What is a key element to be aware of when reviewing sentences for commas?

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A key element to be aware of when reviewing sentences for commas is that they can connect independent clauses. When two independent clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction (such as "and," "but," or "or"), a comma is typically placed before the conjunction to clarify the separation between the two complete thoughts. This use of commas helps to improve readability and understanding by indicating that both clauses possess equal significance in the sentence structure.

For instance, in the sentence "I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain," the comma before "but" signifies that "I wanted to go for a walk" and "it started to rain" are both independent clauses. This is important to note when editing or crafting sentences to ensure they effectively communicate the intended message without causing confusion.

Other options are less relevant to the context of using commas in sentence structure. For example, there are instances where commas can be used before conjunctions, such as coordinating conjunctions linking independent clauses. Thus, while the placement of commas is important, they are not strictly prohibited before conjunctions. The spacing of commas in sentences isn't a focus of grammatical structure but rather pertains to formatting and aesthetics, and the idea that commas are always optional is misleading because their correct usage is

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