Here is example #1. The first thing that we want to do whenever we see a comma question is to take a look at the answer choices to identify what's changing between them.
When we look at our answer choices, we see a couple of things. I see a comma and a semicolon; I also see several FANBOYS conjunctions: ''and'' and ''so.''
Next, I'm going to make sure that I know the full context; that means reading the full sentence, not just the underlined portion. Let's do that now.
''The color blue is associated with tranquility and psychological resource facilities like counseling centers and rehabilitation organizations often use blue paint in their decor.''
Now, something that is difficult about this question is the type of conjunction that we are using to join these ideas. Notice how ''and,'' ''so,'' and ''therefore'' all have very different connotations.
''And'' suggests that we have similar ideas.
''So'' and ''therefore'' suggest a conclusion of some kind.
We need to make sure that we are applying proper punctuation and we have a sense of the appropriate connection word between these ideas.
When we look on the left-hand side, we see that ''The color blue is associated with tranquility'' is a complete sentence; it's an independent clause.
The same goes for the sentence on the right: ''psychological resource facilities like counseling centers and rehabilitation organizations often use blue paint in their decor.'' So we know that when we have two independent clauses, we need to join them with a comma and a FANBOYS conjunction.
The only answer choice that does this is B, but let's talk about why B is our best choice. It demonstrates appropriate punctuation (a comma and a FANBOYS), but it also reflects the appropriate relationship between the ideas. Basically that because blue is a tranquil color, these organizations use blue colored paint in their decor. ''So'' is a word that shows cause and effect or conclusion. That's why B is our best answer choice.
Now notice that there is a FANBOYS conjunction in C, but there's a semicolon in front of it. That doesn't follow Comma Rule #2, so we can cross that off.
A and D do not have any punctuation separating these two ideas, so we need to cross those off as well.
Great work! Are you ready to apply Comma Rule #2 on your own? Let's dive in!
