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Slowloris Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Meaning of "," & ", and"

Hello everyone,

I'd like to know the writing style when I write multiple things at a time.

What's a difference between following sentence?

A: I like apple, banana and strawberry.

B: I lke apple, banana, and strawverry.

I learned the style of A at school, but I often see B style's sentence.

Thanks,

slowloris
  

Top answer

Style "B" is referred to as a serial comma, Oxford comma, or Harvard comma. Either is correct, depending on which manual of style you follow. I prefer "B" myself, partly because it avoids possible ambiguity in certain sentences.

— Falconer

  • Style "B" is referred to as a serial comma, Oxford comma, or Harvard comma.
  • Either is correct, depending on which manual of style you follow.
  • I prefer "B" myself, partly because it avoids possible ambiguity in certain sentences.
  • " Is this a list or is "Britney Spears and ***" a non-restrictive clause?
  • While it's unlikely that this would be misinterpreted, it serves as a good example of why some people like the serial comma.
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2 Answers
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Style "B" is referred to as a serial comma, Oxford comma, or Harvard comma. Either is correct, depending on which manual of style you follow. I prefer "B" myself, partly because it avoids possible ambiguity in certain sentences. Consider the following sentence:

"It is a matter between my parents, Britney Spears and ***."

Is this a list or is "Britney Spears and ***" a non-restri
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Thank you very much for your quick response, Falconer.

I've never thought about ambiguity such as your sample sentence.
Your comments are really helpful for me!!

Thanks again.

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