Editing Serial comma (section)

==<span id="Usage"></span><span id="Recommendations by style guides"></span>Recommendations by style guides==

[[Lynne Truss]] writes: "There are people who embrace the Oxford comma, and people who don't, and I'll just say this: ''never'' get between these people when drink has been taken."<ref name="shoots"/>

Omitting a serial comma is often characterized as a journalistic style of writing, as contrasted with a more academic or formal style.<ref name=Gramlich/><ref name=":2">{{cite web |first=Troy |last=Reimink |url=http://www.record-eagle.com/news/local_news/troy-reimink-the-oxford-comma-is-an-abomination-but-it/article_53963e17-3238-5579-a5af-78b833c223fa.html |title=The Oxford comma is an abomination, but it's now the law |newspaper=[[The Traverse City Record-Eagle]] |date=February 16, 2018 |access-date=March 3, 2018 |archive-date=February 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216234223/http://www.record-eagle.com/news/local_news/troy-reimink-the-oxford-comma-is-an-abomination-but-it/article_53963e17-3238-5579-a5af-78b833c223fa.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=BusInsider>{{cite web |first=Gus |last=Lubin |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/do-you-need-the-oxford-comma-2013-9 |title=The Oxford Comma Is Extremely Overrated |work=[[Business Insider]] |date=September 20, 2013 |access-date=March 3, 2018 |archive-date=March 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304054722/http://www.businessinsider.com/do-you-need-the-oxford-comma-2013-9 |url-status=live }}</ref> Journalists typically do not use the comma, possibly for economy of space.<ref name=":4">{{cite book | year = 2003 | author = Bryan A. Garner | title = Garner's Modern American Usage | location = New York | publisher = Oxford University Press | page = [https://archive.org/details/garnersmodername00garn/page/654 654] | isbn = 0-19-516191-2 | url = https://archive.org/details/garnersmodername00garn/page/654 }}</ref> In Australia and Canada, the comma is typically avoided in non-academic publications unless its absence produces ambiguity.

It is important that the serial comma's usage within a document be consistent;<ref name=Fowlers2015/> inconsistent usage can seem unprofessional.<ref name=BusInsider/>

