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Is the comma before or after but?

Updated: 9/17/2023
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12y ago

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Punctuation is dictated by the meaning of your sentence, not by the presence of particular words. A comma indicates a brief pause. Say your sentence aloud, and where you find that you naturally pause briefly, you will probably find that a comma is appropriate. Other people may punctuate the same sentence differently. That is not necessarily wrong. A lot depends on the context: whether it is formal, informal, written, spoken, and so on.

Here are some examples:

'There was nobody in the house but my mother.' (No comma)

'I like cheese, but my sister can't stand it.' (Comma before 'but')

'I would prefer you to stay at home but, if you do go out, please wear a warm coat.' (Comma after 'but')

'I would prefer you to stay at home, but if you do go out, please wear a warm coat.' (Comma before 'but')

(The last two examples convey slightly different shades of meaning.)

It's perfectly possible to have a comma both before and after the word 'but' if you think the sense requires it, but you should be wary of having too many commas in one sentence.

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Q: Is the comma before or after but?
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last comma before the and is not necessary


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A comma is typically placed before "or" when it separates independent clauses in a sentence. However, a comma is not needed after "or" in most cases.


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Yes, you should use a comma before "Jr." when writing a person's name to separate the person's last name from the suffix. For example, "John Smith, Jr."


Comma before or after the word but?

The comma should come before the word "but" when it is used to separate two independent clauses. For example: "I wanted to go to the store, but it started raining."


Is there a comma after but?

no. if but before is a sentence on its on and after but is a sentence on its own then put a comma before but.


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No, a comma does not go before the word 'in'.


Does an comma go before or after 'so'?

A comma typically goes before "so" when it is used at the beginning of a sentence to indicate a reason or result. However, when "so" is used as a conjunction in the middle of a sentence, it does not usually need a comma before it.


Do you put a comma before or?

The comma goes after.


Do you put a comma before or after a conjunction?

You typically place a comma before a conjunction when it separates two independent clauses. If the conjunction connects two words or phrases, a comma is not necessary.


Do you write comma before and?

Not necessarily. There is no word in English that requires a comma after it or before it.


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Do not put a space before a comma. Put one space afterthe comma.