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I could do this myself, but I suggest you follow the manual.

In the above sentence, does "I could do this myself" count as an introductory clause? Or does the conjunction modify it?

Also, is it wrong of me to use the comma after 'myself'? Or a matter of choice?

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General Reference. Here's the top result from googling grammar but two clauses – FumbleFingers Oct 5 '12 at 4:52

closed as general reference by FumbleFingers, MετάEd, Daniel δ, StoneyB, coleopterist Oct 7 '12 at 20:02

This question is too basic; it can be definitively and permanently answered by a single link to a standard internet reference source designed specifically to find that type of information. See the FAQ for guidance on how to improve it.

1 Answer

up vote 3 down vote accepted

The sentence does not have an introductory clause. Rather, it consists of two independent clauses:

  1. I could do this myself
  2. I suggest you follow the manual

Note how each one could be a complete sentence on its own. Joining them requires both the comma and the conjunction ("but").

An introductory clause, in contrast, is usually a dependent clause that begins with an adverb (see the Purdue Online Writing Lab for more examples). Rewriting the sentence to use an introductory clause might yield:

Although I could do this myself, I suggest you follow the manual.

Note that the first part of the sentence can no longer stand on its own, and there is no conjunction, but the comma is still required.

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That makes perfect sense. Thanks. – Joe White Oct 5 '12 at 1:48

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