===Mainly American style guides supporting mandatory or typical use===
;The [[United States Government Printing Office]]'s ''Style Manual''
:"After each member within a series of three or more words, phrases, letters, or figures used with ''and'', ''or'', or ''nor''." It notes that an age ("70 years 11 months 6 days") is not a series and should not take commas.<ref name="usgo">{{cite book |chapter=8. Punctuation |year=2008 |title=GPO Style Manual |edition=30th |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |location=Washington, DC |isbn=978-0-16-081813-4 |page=201 |chapter-url=http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2008_style_manual&docid=f:chapter8.pdf#page=9 |url=https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008/html/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008-1.htm |access-date=June 9, 2010 |archive-date=August 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240831005909/https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008/html/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008-1.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
;Wilson Follett's ''Modern American Usage: A Guide'' ([[Random House]], 1981), pp.&nbsp;397–401:
:"What, then, are the arguments for omitting the last comma? Only one is cogent – the saving of space. In the narrow width of a newspaper column this saving counts for more than elsewhere, which is why the omission is so nearly universal in journalism. But here or anywhere one must question whether the advantage outweighs the confusion caused by the omission. … The recommendation here is that [writers] use the comma between all members of a series, including the last two, on the common-sense ground that to do so will preclude ambiguities and annoyances at a negligible cost."<ref>{{cite web |title=The Case of the Serial Comma-Solved! |publisher=Swcp.com |url=http://www.swcp.com/info/essays/serial-comma.htm |access-date=February 10, 2013 |archive-date=December 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205035832/http://www.swcp.com/info/essays/serial-comma.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
;''[[The Chicago Manual of Style]]'', 16th edition (University of Chicago Press, 2010), paragraph 6.18
:"When a conjunction joins the last two elements in a series of three or more, a comma … should appear before the conjunction. Chicago strongly recommends this widely practiced usage." In answer to a reader's query, ''The Chicago Manual of Style Online'' notes that their style guide has been recommending use of the serial comma ever since the first edition in 1906, but also qualifies this, saying "the serial comma is optional; some mainstream style guides (such as the [[Associated Press]]) don't use it. … there are times when using the comma (or omitting it) results in ambiguity, which is why it's best to stay flexible."<ref name="CMOS Online">{{cite web |date=January 6, 2016 |title=Browse Q & A: Commas |website=The Chicago Manual of Style Online |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |url=http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/Commas/faq0066.html |access-date=March 3, 2018 |archive-date=March 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303165547/http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/Commas/faq0066.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
;''[[The Elements of Style]]'' (Strunk and White, 4th edition 1999), Rule 2<ref name="Strunk & White"/>
:"In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last." This has been recommended in ''The Elements of Style'' since the first edition by Strunk in 1918.<ref name="CMOS Online"/>
;The ''[[American Medical Association]] Manual of Style'', 9th edition (1998) Chapter 6.2.1
:"Use a comma before the conjunction that precedes the last term in a series."
;''[[APA style|The Publication Manual]] of the [[American Psychological Association]]'', 6th edition (2010) Chapter 4.03
:"Use a comma between elements (including before ''and'' and ''or'') in a series of three or more items."
;''The [[Council of Science Editors|CSE]] Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers'' (Council of Science Editors, 7th edition, 2006), Section 5.3.3.1
:"To separate the elements (words, phrases, clauses) of a simple series of more than 2 elements, including a comma before the closing 'and' or 'or' (the so-called serial comma). Routine use of the serial comma helps to prevent ambiguity."
;''[[Garner's Modern English Usage]]'', 4th edition (Oxford University Press, 2016), "Punctuation," § D, "Comma", p.&nbsp;748
:"Whether to include the serial comma has sparked many arguments. But it's easily answered in favor of inclusion because omitting the final comma may cause ambiguities, whereas including it never will{{snd}} e.g.: 'A and B, C and D, E and F[,] and G and H'."
;''MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing'' ([[Modern Language Association]] 2008), paragraph 3.4.2.b
:"Use commas to separate words, phrases, and clauses in a series."
;''AAMT Book of Style for Medical Transcription''
:"Medical transcriptionists use the serial comma when two medications or diagnoses must be seen as separate; i.e., for 'The patient was on Aspirin, Coversyl, and Dilaudid', the comma is used before 'and' to avoid the reader erroneously thinking that Coversyl and Dilaudid must be taken together."<ref>The AAMT Book of Style for Medical Transcription, Claudia Tessier, {{ISBN|0-935229-22-1}}, Modesto, California, USA. Page 309.</ref>
;''AIP Style Manual'', American Institute of Physics, fourth edition, 1990
:"A comma goes before 'and' or 'or' in a series of three or more: Sn, K, Na, and Li lines are invisible."
;''Plain English Handbook'', Revised Edition (McCormick-Mathers Publishing Co., 1959), § 483, p.&nbsp;78
:"Use commas to separate the items in a series of words, phrases, or short clauses:
:The farmer sold corn, hay, oats, potatoes, and wheat."

