Re: The last comma

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#145

From: Bill Walsh
Date: Fri, 05 Aug 1994 19:41

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Carol Reid writes:

>  Should the last item in a series be preceded by a comma (before the
>  word and or not? 

This argument is an old chestnut, and the answer is "It's up to you -- 
just be consistent." Associated Press style, followed by most U.S. 
newspapers, omits the serial comma unless the items in the series are 
unusually long or any of them contains an "and."

Use of the serial comma is preferred in more scholarly contexts (such as 
libraries :-) ), so it could be argued that this is "more correct."

Personally, I'm strangely indecisive on this point.

-- Bill Walsh
   Copy Desk Chief
   The Washington Times

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From: Bill Walsh <bwalsh@access.digex.net>
Subject: Re: The last comma
Date: Fri, 5 Aug 1994 15:41:58 -0400
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