Re: The last comma

Article View: bit.listserv.copyediting-l

Article #161

Back to bit.listserv.copyediting-l Previous Next

#161

From: Cheong Yun Wan
Date: Sat, 06 Aug 1994 02:34

15 lines
1577 bytes

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

Strunk and White (_The Elements of Style_, 3rd edition, p. 2) agrees with
the recommendation of the _Oxford Dictionary for Writers & Editors_ (1991
edition, p.329): Use a comma after each item in a series with three or more
items with a single conjunction.

-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-

Y.W. Cheong, editor, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore
e-mail: yunwan@merlion.iseas.ac.sg
Opinions expressed are mine.

-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-w-m-

Technical Details

Message-ID: <199408060232.KAA11635@merlion.iseas.ac.sg>

Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!bga.com!news.sprintlink.net!primenet!netnews.asu.edu !netnews.asu.edu!netnews

Show Full Headers

Complete Article Headers

X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit
X-Google-Thread: 168819,b8e6fd1017549be9
X-Google-Attributes: gid168819,public
X-Google-ArrivalTime: 1994-08-05 19:34:57 PST
Sender: Postmaster@netnewsinre.asu.edu
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.copyediting-l
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!bga.com!news.sprintlink.net!primenet!netnews.asu.edu      !netnews.asu.edu!netnews
Comments: Gated by news.asu.edu
Comments: gating comments -> Thom.McCarty@asu.edu
Return-Path: <copyediting-l@cornell.edu>
Errors-To: bgl1@cornell.edu
Message-ID: <199408060232.KAA11635@merlion.iseas.ac.sg>
Comment:  Copy Editors and Editing
Originator: copyediting-l@cornell.edu
Errors-To: bgl1@cornell.edu
Reply-To: copyediting-l@cornell.edu
Sender: copyediting-l@cornell.edu
Version: 5.5 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas
From: yunwan@merlion.iseas.ac.sg (Cheong Yun Wan)
Subject: Re: The last comma
Date: Fri, 5 Aug 1994 22:34:57 -0400
Lines: 18