I like apples and Peter likes oranges.

[Maybo]

I like apples and Peter likes oranges.

I found in American English, we need to add a comma before “and” in the above sentence. However, in British English, the comma is not needed. Am I right?

 

[Glizdka]

It's less of a matter of AmE vs BrE, and more of a matter of your personal preference.

Comma lovers would use it; comma minimalists wouldn't. People in between could vary in their attitude towards this particular use of the comma.

I'd say don't use a comma in sentences as short as this one.

 

[emsr2d2]

@Maybo After over 1600 posts, I think you should know that a title such as "Comma" is useless. Titles should include some/all of the words/phrases/sentences you're asking us about. The subject of the thread (in this case the use, or not, of a comma) will be clear from the rest of the contents of your post. I have changed your title this time.

 

[Skrej]

I teach my students to always use a comma before a coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses, because while it may not be necessar with such short clauses, it's not wrong to use it.

For the levels I teach, I'd rather they focus on recognizing complete and functional sentences while avoiding fragments and run-ons. Nuanced rules like 'omitting it with short enough clauses' leads to distracting 'how short is short enough' debates.

They tend to write short sentences to start with, so I'd rather them already be in the habit of using the comma as they gradually develop more sophisticated and longer sentences where it's definitely needed.

 

[Tarheel]

**I like apples, and Peter likes oranges.**

More natural, I think, is "I like apples, but Peter likes oranges." You are contrasting one thing with another.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm not sure I see the need for a conjunction at all. On the assumption that the statement is a response to something like "What fruit(s) do you and Peter like?", my reply would simply be "I like apples. Peter likes oranges".