on that day.   I wonder if it sounds better to replace the to-infinitive clause with a participle clause:      In response to the long-term measures recommended by the School Board,   the then Principal initiated the Pledge Day on “Clean LA", encouraging   all schools to make the “Clean LA” commitment on that day.   because I think it is seldom to use to-infinitive clauses after a comma.
39302
My friend and I had an argument about whether this sentence required a comma:     I understand where you're coming from but I disagree.    My friend insisted that there should be a comma before "but":     I understand where you're coming from, but I disagree.   From my point of view, while grammatically correct, the addition of a comma is not necessary.   When I looked online for sources to answer our disagreement, I found no authoritative sources and many sources were contradicting one another. Some argued, like I believe, that it's not necessary because the addition of comma is of no value in that context (i.e. the addition of comma doesn't make the sentence easier to read) but others said it was mandatory.   So, which is it? Is a comma necessary before a conjunction?
2221
I notice that "let alone" is used in sentences that have a comma. The structure of the sentence is what comes before the comma is some kind of negative statement. Right after the comma is "let alone," followed by the rest of the sentence.  What does "let alone" mean here? Does it mean the same thing as "or even?" Can someone explain this phrase and sentences that have it?
84626
Consider the following sentence:     In July of 2012 Jesse informed us that she was engaged to be married   and asked if she could add her fiancée to the lease,   beginning the 15th of August 2012.   Is it any more or less correct to place a comma after the first date?     In July of 2012, Jesse informed us that she was engaged to be married   and asked if she could add her fiancée to the lease,   beginning the 15th of August 2012.   Assuming one is no more correct than the other, does this change the meaning of the sentence, or is it pure style?   Bonus question: Word tells me that it's improper to place a comma after the "August" at the end of the sentence. I've always been taught that a comma should be used to separate the year from the rest of the date. Was I taught wrong, or is Word lying to me?
19023
If I said, &quot;I will run, not if it is snowing, if I my shoes are comfortable.&quot; Does the &quot;if my shoes are comfortable&quot; modify the &quot;I will run&quot; clause? I agree the sentence would be clearer with the addition of &quot;and&quot; in place of the comma. However, without the &quot;and&quot; is it still clear that the &quot;if my shoes are comfortable&quot; clause modifies the &quot;I will run&quot; clause?
89014
Sorry, I do not know the language terminology. Is this a case of nonessential appositive?  Which of the following sentence has a correct comma use? Comma before &quot;should&quot;  Importantly, two frail subgroups of stroke population, long-term residential care and cognitive impairment patients, should not be excluded from the rehabilitation.  No comma before &quot;should&quot;  Importantly, two frail subgroups of stroke population, long-term residential care and cognitive impairment patients should not be excluded from the rehabilitation.
14623
I have seen many sentences like this:     "Capitalism, Socialism, and Anarchism"   and this:     "She was happy, and cheerful"   Do we have to use a comma before "and", or is it incorrect?  If it is not, then why?
88583
What kind of clause or phrase is used in the first part of the following sentence (Frail and seemingly disoriented at times)? Would you elaborate on its structure.     Frail and seemingly disoriented at times, he is looking vulnerable.
56523
While it is easy enough to identify coordinating and subordinating conjunctions by memorizing lists of them, the actual distinction seems arbitrary.  Coordinating conjunctions are said to join (among other sentence elements) two independent clauses, while subordinating conjunctions are said to join a subordinate clause to an independent clause.  The problem is that it appears to be the very presence of a subordinating conjunction which makes an otherwise-independent clause subordinate.  For example, in the sentence...     Stock prices would have plummeted, unless the company issued a public   apology.   ...the second clause is only subordinate by virtue of including the word "unless."  "The company issued a public apology" expresses a complete thought, but "unless the company issued a public apology" does not.  So the presence of the word "unless" explains why the second clause is subordinate, which explains why "unless" is a subordinating conjunction.  However, in the sentence...     Stock prices would have plummeted, but the company issued a public   apology.   ...the same analysis is not applied.  Rather, the word "but" is considered to stand between the two clauses, belonging to neither.  This grants independent status to the second clause, "the company issued a public apology," whereas if the word "but" were to be included, it would be a subordinate clause, and therefore "but" would be a subordinating conjunction.  A sort of explanatory circularity is apparent, and it's not at all clear to me why "unless" and "but" should be treated differently in these examples.  What is so special about the FANBOYS conjunctions that they are said to stand outside of independent clauses, while the rest are said to be part of otherwise-independent clauses, making them subordinate?
43515
I'm wondering the subject of the second clause in a sentence like   You should tell him to get up and get back to work   The subject of get back to work is ambiguous to me. It could be interpreted as either  You should tell him to get up and [you] get back to work   or  You should tell him to get up and [him] get back to work   How should I form the sentence so that either option is explicit and unambiguous?