Using serial commas before and after book

There are some rare exceptions though, where the oxford comma must be used. In english language punctuation, a serial comma, or series comma also called an oxford comma or harvard comma, is a comma placed immediately before the coordinating conjunction usually and or or in a series of three or more terms. So for company names in chicago style, youd write, smith, jones, comma and. Serial commas and serial semicolons by erika suffern serial commas. Serial comma oxford comma as mentioned above, when you are listing three or more items, commas should separate each element of the list. Commas with names and titles, simplified the critical reader. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after. Dont switch back and forth in the same document between using the oxford comma and not using it. Some writers omit it, but doing so can cause confusion. But, as with wearing white in october, there are factors to consider before making your choice. Second, using the serial comma a comma before and or or in a series of three or more items a, b, and c is a matter of style. Use a comma to mark each separate element in a series. There are a few exceptions that require you to use the oxford comma in a list, but they are pretty rare. Generally, british english does not make use of this extra comma, but most publications on the us do.

One of the most frequent errors in comma usage is the placement of a comma after a coordinating conjunction. If i have 3 editors for a book, endnote gives me the following citation. I have looked through the entire comma, list, and conjunction sections of cmos, but do not see any guidance. Using a comma before and in a series get it write online. Your side, my side, and their side business writing. Highbrow publications in one corner and, in the comma hating corner. Every school text i ever used said to use a comma before every item in a series of 3 or more. Despite the fact that not all style books agree on this issue, we recommend using a comma after the nexttolast item in a seriesthe serial or oxford or harvard. According to the little, brown handbook fowler and aaron, 12th ed, the rule is. British english vs american english the serial comma. The serial comma is the comma before the final and in a series. The serial comma is the one before and in a series of three or more things.

I have my college writing book right here, and it says to use the comma before and. Without a serial comma, you cant be sure whether the last recipe is a combination of peanut butter and chocolate chip or a combination of chocolate chip and coconut. Serial commas and serial semicolons the mla style center. One such thing is the serial comma, a naughty little comma that has become the subject of much debate across the web and between publishing houses worldwide. Commas before and in a series grammar and punctuation. Or more accurately, the serial comma, also known as the oxford or harvard comma depending on where youre from, which comes after the penultimate item and before. However, in recent years i have increasingly seen us publications not follow this rule. That clauses following a verb expressing mental action are always essential. For example, i can say that i like apples, bananas, and oranges, but some stylebooks would tell me to take out the comma after bananas. In a series of three or more items, use a comma before the final and or or. The sentence is correct with or without the comma before and. Whether or not you decide to use the serial, or oxford, comma before the final and or or in the list is up to you. It is possible to follow an and with a comma that serves another function.

There are some cases where you know you should use a comma such as when separating items in a list but there are other times when you might be unsure whether or not a comma is needed while theres some degree of flexibility in how commas are used, its important to have a clear grasp of the rules. Its kind of like wearing white after labor daysome say its fine, some. With the exception of newspapers, most publications use the serial comma. I dedicate this book to my parents, ingrid and god. Use commas after introductory a clauses, b phrases, or c words that come before the main clause. Comma before and that joins two independent clauses.

The serial comma is an extra comma you will often see placed before andor in us based english. Is it grammaticaly correct to place a comma after and. With the exception of newspapers, most publications use the serial comma, because it helps writers avoid ambiguity. Barack obama, and the prime minister of australia, then each of those. However, the final commathe one that comes before the and is optional. Ive recently received a handful of questions asking for clarification about rule governing the use of commas with names and titles. If the series includes internal commas that necessitate semicolons or uses a conjunction such as and, include the comma. Before we talk about commas, there is something important that you need to know. After all this year i always use there is no comma before and. But, if youre talking about using a comma before and in a list of things, that is definitely a style rule.