===Mainly American style guides opposing typical use===
;''[[The New York Times]]'' stylebook<ref>{{cite news|title= Talk to the Newsroom: Director of Copy Desks Merrill Perlman|last= Perlman|first= Merrill|date= March 6, 2007|newspaper= The New York Times}}</ref>
:"In general, do not use a comma before ''and'' or ''or'' in a series."
;''The [[AP Stylebook]]''<ref>{{cite book| editor = Norman Goldstein| title = The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law| year = 2002| publisher = Perseus| location = Cambridge, Massachusetts| pages = [https://archive.org/details/associatedpress000gold/page/329 329–330]| isbn = 0-7382-0740-3| url = https://archive.org/details/associatedpress000gold/page/329}}</ref>
:"Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series. […] Put a comma before the concluding conjunction in a series, however, if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction: ''I had orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs for breakfast.'' Use a comma also before the concluding conjunction in a complex series of phrases: ''The main points to consider are whether the athletes are skillful enough to compete, whether they have the stamina to endure the training, and whether they have the proper mental attitude.'' In the United States, the choice is between journalistic style (no serial comma) and "literary" style (with serial comma); consistent use of the serial comma is usually recommended for college writing."<ref name=Gramlich>{{Cite journal|journal=Hohonu|year=2005|volume=3|issue=3|first=Andy|last=Gramlich|title=Commas: the biggest little quirks in the English language|page=71|url=https://hilo.hawaii.edu/campuscenter/hohonu/volumes/documents/Vol03x16Commas.pdf|access-date=December 17, 2013|quote=It's just a matter of STYLE, and in this case, newspaper or literary (book) style. . . . Choose one style or the other the authorities say, but be consistent. Most writers recommend the literary style in college writing to avoid possible confusion . . .|archive-date=August 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807071316/https://hilo.hawaii.edu/campuscenter/hohonu/volumes/documents/Vol03x16Commas.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Mainly British style guides supporting mandatory or typical use===
;''[[MHRA Style Guide]]'' ([[Modern Humanities Research Association]]), 3rd edition (2013)<ref name=mhra>{{Cite book |title=MHRA Style Guide: a handbook for authors, editors, and writers of theses |edition=3rd |year=2013 |place=London |publisher=Modern Humanities Research Association |pages=33–4 |isbn=978-1-78188-009-8 |url=http://www.mhra.org.uk/Publications/Books/StyleGuide/index.html |access-date=April 19, 2013 |archive-date=November 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105003016/http://www.mhra.org.uk/Publications/Books/StyleGuide/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
:"In an enumeration of three or more items, the practice in MHRA journals is to insert commas after all but the last item, to give equal weight to each enumerated element. … The conjunctions ''and'' and ''or'' without a preceding comma are understood as linking the parts of a single enumerated element"
:But paragraph 5.1<ref name=mhra/> says "The comma after the penultimate item may be omitted in books published by the MHRA, as long as the sense is clear."

===Mainly British style guides opposing typical use===
;''[[The Times]]'' style manual<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/tools_and_services/specials/style_guide/article986734.ece|title= Online Style Guide&nbsp;– P|access-date= March 22, 2008|date= December 16, 2005|newspaper= [[The Times]]|pages= (see ''punctuation/commas'')|location= London|first= Jeremy|last= Kelly|archive-date= September 24, 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110924201316/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/tools_and_services/specials/style_guide/article986734.ece|url-status= dead}}</ref>
:"Avoid the so-called ''Oxford comma''; say 'he ate bread, butter and jam' rather than 'he ate bread, butter, and jam'."
;''[[The Economist]]'' Style Guide<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.economist.com/style-guide/commas | newspaper=The Economist | title=Style Guide | access-date=April 19, 2013 | date=October 18, 2011 | archive-date=September 23, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923130025/http://www.economist.com/style-guide/commas | url-status=live }}</ref>
:"Do not put a comma before ''and'' at the end of a sequence of items unless one of the items includes another ''and''. Thus 'The doctor suggested an aspirin, half a grapefruit and a cup of broth. But he ordered scrambled eggs, whisky and soda, and a selection from the trolley.{{'"}}
:"Sometimes it is essential: compare 'I dedicate this book to my parents, [[Martin Amis]], and [[JK Rowling]]' with 'I dedicate this book to my parents, Martin Amis and JK Rowling'."
;University of Oxford Public Affairs Directorate Writing and Style Guide (2016)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/public_affairs/services_and_resources/style_guide/punctuation.html#acomma|title=Punctuation&nbsp;– University of Oxford|publisher=Public Affairs, University of Oxford|access-date=June 1, 2012|archive-date=March 30, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330101320/http://www.ox.ac.uk/public_affairs/services_and_resources/style_guide/punctuation.html#acomma|url-status=dead}}</ref>
:"Note that there is generally no comma between the penultimate item and 'and'/'or' – this is sometimes referred to as the 'Oxford comma'. However, it is essential to use an Oxford comma if required to prevent ambiguity."

