Where are the commas in "cats and dogs"? - briefly
In the phrase "cats and dogs," there are no commas because it is a simple list of two items connected by the conjunction "and." Commas are not necessary when using "and" or "or" to join only two nouns in a series.
Where are the commas in "cats and dogs"? - in detail
In the phrase "cats and dogs," there are no commas, as it is considered a compound subject. This means that both "cats" and "dogs" are acting as the subject of the sentence, and they are connected by the conjunction "and." When two or more nouns are joined by "and" to serve as the subject of a sentence, no commas are needed before "and."
For example:
- Cats and dogs are common pets. (No comma needed)
- Apples and oranges are healthy fruits. (No comma needed)
However, if you were to list the animals with additional descriptors or in a series, commas would be necessary to separate the items. For instance:
- Cats, which are known for their independence, and dogs, which are loyal companions, make great pets. (Commas used to separate independent clauses)
In summary, the absence of commas in "cats and dogs" is due to the grammatical structure where both nouns function as a single subject.