Is a comma really necessary after the last element in a list of three or more?: Difference between revisions

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Technically, using a comma after the last element in a list of three or more is not necessary. However, it does help to ensure that the last two items in the list are not misinterpreted.
Consider these examples:
Consider these examples:


: Uncle Charlie left me all of his investments, real estate, and stocks.
: Uncle Charlie wanted me to pick up some bread, eggs, macaroni, and cheese.
: Uncle Charlie left me all of his investments, real estate and stocks.
: Uncle Charlie wanted me to pick up some bread, eggs, macaroni and cheese.
 
The last sentence would not be grammatically correct if the desired item was macaroni and cheese due to the lack of a conjunction before the word macaroni. Yet, seeing these two words placed together in this manner would cause someone to question the meaning. According to Aaron, adding a final comma in a list "is never wrong, and it always helps the reader see the last two items as separate".<ref>Aaron, Jane. The Little, Brown Compact Handbook With Exercises. 7th ed. New York: Longman, 2010. 310. Print. </ref>
 
==Conflicting Viewpoints==


Williams states that both are correct, while Strunk and White consider only the first example acceptable. With further consideration, the former makes more sense because it distinguishes three distinct elements in a will. The second example leaves more room for interpretation: did Uncle Charlie leave all of his real estate and stock investments only, or all of his investments, including real estate and stocks? The former example leaves no room for error, while the latter could be interpreted in two ways.
Even though some say that using a comma at the end of a series is not wrong, there are professional who believe that it is incorrect. For instance, the University of Wisconsin says that usage in this manner should not be done. <ref>"10 Simple Rules for Using Commas." . University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Web. 9 Nov 2013. <http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/maguirem/10rules.html>. </ref> Whereas the Purdue University says that using the comma before the conjunction is perfectly acceptable. <ref>"Extended Rules for Using Commas." Purdue Online Writing Lab. Purdue University. Web. 9 Nov 2013. <https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02/>. </ref> Whether you choose to use a comma after the last item or not, it is very important that you remain consistent throughout the entire work that you are writing.  


Use a comma after each element in a list to avoid confusion.
==References==
# Aaron, Jane. The Little, Brown Compact Handbook With Exercises. 7th ed. New York: Longman, 2010. 310.
# "10 Simple Rules for Using Commas." . University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Web. 9 Nov 2013. <http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/maguirem/10rules.html>.
# "Extended Rules for Using Commas." Purdue Online Writing Lab. Purdue University. Web. 9 Nov 2013. <https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02/>.  


Many journalists and business writers will insist that no comma is necessary, or even wrong, before the and. If it comes down to it, do what your editor tells you to do, whether she is your English Professor or your boss.


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[[Composition FAQ]]
[[Composition FAQ]]
[[Category:Composition|Comma]]

Latest revision as of 20:40, 9 November 2013

Technically, using a comma after the last element in a list of three or more is not necessary. However, it does help to ensure that the last two items in the list are not misinterpreted.

Consider these examples:

Uncle Charlie wanted me to pick up some bread, eggs, macaroni, and cheese.
Uncle Charlie wanted me to pick up some bread, eggs, macaroni and cheese.

The last sentence would not be grammatically correct if the desired item was macaroni and cheese due to the lack of a conjunction before the word macaroni. Yet, seeing these two words placed together in this manner would cause someone to question the meaning. According to Aaron, adding a final comma in a list "is never wrong, and it always helps the reader see the last two items as separate".[1]

Conflicting Viewpoints

Even though some say that using a comma at the end of a series is not wrong, there are professional who believe that it is incorrect. For instance, the University of Wisconsin says that usage in this manner should not be done. [2] Whereas the Purdue University says that using the comma before the conjunction is perfectly acceptable. [3] Whether you choose to use a comma after the last item or not, it is very important that you remain consistent throughout the entire work that you are writing.

References

  1. Aaron, Jane. The Little, Brown Compact Handbook With Exercises. 7th ed. New York: Longman, 2010. 310.
  2. "10 Simple Rules for Using Commas." . University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Web. 9 Nov 2013. <http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/maguirem/10rules.html>.
  3. "Extended Rules for Using Commas." Purdue Online Writing Lab. Purdue University. Web. 9 Nov 2013. <https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02/>.


Composition FAQ

  1. ↑ Aaron, Jane. The Little, Brown Compact Handbook With Exercises. 7th ed. New York: Longman, 2010. 310. Print.
  2. ↑ "10 Simple Rules for Using Commas." . University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Web. 9 Nov 2013. <http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/maguirem/10rules.html>.
  3. ↑ "Extended Rules for Using Commas." Purdue Online Writing Lab. Purdue University. Web. 9 Nov 2013. <https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/02/>.
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