===Mainly British style guides that consider it generally unnecessary but discretionary===
;''[[The Guardian]] Style Guide''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/styleguide/o |title=Guardian and Observer style guide: O |access-date=April 1, 2010 |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=December 19, 2008 |archive-date=November 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109084838/http://www.theguardian.com/styleguide/o |url-status=live }}</ref>
:"A comma before the final 'and' in lists: straightforward ones (he ate ham, eggs and chips) do not need one, but sometimes it can help the reader (he ate cereal, kippers, bacon, eggs, toast and marmalade, and tea)."
;''[[The Cambridge Guide to English Usage]]''<ref>{{cite book|last=Peters|first=Pam|author-link=Pam Peters|title=The Cambridge Guide to English Usage|year=2004|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge, England|isbn=0-521-62181-X|title-link=The Cambridge Guide to English Usage}}</ref>
:"In British practice there's an Oxford/Cambridge divide … In Canada and Australia the serial comma is recommended only to prevent ambiguity or misreading."
;''[[Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage]]'', 4th edition, 2015<ref name="Fowlers2015">{{Cite book| last1=Fowler |first1=Henry Watson |editor1-last=Butterfield |editor1-first=Jeremy |title= Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-966135-0}}</ref>
:"The so-called 'Oxford comma' is an optional comma that follows the penultimate item in a list of three or more items and precedes the word 'and' … The general rule is that it should be used consistently or not at all … However, the Oxford comma can help to avoid ambiguity, ... and it is sometimes helpful to the reader to use an isolated serial comma for clarification, even when the convention has not been adopted in the rest of the text."
;''[[New Hart's Rules]]'', 2014<ref>{{cite book|title=New Hart's Rules: The Oxford Style Guide|date=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-164914-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l2pQBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT94}}</ref>
:"The general rule is that one style or the other should be used consistently. However, the last comma can serve to resolve ambiguity, particularly when any of the items are compound terms joined by a conjunction, and it is sometimes helpful to the reader to use an isolated serial comma for clarification even when the convention has not been adopted in the rest of the text."

===Australian style guides opposing typical use===
;The [[Australian Government Publishing Service]]'s ''Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.australia.gov.au/about-government/publications/style-manual|title=Style manual - australia.gov.au|first=Digital Transformation|last=Agency|access-date=January 22, 2016|archive-date=March 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312120942/http://www.australia.gov.au/about-government/publications/style-manual|url-status=live}}</ref>
:"A comma is used before ''and'', ''or'', or ''etc.'' in a list when its omission might either give rise to ambiguity or cause the last word or phrase to be construed with a preposition in the preceding phrase. … Generally, however, a comma is not used before ''and'', ''or'' or ''etc.'' in a list."

===Canadian style guides opposing typical use===
;Public Works and Government Services Canada Translation Bureau's ''The Canadian Style: A Guide to Writing and Editing''<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/canadianstylegui0000unse|title=The Canadian style : a guide to writing and editing.|date=1997|publisher=Published by Dundurn Press in co-operation with Public Works and Government Services Canada, Translation Bureau, Canada. [[Translation Bureau]].|isbn=978-1-55002-276-6|edition=Rev and expanded|location=Toronto [Ont.]|oclc=244771093}}</ref>
:"Items in a series may be separated by commas:
:Complacency, urbanity, sentimentality, whimsicality
:They may also be linked by coordinating conjunctions such as ''and'' or ''or:''
:economists, sociologists or political scientists
:the good, the bad and the ugly
:Opinions differ on whether and when a comma should be inserted before the final ''and'' or ''or'' in a sequence. In keeping with the general trend toward less punctuation, the final comma is best omitted where clarity permits, unless there is a need to emphasize the last element in a series."