(C) 2008 GMAT Club - [t]v01#38[/t]

[logitech]

If the building’s contractor does not agree to repair the damages caused during renovation, we maybe have no choice, but to bring a lawsuit.



* we may have no choice but to
* we may have no choice, but to

[sudhir3127]

If the building’s contractor does not agree to repair the damages caused during renovation, we maybe have no choice, but to bring a lawsuit.



* we may have no choice but to
* we may have no choice, but to

i go with B . comma before " but" is important to join an independent clause with the other Idependent clause.

[logitech]

If the building’s contractor does not agree to repair the damages caused during renovation, we maybe have no choice, but to bring a lawsuit.



* we may have no choice but to
* we may have no choice, but to

i go with B . comma before " but" is important to join an independent clause with other indepedent clause

Okay cool, so I am not the only one who fell into this trap

A comma before the conjunction but is incorrect, because but does not join two independent clauses.

[sudhir3127]

If the building’s contractor does not agree to repair the damages caused during renovation, we maybe have no choice, but to bring a lawsuit.



* we may have no choice but to
* we may have no choice, but to

i go with B . comma before " but" is important to join an independent clause with other indepedent clause

Okay cool, so I am not the only one who fell into this trap

A comma before the conjunction but is incorrect, because but does not join two independent clauses.

Are u sure abt the reasoning .. I am 100% sure that " but" is a coordinating conjunction .. and a cordinating conjunction joins 2 main clauses.

[logitech]

Are u sure abt the reasoning .. I am 100% sure that " but" is a coordinating conjunction .. and a cordinating conjunction joins 2 main clauses.

That reasoning belongs to GMAT club.

I did a little search for this rule:

Use a comma to separate the elements in a series (three or more things), including the last two. "He hit the ball, dropped the bat, and ran to first base." You may have learned that the comma before the "and" is unnecessary, which is fine if you're in control of things. However, there are situations in which, if you don't use this comma (especially when the list is complex or lengthy), these last two items in the list will try to glom together (like macaroni and cheese). Using a comma between all the items in a series, including the last two, avoids this problem. This last comma—the one between the word "and" and the preceding word—is often called the serial comma or the Oxford comma. In newspaper writing, incidentally, you will seldom find a serial comma, but that is not necessarily a sign that it should be omitted in academic prose.
2

Use a comma + a little conjunction (and, but, for, nor, yet, or, so) to connect two independent clauses, as in "He hit the ball well, but he ran toward third base."

Contending that the coordinating conjunction is adequate separation, some writers will leave out the comma in a sentence with short, balanced independent clauses (such as we see in the example just given). If there is ever any doubt, however, use the comma, as it is always correct in this situation.

One of the most frequent errors in comma usage is the placement of a comma after a coordinating conjunction. We cannot say that the comma will always come before the conjunction and never after, but it would be a rare event, indeed, that we need to follow a coordinating conjunction with a comma. When speaking, we do sometimes pause after the little conjunction, but there is seldom a good reason to put a comma there.

[vivek.kapoor83]

logitech,
i couldnt get the reasoning...pls explain

[logitech]

logitech,
i couldnt get the reasoning...pls explain

Vivek:

This is what I got as an explanation:

A comma before the conjunction but is incorrect, because but does not join two independent clauses.

And I am still confused..

[Karen]

The key is that "but" here isn't functioning as a coordinating conjunction. It's a preposition here. It means 'except'. You don't insert a comma before 'but' when it's a preposition.

Here's the difference:

He ate nothing but cheese.

Here "but cheese" is a prepositional phrase modifying "nothing" -- it means basically the same as "He ate nothing except cheese" or the more archaic "He ate nothing save cheese." Don't break things up by inserting a comma.

He ate nothing, but the restaurant sent him a bill for the meal anyway.

Here "but" is a coordinating conjunction introducing a clause.

The prepositional use of "but" is less common than the coordinating conjunction use, and so some of you may not have realized it could function this way. But that's what's going on here.

[logitech]

As in the movie Matrix, I want o load KAREN's verbal skills to myself in the last 75 minutes of the test. I promise I will give it back after 41st question!!!

Thanks Karen!!