Tuesday Tips: Commas!
photo credit: Lee Carson
What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers. ~Logan Pearsall Smith, “All Trivia,” Afterthoughts, 1931
Now that we’ve mastered the wily apostrophe, let’s move on to the accomodating comma…
First, remember the example from my introductory post?
Woman without her man is nothing.
This is one of the best examples of the power of the comma… Think of the ups and downs of any male-female relationship — then let a “slip” of a comma do the talking…!
Our series on commas will proceed as follows:
- This week: lists!
- Next week: joining clauses
- Wrap-up week
So, on to lists…
The rule is to use commas when dividing items in a list if the word “and” could replace the comma:
- I love grapes, oranges, peaches, and pineapple = I love grapes (and) oranges (and) peaches and pineapple.
Simple, right? Pretty much… except for a controversial little thing called the “Oxford comma” (which appears — or disappears — before the word “and” at the end).
- I love grapes, oranges, peaches (,) and pineapple.
In England, most omit the Oxford comma; however, in the U.S. we tend to leave it in. Who’s correct? Really, either way is fine, but there are times when leaving it out could lead to confusion (especially if there are other ands in the story, for example: I went to Patina, Bibelot (,) and Ben and Jerry’s.) Otherwise, you are welcome to do what you will with the Oxford comma!
One more rule regarding lists of adjectives:
When listing a few adjectives in a row, use a comma if the word “and” would make sense:
- My shirt is green, blue, and red = My shirt is green and blue and red.
And leave out the comma if the word “and” would not make sense:
- I enjoy French red wines better than German white wines = I enjoy French and red wines better than German and white wines.
Notice how the commas make sense in the first example, but not in the second.
That’s all for this week! More commas coming your way next Tuesday…
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