Do you need a comma after and?

Answer 1

I think you are thinking of a series comma. It is used when there are three or more things listed. Example: I bought the butter, milk, and eggs. The second comma is the series comma. I was taught that it is the preferred method, but many publishers do not use it, particuarly newspapers. No. In lists you can omit the last comma: the idea is that the comma takes the place of and anyhow. This method is more common in England. In America the use of the extra comma (called the Oxford comma) is more common. Like the above answerers have already explained, you don't necessarily need the last comma in a series of words/phrases. Whether you use it or not depends on where you learned English, who you learned it from, and personal preference. I think the extra comma helps the reader to understand what they are reading, but it really doesn't matter. <br /><br /> However, you may also be talking about using <i>and</i> in a compound sentence. For example, you would say, "George ran a mile, and he also practiced rim shots." Note the comma between the two complete phrases. You only put it there if the second phrase is insubordinate, or stand-alone (it needs a subject and a predicate). Without the comma, you would have to remove the subject like so: "George ran a mile and also practiced rim shots." <br /><br /> As a review, you DO use a comma if you have two or more STAND-ALONE (subject and predicate) clauses.

Answer 2

Not necessarily. Whether or not to use a comma following the word 'and' depends on the circumstances. The 'Guide to Punctuation' in my dictionary lists 20 rules for the use of commas.

Answer 3

you can put a comma before and, but not after and.

unless you wrote the sentence like my first sentence where you need to put a comma before but.

Answer 4

A comma is typically needed before the conjunction "and" when it joins two independent clauses. It is not necessary when "and" connects items in a series.