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Rams Write: Comma before "but"

Here you'll find a student-generated guide to writing and composition.

Introduction

Many students get confused when it comes to comma placement before or after the word "but." This Lib Guide will explain when and why it comes before the word "but," and addresses when you don't need a comma at all.

Examples

Example 1

Incorrect: I want cookies but, the store is closed.

Correct: I want cookies, but the store is closed.

Explanation: The comma comes before the but because the two clauses are independent, meaning they can stand alone as their own sentence. This makes the comma necessary.
 

Example 2

Incorrect: My puppy is only a few weeks old but, we picked her up today.

Correct: My puppy is only a few weeks old, but we picked her up today.

Explanation: These are two independent clauses, so we place the comma before the “but.” If there was a dependent clause after the "but," there would be a comma after the "but."

Tips

  • You can test when the comma is going to be needed by taking the two clauses and putting periods at the end of each of them.
  • If there are two independent clauses then you must use a comma.
  • If but is not followed by an independent clause then no comma is needed.

How to Use Commas Video

Citations & Contributions

Spring 2020 

Grant Slachta, Framingham State U, Class of 2022

Bailley MacDonald, Framingham State U, Class of 2022

Kolton Smith, Framingham State U, Class of 2023

Works Cited 

“Comma Before But.” Comma Before But Grammarly Blog, Grammarly, 14 May 2019, www.grammarly.com/blog/comma-before-but/.

 

Corson-Knowles, Tom. “The Comma Rule: Before But or After But?” TCK Publishing, Tom Corson-Knowles, 6 Feb. 2019, www.tckpublishing.com/comma-rule/.

 

Maddox, Maeve, “Comma Before But,” Daily Writing Tips, www.dailywritingtips.com/comma-before-but/, Accessed 9 March 2020. 


“Meme Generator,” Laundry Viking Meme Generator - Imgflip, Imgflip LLC, 2020, www.imgflip.com/memegenerator.

 

“Question: Use a Comma Before or After But?” Word Agents, 26 July 2017, wordagents.com/comma-before-or-after-but/.