"and" or "or" should be in a list-like structure?

Question

Hi. Please help. Does any series of words (items) that are part of a sentence need to have the conjunction "and" or "or" before the last word (item)? I think I sometimes see cases where the conjunction "and" or "or" is needed, in my judgment, but isn't used. Seeing those cases I mentioned previously makes me wonder whether using the conjunctions "and" or "or" in those types of cases is discretionary to the writer or perhaps optional. Is my thinking off the target? As for example sentence 2, I think it isn't discretionary to the writer nor optional, but the conjunction "or" is needed. (I hope I wrote correctly to reflect what I wanted to say - not sure, though) Please help.

eg,

1. Discuss roles and assign tasks such as cleaning the room, setting up for the occasion, sending invitations, (and?) making a list of potential attendees.

2. Discuss roles and assign each person (student) a task such as cleaning the room, setting up for the occasion, sending invitations, or making a list of potential attendees.

3. His home is quite near, about two miles from downtown, near the exit ramp of highway XX, (and?) a few blocks from XXX High School. (For this, let's assume the letters "XX" represent the number of a certain highway and the letters "XXX" represent the name of a certain high school.)

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

'And' or 'or' is normally required in careful writing.  Your examples #1 and #2 are instructions, which are often grammatically abbreviated.  #3 sounds informal.

Canderson · Answer

When you use or, it allows those being instructed to divy up or choose one of those options. By saying and, all of those options must be satisfied.

For example in number one, it is imperative that all of the following tasks/rolls are covered and assigned to some group of the class: cleaning the room, setting up for the occasion, as well as (AND) making a list of potential attendees. If it weren't assigned so, then it is possible that setting up for the occasion would be overlooked and not done. That sentence would look like:

Discuss roles and assign tasks such as cleaning the room, setting up for the occasion, sending invitations, or making a list of potential attendees.

In this case there is no guarantee that all of the mentioned tasks will be done. And with the assign tasks such as part it could indicate additional domestic-type tasks being discussed and assigned, such as cleaning the toilets or emptying the trash!

In sentence 2 I understand it as each student will be assinged a roll such as either cleaning the room, or setting up for the occasion, or sending invitations, or making a list of potential attendees. No student will be asked to do more than one such task.

-Chris

"and" or "or" should be in a list-like structure?

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