Final answer:
The coordinating conjunction 'nor' is used to connect two negative alternatives, commonly preceded by 'neither,' or following another negative statement. It requires a comma when joining two independent clauses, and helps in avoiding run-on sentences or comma splices when used correctly.
Step-by-step explanation:
The coordinating conjunction is used in sentences to connect two negative alternatives or to indicate that neither of two things is true or applicable. It's generally used in a pair with 'neither,' which precedes the first of the two negative alternatives. For example, 'Neither John nor Mary is attending the party.' If 'nor' is used without 'neither,' it typically follows another negative statement, as in 'The town does not support the proposal, nor does the mayor.' When using nor to join two independent clauses, just like with other coordinating conjunctions, it is common to place a comma before 'nor' when it precedes the second clause, but not when it connects two items within a clause.
Remember, coordinating conjunctions like 'nor' should not be used to create long strings of independent clauses, as this can result in a run-on sentence. The use of 'nor' in a sentence should be limited to connecting two clauses at most. Also, a common error to avoid is a comma splice, where two independent clauses are incorrectly joined with just a comma. In such cases, you could use 'nor' with a preceding comma to correct the error and construct a compound sentence.