Would I use a comma before the "and" in this sentence?

Question

He's still trying to break 14 hours(,) and ten minutes.

Please help... I'm really confused.

Would I too add a comma before any and?

Another example:

He plays soccer(,) and basketball.

Answer 1

No - definitely not.

Answer 2

You should not use the comma in the examples you gave.

As to your question about ever using a comma before "and," several have given you the example of using it in a series such as "I like basketball, football, and soccer." You need to know, however, that the comma before "and" can also be left out. Some people prefer to do this one way and some another, but you must be consistent in the way you do it throughout your manuscript. Personally, I prefer to use the comma before "and" in a series, as in some instances it makes the meaning clearer.

There is another instance where a comma is used before "and" and that is when two sets of words, either of which could stand as a sentence alone, are combined by the conjunction "and" to make one sentence.
Example: I first conducted a thorough audit of the company, and then I interviewed the manager to try to determine how much money was missing.
The sentence above is made up of two sentences glued together with a comma.

This is the simplest site I could find explaining comma usage:
http://www.stpt.usf.edu/pms/comma.html

Answer 3

No, because commas are not used when a list contains only two items connected by one 'and'. If the sentence were "He's still trying to break 14 hours, 10 minutes, and 30 seconds" the first comma is necessary but the last one is optional.

Commas are recklessly misused these days, with the unspoken rule seeming to be "when in doubt, put one in." I'd prefer it the other way. Anyhow, thanks for being interested enough to post the question.

As long as we're talking about grammar, the mistake I hate most is using apostrophes in plurals! An 's means either 'is' or 'belonging to' - NOT more than one. The only time 's is used for plurals is for numbers written as digits or for abbreviations.

Apostrophes are also wrongly added to the possessive pronoun its, but "it's" means "it is". The way to remember this rule is to think of the other pronouns: yours, his, hers, ours and theirs - none of which has an apostrophe.

Answer 4

OK, you only need a comma if you are listing two or more items.

Fourteen hours and 10 minutes are all one unit -- it's not like he's trying to break 14 hours for a marathon, and 10 minutes for a shorter race, right?

Commas are tough. There's such a thing as a "serial comma" where you use the comma before "and" if you are listing more than two things: "Thanks to my parents, Mary, and God."

However, some people (and bosses and teachers) do not like the serial comma and think it is a waste of space. So check with your teacher to see what s/he likes.

Answer 5

No.

He likes to play basketball and football.

He likes to play basketball, football and hockey.

ADD: The above post is incorrect for simple lists. "I went to the store and bought apples, bananas, and oranges" is wrong. It should be "I went to the store and bought apples, bananas and oranges."

When it's a more expanded series, you would have a comma before the "and": "He hit the ball, dropped the bat, and ran to first base."

There are situations when, 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.

Answer 6

No you would not add a comma in that sentence. It should read like this:

He's still trying to break 14 hours and ten minutes.

Do NOT put a comma before the word "and"

Answer 7

There are two attitudes of communicating your idea, and you have to choose one. You have to choose to speak comprehensively, or you have to choose to speak grammatically. You have to choose speaking effortlessly or speaking properly. You have to choose between speaking effortlessly and speaking properly. Using the above statements as examples, you can see that there are times when you need to place a comma before a conjunction and there are times you shouldn't. A or B - no comma when the conjoined items A and B are the same "class" or mode. For examples, "Do you wish to have an apple or an orange?" "Do you wish to play a game after having breakfast or after lunch?" X, or Y - comma is recommended for clarity when X and Y do not belong to a common mode. "Please throw the couch out of the house, or I will be yelling the whole day long!" A comma is also recommended between two conjoined phrases when they are too long or complex, regardless if the conjoined phrases are of the similar mode. There are times when a comma is placed immediately after a conjunction rather than before it. There has been a movement since the 1980's to ommit commas as long as the removal would still allow a sentence to be easily understood. At times, removal of commas has been rather excessively done. "Wanting" is frequently used for describing items in disrepair or that are inadequate. So said the messenger, "I have visited my people whom I had placed in your care and I have found them wanting." Avoid saying "are you wanting" unless you wish to say the other person is inadequate. Using it that way is not "wrong" but confusing. "Are you not wanting a friendship with your cousin because you have nothing in common, or is it because there is nothing you want to pursue?" The third phrase in your sentence is quite vague. What do you wish that person to pursue? What is the "thing" in "there is nothing you want to pursue"? In your previous question, I notice that someone has already provided a rather good answer. However, you have rephrased your statement. Depending on the situation you are in, here are my suggestions. "Are you refusing friendship with your cousin because you feel you have nothing in common or, you have no ambitions to pursue? He could make you a manager in his company." "Are you not having a friendship with your cousin because you feel you have nothing in common with him, or are you deliberately trying to avoid pursuing a relationship with him? His staring at you scares me." "Are you not wishing to have a friendship with your cousin because you feel you have nothing in common with him, or because there is nothing left to pursue. You do not wish to forget his past, and neither do you wish to get involved."

Answer 8

No....Absolutely not! You would only put a comma before and in the following example:
I went to the store and bought apples, bananas, and oranges.
Right after bananas and before and. That is the only time....when you are listing things.

Answer 9

no...you use a comma if your talking about 3 or more things.
ex: He likes to play soccer, basketball, and baseball.
i hope you understand me!

Answer 10

no! but you can add a comma before 'and' in other examples [i saw a really good 1 above^]

Answer 11

No you would not, either you use a comma OR and.

Hope this helps! :)