The comma before and is the serial comma. The comma used before a conjunction linking the final item in a series as in Portugal Spain and France where the comma after Spain is the serial comma.
End The Debate Why The Oxford Comma Or Serial Comma Is So Cool Writer S Digest
Use of the Oxford comma is stylistic meaning that some style guides demand its use while others dont.
Serial comma examples. Mom dad Ayn Rand and God. He was unsure if the paper would require minimal revision rewriting or rethinking or replacement. In some cases the serial comma will be required even if you normally avoid it since otherwise your list will be unclear.
At one time the Brits did use it but without wanting to get all historical lets just make sure we get this right. Lia ordered three smoothies. The serial comma is the comma that comes before the conjunction.
The Oxford or serial comma is the final comma in a list of things. On the other hand The Chicago Manual of Style advocates for always using a serial comma. My estate is to be divided equally among Susan John Sam and Bill That could lead to Susan and John each getting a third while Sam and Bill are left with one sixth apiece.
Committee chair second committee member and university research reviewer. I am a staunch believer in the serial comma ie the Oxford comma. Take a look at these hilarious examples of real-world sentences that are sorely missing a serial comma.
The Wild the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle. Without a serial comma placed after peach or after mango it isnt clear if peach and mango is one flavor or if. Another case where leaving the comma out can be confusing is when the later items in the list can describe an earlier item.
An oft-cited example is the made-up book dedication To my parents Ayn Rand and God. I like cookies cupcakes and gumdrops. When Do I Use the Serial Comma.
Rachael Ray finds inspiration in cooking her family and her dog OK this freewheeling headline forgoes all punctuation. But without the serial comma you could also conclude that the two parents. Tuesday September 20th 2011.
For example AP Stylebook doesnt use the Oxford comma unless its absolutely essential to preserve a sentences meaning. Here are some examples of correctly using the serial comma. Please bring me a pencil eraser and notebook.
A serial comma simply means that a comma will separate each element in a series of three or more even before the coordinating conjunctions and and before or The following are simple examples that use serial commas. Generally British English does not make use of this extra comma but most publications on the US do. Strawberry peach and mango and pineapple.
Factors of personality include extraversion conscientiousness openness to experience agreeableness and neuroticism. Also known as the Oxford comma the serial comma is the final comma in a list of three items or more and it is used immediately before and or and occasionally nor. The flag is red white and blue.
Qualitative quantitative and mixed-method studies. The serial comma is the comma before the conjunction in a list eg. And may just prove the point that commas in general are needed but technically it is missing a serial comma too.
A serial comma is the optional comma used at the end of a list. A reasonable reader would assume there are four entities being thanked. For example if Simon Garfunkel had recorded their classic album Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme under APA Records which doesnt actually exist then that album would have been titled Parsley Sage Rosemary and.
This image courtesy of The Gloss illustrates why. Use a serial comma also called an Oxford comma Harvard comma or series comma between elements in a series of three or more items. The example Ive often seen citing the serial commas importance is the one of a will.
The Oxford comma comes right after eraser. The simple answer is that in Australia and New Zealand we dont routinely make use of the serial comma. Three predicate adjectives In her will the woman left jewelry coins stocks and bonds but no cash.
The most common conjunctions in a list are and and or. Heres an example where omitting the serial comma results in ambiguity. The serial comma is an extra comma you will often see placed before andor in US based English.
Strippers JFK and Stalin Illustrate Why You Should Use the Serial Comma. Four direct objects of the transitive verb left The director the assistant chief and the chairperson held a confidential meeting. If youre writing for a company or organization the using a serial comma likely depends on the style guide youre following.