comma before and after 'and'/'therefore' [conjunction; adverb]

[Greg from Poland]

Hello guys,

I wonder if the bolded commas have been used correctly?

1/ It takes some time to prepare a nice drink, and preparation is only a part of the story.

2/ (...). The matter is very serious, and, therefore, it is a good job we have a solution.

 

[Dimcl]

I wouldn't put a comma after "drink" in the first sentence.

In the second sentence, the comma after "serious" needs to be removed.

 

[Cagey]

I would keep the comma in the first sentence. It is what is called a "joining comma" on this web page from the University of Sussex.

The comma after serious in the second sentence is another joining comma. When the two joined clauses are short, as they are here, some writers would leave the comma out, as Dimcl suggests. I would, in part because the sentence will also be broken up by the commas around therefore. However, if you wish to be cautious, you should include it.

The commas around therefore are what the page calls "bracketing commas". They seem necessary.

I think you would find the web page interesting.

 

[Starfrown]

I agree with Cagey. I like the use of the commas in the two sentences.

I guess I should point out that comma usage is something that has evolved over time (go read a Jane Austen novel if you want to know what I mean), and it is one of the most hotly debated subjects in English today.