
	Where results make sense

Topic: Serial comma

Related Topics

Prescription and description

In the News (Thu 31 Dec 09)

Northern Trust

Marvin Harrison

Peter Chernin

Gary Locke

Match Play

Penelope Cruz

Mickey Rourke

AR Rahman

Danny Boyle

Hugh Jackman

	Serial comma - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		The serial comma (also known as the Oxford comma or Harvard comma) is the comma used immediately before a conjunction (such as "and" or "or") in a list of three or more items.
		The terms "Oxford comma" and "Harvard comma" come from Oxford University Press and Harvard University Press, where use of the serial comma is the house style.
		In Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, the serial comma tends not to be used in non-academic publications unless its absence produces ambiguity.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Serial_comma (1483 words)

	Talk:Serial comma - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		I agree that "serial comma" is ambiguous, as it is occasionally (and more logically) used in sense of "one in a series of commas in a list", but this does not justify ignoring its normal and accepted use in the other sense.
		The confusion is probably caused because the section in comma articles in usage guides deals with the use of commas in a series of terms, including the particular case of 'ante-posterior' comma, which is a type of serial comma but not all serial commas are ante-posterior.
		On the other hand, here is a page suggesting 'serial comma' is a more general term, which raises the question of what is meant by 'general'.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Talk:Serial_comma (8694 words)

	Serial comma - English Grammar and Usage
		Serial comma (also known as the "Oxford comma" or "Harvard comma") is the name given to the optional final comma in a series.
		The main argument of the serial comma's adherents is that using a comma just before the final "and" or "or" of a series in some cases eliminates ambiguity.
		The serial comma, the double quotation marks, and in particular the habit of including final punctuation marks within quotation marks, are all commonly used in North America.
	grammar.wikia.com /wiki/Oxford_comma (4027 words)

	Rules of Usage. Strunk, William, Jr. 1918. Elements of Style (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21)
		This rule is difficult to apply; it is frequently hard to decide whether a single word, such as however, or a brief phrase, is or is not parenthetic.
		are always preceded by a comma, and except at the end of a sentence, followed by one.
		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.
	www.bartleby.com /141/strunk.html (1707 words)

	The Case of the Serial Comma--Solved!
		The reason for the final serial comma is to prevent the last 2 items' being confused as a unit (butter-and-eggs).
		You say in reply to an inquiry about the use of serial commas that you wonder where the notion got started that there shouldn't be any comma before the conjunction joining a string of words or phrases to the very last one in the series.
		Dropping the serial comma seems to be (1) a journalism peculiarity (and the source of Harry Shaw's dictum) and (2) a British option (hence Carey and Gowers).
	www.swcp.com /info/essays/serial-comma.htm (1914 words)

	LLRX.com -- Grammar Goddess: Comma Sense
		The overwhelming general consensus among the grammar police is that the serial comma is required in formal and business writing.
		Commas are used before conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet) that join two complete sentences (independent clauses).
		You wouldn’t use a comma in the sentence “Robert spoke and sang” for the same reason.
	www.llrx.com /columns/grammar9.htm (1102 words)

	Chicago Manual of Style - Q & A - Commas (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21)
		Commas are like parentheses when they indicate nonrestriction, so you need two of them, but in a restrictive clause you don’t need them at all: The woman who was blonde, green-eyed, and slim said hello.
		For the sake of consistency, I am considering stating in the guide that the serial comma is not to be used at all (yikes!).
		My question relates to the proper use of the comma when using a subordinate clause introduced by the pronoun “which” or “who.” My impression is that a comma to set off the clause is proper sometimes but not always.
	www.press.uchicago.edu /Misc/Chicago/cmosfaq/cmosfaq.Commas.html (2906 words)

	How to Use Commas
		Even though more commas are actually missing in the second example, it's a lesser mistake because the commas aren't used half-heartedly, with the result that the non-restrictive element is set apart from the first part of the sentence but not from the rest of the sentence.
		A comma splice is using a comma for a semicolon.
		with commas makes the manner in which he sought her heart less important than the fact that the brave knight sought the heart of the princess.: The brave knight sought the heart of the princess; oh, and by the way, he was persistent and tireless in his efforts.
	www.geocities.com /markboonejesusfreak/academic/commas (4413 words)

	P.I.T.E. - Where are the commas?
		In the U.K. and Commonwealth countries the normal guideline is to omit the serial comma.
		A comma after each cow's colour but one cow is fl and white so the 'and' is a conjunction, therefore no comma is required.
		I am from the old school of not using a serial comma before a conjuntion as that was the way I was taught in school.
	www.painintheenglish.com /post.php?id=4 (1760 words)