This week we address the serial comma, seventh in the list of the top 10 most common apa style errors as identified by onwuegbuzie, combs, slate, and frels 2010. Some writers struggle with the question of when to put a comma before the word and. 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. Known as the oxford or serial comma, it is mandatory in us english. If you have an appositive phrase, and it has a conjuction like this one, use the comma. I have seen various books from 19th c or before which regularly include the comma after. Both are correct, as commas must be used after every clause, except the one that comes before and.

Do not use commas if all the items are separated by and or or. Without a serial comma placed after peach or after mango, it isnt clear if peach and. Whether to use the serial comma is a style issue, which is why patti and her. Commas should sometimes be placed before and after names and titles. This comma precedes the final item in a list or series, before the word and or or. How to use commas in associated press style pen and the pad. Thats why i am on the side of always using the serial comma before the conjunction rather than using it.

Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases. The final comma in a list of items is known as an oxford comma or serial comma. Whether or not you use the serial comma is a style choice. In your own writing, you can decide for yourself whether to use it or notjust be consistent. The following book was published by verso in london, so the serial comma is not added.

Writers frequently wonder whether a comma should go before the conjunction and in a list of three or more items. The proper place for the comma is before the conjunction. The word and is a conjunction, and when a conjunction joins two independent clauses, you should use a comma with it. Keep in mind, though, that occasionally the serial comma is necessary for clarity. I am sure at one point i read that if you have a list with items separated by the word or, you do not need a comma. At one time the brits did use it, but without wanting to get all historical, lets just make sure we get this right. With the exception of newspapers, most publications use the serial comma, because it helps writers. Chicago, apa, and other style guides for us english require a comma before the conjunction in a series of three or more items, per strunk and white. When where serves as an adverb, it generally does not take comma before it. Patti and her friends are debating about the serial comma the comma that comes before the final conjunction in a list. Use one comma before to indicate the beginning of the pause and one at the end to indicate the end of the pause. Commas can be a particularly tricky punctuation mark. Common starter words for introductory clauses that should be followed by a comma include after, although, as, because, if, since, when, while.

Before fists start flying, let me say that, in my experience, theres a clear divide between two camps regarding use of a comma before the conjunction in a series of three or more items. My favorite cereals are cheerios, raisin bran, and shredded wheat. By their very definition, they give us more information about the noun that they are renaming. 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.

You already know that appositives are nouns that rename other nouns. Erika suffern is the head of book publications at the mla. Commas are used to separate items in a series of three or more nouns or two or more coordinate adjectives. Well, by not using the serial comma between god and mother teresa.

In ap style, omit the comma before the last item in a simple series, such as joe, john and steve. Do not use commas to set off essential elements of the sentence, such as clauses beginning with that relative clauses. I dedicate this book to my parents, ayn rand, and god. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction and, but, yet, so, or nor, for when it. Commas before and in a series grammar blog blue book of.

The following are simple examples of serial commas. Lets start with the fact that unless a name or title is the last words in a sentence, it can either be used with no commas at all, or with a comma both before and after. The exception to the rule is in newspapers and magazine because they like to save space. Use commas to separate items in series, and use commas to separate certain kinds of clauses. I dedicate this book to my parents, ayn rand and god. Perhaps no mark of punctuation ruffles feathers more than the serial comma also called series comma, oxford comma, and harvard comma. In your example, im not really sure why you put a comma before and, but my understanding is that you use a comma before. According to the website box office mojo, the topgrossing movies of all time in the united states are currently avatar, titanic, and the dark knight. Use a comma before and after certain introductory words or terms, such as namely, that is, i.

Normally there might be a slight pause at the commas when reading the sentence, but a slight pause when reading is not a reason to introduce a comma when the grammar does not require it the book title, book, is not parenthetical content in your sentence. Manual of style say you should always use the serial comma before and. For many years i did not use the serial comma and thats perfectly acceptable, but once i ran across a couple of sentences that gained clarity by using it, i switched over. After the recent court case involving the serial comma, i am trying to be even more diligent.