Serial Commas

In a series that consists of three or more elements, separate the elements with commas.

• There is always one fewer comma to the list than there are items in it.



• "And" or "or" goes after the last comma in the series.

INCORRECT: I want to write a poem, an article and sidebar before I finish writing today.

CORRECT: I want to want to write a poem, an article, and a sidebar before I finish writing today.

EXPLANATION: If you insert "and" or "or" without the last comma, the sentence could be misinterpreted.That sentence could mean that the article and sidebar are related. However, the intended meaning could have been that the writer wanted to write three separate pieces; the sidebar being unrelated to the article.

As a sidebar, this very issue was the clincher for me being offered a job. I'm not sure if the interviewer was undecided, that I was equal with another applicant, and she needed a tie-breaking test. But, when she proposed this quandry and I explained the correct use of the serial comma, she became very excited and offered me the position. You just never know when something like elementary grammar knowledge is going to work in your favor!