	President Bush to Withdraw Serial Comma (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21)
		The president's announcement comes at a time when his approval ratings are at an all-time low and a majority of the American people say they do not believe he has a plan to employ the serial comma effectively.
		In order to put a positive spin on his decision—and to avoid creating the impression that he is caving in to critics of the serial comma such as senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry—the president will reportedly declare "mission accomplished" when he announces the withdrawal of the serial comma tomorrow night.
		According to a leaked copy of his address, the president will announce: "The serial comma has faithfully discharged the duties it was sent to perform.
	www.pugbus.net /artman/publish/printer_120405_bushcomma.shtml (490 words)

	Comma before "and"
		With the serial comma, the reader can tell easily that the class ate four different dishes, not five or six, as may have been construed without that last comma.
		Without the serial comma, the sentence does not clearly indicate that the three children are to be given equal shares of the inheritance.
		Without the serial comma, the sentence could be interpreted to mean that only Betty and Harold Spivey’s children would receive a share of the inheritance.
	www.getitwriteonline.com /archive/021201.htm (643 words)

	Ineditus - Ben Cruzan (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21)
		The term “serial comma” is not in the same ilk as “serial killer.” If it were, serial comma would refer to someone who maniacally peppers his prose with superfluous punctuation, considering himself so intelligent and superior that he will never get caught.
		Serial commas, as you probably know, are far more dramatic.
		I was taught in middle school that the serial comma is the old way.
	ineditus.net (1532 words)

	"When to Use a Comma before "And""
		Two specific situations call for the use of a comma before "and." The first is created when we have three or more items in a series.
		Although it is not necessary to use a comma before "but" or "and" in these sentences, it would not be considered wrong to do so since we do, in fact, have two independent clauses in each sentence.
		Since commas are used in pairs to enclose phrases that interrupt a clause or that are intended to function parenthetically, a writer may choose to place a comma before "and" (or any of the seven coordinating conjunctions) when the conjunction launches such a phrase:
	www.getitwriteonline.com /archive/020204.htm (860 words)

	Rules for Comma Usage
		In newspaper writing, incidentally, you will seldom find a serial comma, but that is not necessarily a sign that it should be omitted in academic prose.
		We cannot say that the comma will always come before the conjunction and never after, but it would be a rare event, indeed, that we need to follow a coordinating conjunction with a comma.
		Use a comma to set off parenthetical elements, as in "The Founders Bridge, which spans the Connecticut River, is falling down." By "parenthetical element," we mean a part of a sentence that can be removed without changing the essential meaning of that sentence.
	grammar.ccc.commnet.edu /grammar/commas.htm (1956 words)

	Number 2 Pencil: Does anyone even learn about comma splices anymore?
		Misuse of the serial comma doesn't exactly get my Irish up, but never you fear, John Rosenberg is on the case:
		What these critics of rules (and, in fact, of formalism in general) miss is the fact that one of the strongest rationales for having them is, perhaps ironically, purely pragmatic and instrumental: they increase efficiency.
		The serial comma rule takes that decision off the table; if you use it for every series, you don't have to consider the clarity question on every one of them.
	www.kimberlyswygert.com /archives/002624.html (344 words)

	SparkNotes: Ultimate Style: Serial Comma
		Everyone agrees that items in a series should be separated with commas.
		But not everyone agrees that the last (serial) comma, which comes before the conjunction in a list, is necessary.
		We at SparkNotes are advocates of the serial comma.
	www.sparknotes.com /writing/style/topic_163.html (134 words)

	Grammar
		Whereas 'tis true that at one time commas were sprinkled generously to imply importance, their removal creates an even larger problem.
		However, a comma is no mere squiggle of ink to be cast aside on whim.
		Rather than being a tautological redundancy, the serial comma is a clarifying necessity.
	www.xylostyle.com /grammar_volone_issone.html (328 words)

	iwilldare.com: the battle of the serial comma (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21)
		The serial comma is superfluous, displeasant and incorrect.
		The serial comma is a necessary evil, there in part to indicate a pause.
		The serial comma is never needed as the conjunction itself is designed to separate the objects as being different.
	www.iwilldare.com /archives/002726.php (2536 words)

	"Eat Your Serial?" by the Grammar Queen - Words That Work July 2005
		A comma before the final element in a series (Larry, Moe, and Curly) often can be dropped without consequence—but not always.
		If your style is to eliminate the serial comma, writers and editors must always stop to consider whether it’s needed.
		It was popularized by newspapers, which aimed to squeeze more words into their narrow text columns by eliminating all extraneous characters, and it is well suited to direct, quick-reading newspaper prose.
	www.realedit.com /wtw_0705_gq.html (179 words)

	Hot Potato: The Final Serial Comma (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21)
		I refer to the elimination of the final comma in a series.
		In the case of apples, pears, and grapes, the comma is not absolutely essential for comprehension.
		In the case of radishes, fish and chips, Buffalo wings and thighs, and beer nuts, the final serial comma makes this long and complex series immediately comprehensible.
	www.jhcrawford.com /hot/1997-10-20_x.htm (139 words)

