Clearing Up Comma Confusion
As a writer, I’m often asked about commas. This little, seemingly innocent
punctuation bears the guilt of causing many a written headache…especially
when it comes to more than three items in a sequence.
Is it “Red, white, and blue?”
Or is it “Red, white and blue?”
Since this is the occurrence that seems to cause the most controversy, let’s
put it to rest. Does the last comma belong or doesn’t it? Which way is right?
Both of them. But one is a little “righter” than the other.
A little explanation: Growing up, most of us were taught in English class that
a comma comes before the “and” in the last item of a sequence (this is also
known as a serial comma). “Red, white, and blue.” Standard, basic
English. It’s usually written this way in books, letters, and other
correspondence (like this article, for example).
Here’s where the confusion comes in: most of us are so used to seeing
these sentences without the last comma. It simply doesn’t register as
incorrect.
Why? Associated Press-style writing. AP-style is the standard used by most
newspapers (which many of us read daily), and as a general rule, it leaves
out the last comma. So without realizing it, we grow accustomed to not
seeing it. It doesn’t look wrong anymore.
So what’s the right way? While its not really considered incorrect to leave out
the serial comma (due to the common deletion in newswriting), I recommend
using it because it’s really easy for the elements to “fuse together”. Think
“ham and eggs” versus “ham, and eggs.” Most style-experts outside of the
newswriting genre also advocate using the serial comma for this reason.
However, if you’re more comfortable with the AP-style writing (and if you’re a
journalist, it’s a tough habit to break), leave the comma out. Just make sure
the use is consistent throughout the piece. Don’t use it in some sequences,
and leave it out in others. It makes your writing looks messy.
For more information about commas, and other punctuation rules, here’s a
great site to visit: http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm
Happy writing!
Julie Ann Waid is owner of Waidwrites Communications, a full-
service writing and editing firm specializing in marketing
communications. Sign up for her free e-zine “J’s Communique:
Marketing Tips For Business” at www.waidwrites.com and get a free,
five day e-course "How To Get Better Results From Your Business
Writing (From Memos To Ads).
Copyright 2006, Waidwrites Communications. All Rights Reserved
As a writer, I’m often asked about commas. This little, seemingly innocent
punctuation bears the guilt of causing many a written headache…especially
when it comes to more than three items in a sequence.
Is it “Red, white, and blue?”
Or is it “Red, white and blue?”
Since this is the occurrence that seems to cause the most controversy, let’s
put it to rest. Does the last comma belong or doesn’t it? Which way is right?
Both of them. But one is a little “righter” than the other.
A little explanation: Growing up, most of us were taught in English class that
a comma comes before the “and” in the last item of a sequence (this is also
known as a serial comma). “Red, white, and blue.” Standard, basic
English. It’s usually written this way in books, letters, and other
correspondence (like this article, for example).
Here’s where the confusion comes in: most of us are so used to seeing
these sentences without the last comma. It simply doesn’t register as
incorrect.
Why? Associated Press-style writing. AP-style is the standard used by most
newspapers (which many of us read daily), and as a general rule, it leaves
out the last comma. So without realizing it, we grow accustomed to not
seeing it. It doesn’t look wrong anymore.
So what’s the right way? While its not really considered incorrect to leave out
the serial comma (due to the common deletion in newswriting), I recommend
using it because it’s really easy for the elements to “fuse together”. Think
“ham and eggs” versus “ham, and eggs.” Most style-experts outside of the
newswriting genre also advocate using the serial comma for this reason.
However, if you’re more comfortable with the AP-style writing (and if you’re a
journalist, it’s a tough habit to break), leave the comma out. Just make sure
the use is consistent throughout the piece. Don’t use it in some sequences,
and leave it out in others. It makes your writing looks messy.
For more information about commas, and other punctuation rules, here’s a
great site to visit: http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm
Happy writing!
Julie Ann Waid is owner of Waidwrites Communications, a full-
service writing and editing firm specializing in marketing
communications. Sign up for her free e-zine “J’s Communique:
Marketing Tips For Business” at www.waidwrites.com and get a free,
five day e-course "How To Get Better Results From Your Business
Writing (From Memos To Ads).
Copyright 2006, Waidwrites Communications. All Rights Reserved
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