Very easy grammar questions?

Question

1) The problem of the young shallow interests OR The problem of the young's shallow interests?
2) Friend's bad influence OR Friends' bad influence?
3) They are following the wrong people, in the wrong way OR They are following the wrong people, the wrong way?
4) Can I place a comma before "and" or "but"?

It would be great if you can state the rule. Thanks!

Why would I be wasting 5 points, if I knew the answer to them? :)

Answer 1

1 - 3 have been answered correctly already, but no one has correctly answered 4 yet.

"But" is always preceded by a comma. You use a comma before "and" in these situations:

(1) American English requires a comma between every item in a list of 3 or more items (Hacker 261). British English makes the comma before the "and" optional, and it is often referred to as the Oxford Comma.

Example: "The teacher instructed us to get out our books, pencils, and paper."

Notice that the rule requires three list items, which means you never a comma before the "and" in a list of two items: "Bring chips and dip."

(2) If what comes before AND after the "and" are both complete sentences, use a comma:

"The president made some terrible choices, and he is planning to make them right."
But there is no comma before "and" in this example sentence, because "is planning to make them right" is not a complete sentence (it's not an independent clause).
"The president made some terrible choices and is planning to make them right."

(The fancy grammatical way to say this rule is "When a coordinating conjunction connects two more more independent clauses [. . .] a comma must precede it.There are seven coordinating conjunctions: 'and,' 'but,' 'or,' 'nor,' 'for,' 'so,' and 'yet' [FANBOYS]" (Hacker 259). Hacker does note an exception "if the independent clauses are short and there is no danger of misreading, the comma may be omitted. "The plane took off and we were on our way.")

Answer 2

The problem of the young shallow interests
Friend's bad influence
They are following the wrong people, in the wrong way

Answer 3

1)The problem of the young shallow interests
2)Friend's bad influence
3)They are following the wrong people, the wrong way
4)no,u shouldn't

Answer 4

1)The problem of the young shallow interests.I wrote young's and when I used the dictionary to check my spelling, I found out that young's isn't a word.
2)Friend's bad influence "only one friend".
Friends' bad influence "many friends".
3)They are following the wrong people in the wrong way.
4)Usually, a comma is placed before but,but none before and though u can place a comma before it.

Answer 5

1) The problem of the young's (object) shallow interests
2) Friends' (if indicating a group)
3) In the wrong (clarifies and without comma)
4) Either -- most standard rules say a comma before "and" or another conjuction is best used in a series such as "one, two, and three ... "

Answer 6

1. Both are in a way, correct. The first. young shallow interests could be a noun complex as if you were referring to a particular topic or subject. Or, if you are referring to the singular individualism of the young, then the latter is correct. For your purposes, I would think you are looking for the latter of the two.
2.Again, both can be correct. The first refers to the singular and the latter refers to the many. As in many friends' bad influence.
3.The first is the correct manner of stating this phrase.
4.There is never a comma before or after and, however, after but would be correct.

Answer 7

1) young's shallow interests. (if showing posession to young as a noun, not an adjective)
2) both are correct. the first is used to refer to one friend's bad influence. the second is used to refer to multiple friends' bad influence.
3) both are correct. the second sounds better to me, though.
4) if you want to.