	Edward Champion’s Return of the Reluctant » The Oxford Comma (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21)
		Booksquare has written a passionate defense of the serial comma, pointing to Brenda Coulter’s equally vivacious endorsement of a puncutation mark too frequently used by investment bankers.
		While it is true that Strunk & White endorse the serial comma (under Section II, Rule 2), I contend that this particular puncutation rule does not apply, because their hearts are not completely into it.
		The serial comma should be used only in a sentence like “For breakfast, she ate oatmeal, shredded wheat, and corn flakes.”
	www.edrants.com /?p=2740 (1361 words)

	ILW.COM - immigration news: Comma Sense (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21)
		If you're not sure whether to use a comma, read the sentence aloud.
		Nonrestrictive phrases (parenthetical remarks) are set aside by commas.
		If the number is four digits long, a comma is optional.
	www.ilw.com /articles/2004,1022-sandford.shtm (1149 words)

	Serial Comma Stalks Grammar Community (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21)
		Police are searching for clues to lead to the arrest of a known serial comma who has been ruthlessly ripping the grammar community apart.
		One of the nouns recently separated from her series wept over the outrage.
		Proponents of the Chicago Manual of Style are overt in their support of the serial comma, no matter where it may strike next.
	www.bloomington.in.us /~propa/news/week17/2.html (228 words)

	languagehat.com: WHY SERIAL COMMAS ARE A GOOD THING.
		Not a British vs American issue, but one of house style; the serial comma is also called the Oxford comma or Harvard comma because those authorities endorse it.
		Non-use of the final comma is to some extent a British trait, but as using the comma never hurts, and omitting it sometimes produces ambiguity or oddness, there is no point in havering over whether to use it or not in this case or that.
		At the age of twelve, I once burst into tears because someone told me that the serial comma was wrong right after I had unambiguously been told that leaving out the serial comma was wrong.
	www.languagehat.com /archives/001365.php (1047 words)

	Questions & Answers: Oxford comma
		That form of punctuation is uncommon in British English, as it obviously is in South Africa, but it’s a characteristic part of the house style of the Oxford University Press, hence the name.
		It’s also called the Harvard comma from the house style of the Harvard University Press, but the more general term is serial comma.
		Perhaps the best argument for the serial comma is that apocryphal book dedication: “To my parents, Ayn Rand and God”;.
	www.worldwidewords.org /qa/qa-oxf1.htm (249 words)

	Lingua Franca - 02/10/2004: Avoid the Serial Comma...
		She's been a TV critic and a sports columnist for The Times, a book critic for The Sunday Times, and she presented Cutting a Dash, a BBC Radio 4 series which led to the writing of her world-wide bestseller, Eats, Shoots and Leaves: the Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation.
		And so there are things that are worth getting worked up about and falling out with your husband and so on, and some things that aren't.
		I heard a marvellous story the other day about—because the serial comma comes between people sometimes, the second comma; and I've heard of people falling out and divorce and so on.
	www.abc.net.au /rn/arts/ling/stories/s1203703.htm (1928 words)

	Untitled (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21)
		A serial comma (also called the Oxford comma)is the comma right before the conjunction that leads to the last item in a series:
		Use of the serial comma is a matter of style.
		Although it's not a stated rule of grammar, use of the serial comma is advised by Yours Truly—it will make your writing much more crisp, clean, and easily understood.
	www.suite101.com /print_article.cfm/english_grammar_style/70779 (239 words)

	Punctuation by Vlorbik: The Serial Comma (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21)
		It has come to my attention that certain authorities actually support the omission of the ``serial comma''.
		I now learn to my horror that the ``comma before the `and' in such a series.
		She can write fascinatingly about the serial comma, pointing out that its absence led to the remarkable book dedication, `To my parents, Ayn Rand and God'.'' This example should be decisive.
	members.aol.com /vlorbik/tenpage/commas.html (465 words)

	Booksquare » In Praise of the Serial Comma
		Leaving that third or fourth comma out is failed experiment in reworking the punctuation rules — sort of like new math, whatever that was.
		So seriously that she points us to a entire article about the beauty and joy that is the serial comma.
		While I am in complete agreement with the need for the serial comma, in Jill’s sort of defense (g), I have to tell you all that the publisher Jill (and I) writes for doesn’t use it.
	www.booksquare.com /archives/2006/02/09/1802 (564 words)

	The Serial Comma \| Writing Guide \| English Rules (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21)
		The main reason for using the serial, or Oxford, comma is that it helps avoid a reader's momentary confusion.
		Here it makes sense to drop the comma before the "and" because Frost is saying that the woods are lovely in that they are dark and deep, rather than saying that the woods are lovely and dark and deep.
		Apparently, some poetry anthology editors have added the comma before the "and," even though Frost didn't include it in his published version of the poem.
	www.englishrules.com /writing/2005/the-serial-comma.php (337 words)

Try your search on: Qwika (all wikis)