6 CHAPTER II.ELEMENTARY RULES OF USAGE Similar in principle to the enclosing of parenthetic expressions between commas is the setting off by commas of phrases or dependent clauses preceding or following the main clause of a sentence.The sentences quoted in this section and under Rules 4,5,6,7, 16,and 18 should afford sufficient guidance. If a parenthetic expression is preceded by a conjunction,place the first comma before the conjunction,not after it. He saw us coming,and unaware that we had learned of his treachery,greeted us with a smile. 4.Place a comma before and or but introducing an independent clause The early records of the city have disappeared,and the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed The situation is perilous,but there is still one chance of escape. Sentences of this type,isolated from their context,may seem to be in need of rewrit- ing.As they make complete sense when the comma is reached,the second clause has the appearance of an after-thought.Further,and,is the least specific of connectives. Used between independent clauses,it indicates only that a relation exists between them without defining that relation.In the example above,the relation is that of cause and result.The two sentences might be rewritten: As the early records of the city have disappeared,the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed. Although the situation is perilous,there is still one chance of escape Or the subordinate clauses might be replaced by phrases: Owing to the disappearance of the early records of the city,the story of its first years can no longer be recon- structed. In this perilous situation,there is still one chance of escape.6 CHAPTER II. ELEMENTARY RULES OF USAGE Similar in principle to the enclosing of parenthetic expressions between commas is the setting off by commas of phrases or dependent clauses preceding or following the main clause of a sentence. The sentences quoted in this section and under Rules 4, 5, 6, 7, 16, and 18 should afford sufficient guidance. If a parenthetic expression is preceded by a conjunction, place the first comma before the conjunction, not after it. He saw us coming, and unaware that we had learned of his treachery, greeted us with a smile. 4. Place a comma before and or but introducing an independent clause The early records of the city have disappeared, and the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed. The situation is perilous, but there is still one chance of escape. Sentences of this type, isolated from their context, may seem to be in need of rewrit￾ing. As they make complete sense when the comma is reached, the second clause has the appearance of an after-thought. Further, and, is the least specific of connectives. Used between independent clauses, it indicates only that a relation exists between them without defining that relation. In the example above, the relation is that of cause and result. The two sentences might be rewritten: As the early records of the city have disappeared, the story of its first years can no longer be reconstructed. Although the situation is perilous, there is still one chance of escape. Or the subordinate clauses might be replaced by phrases: Owing to the disappearance of the early records of the city, the story of its first years can no longer be recon￾structed. In this perilous situation, there is still one chance of escape