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02/12/01: Comma before "and"
One of the questions we are asked frequently is whether a comma should go before the conjunction "and" in a series of three or more items. The answer is yes. Although grammar gurus abandoned that comma rule for a while in the twentieth century, we have since realized that using the serial comma (as it is called) is a good idea for two reasons:
First, it prevents misreading. Consider this sentence, for example:
The menu for the class picnic will feature green beans, stewed apples, macaroni and cheese and okra and tomatoes.
Without the serial comma, the series items are difficult to see. Here is the same sentence with the serial comma added:
The menu for the class picnic will feature green beans, stewed apples, macaroni and cheese, and okra and tomatoes.
With the serial comma, the reader can tell easily that the class ate four different dishes, not five or six, as may have been construed without that last comma.
The Texas Law Review Manual on Usage and Style, considered highly authoritative in legal circles, insists on the use of serial commas, as do a number of other reputable style manuals. The Lawyer’s Book of Rules for Effective Legal Writing, by Thomas R. Haggard, says "The serial comma is essential in legal writing because it promotes clarity" (17). Consider this sentence:
Mrs. Jones left all her money to her three children: Huey, Dewey and Louie.
Without the serial comma, the sentence does not clearly indicate that the three children are to be given equal shares of the inheritance. Quite possibly (especially if Huey were a jerk), Huey would get half the money, and Dewey and Louie would have to split the other half. Here’s another example:
Mrs. Jones left her money to Sally and Fred Smith, Margaret and John Williams, Betty and Harold Spivey and their children.
Without the serial comma, the sentence could be interpreted to mean that only Betty and Harold Spivey’s children would receive a share of the inheritance. With the comma, the sentence would clearly communicate that the children of all three couples were to receive a share:
Mrs. Jones left her money to Sally and Fred Smith, Margaret and John Williams, Betty and Harold Spivey, and their children.
Many times the comma may seem unnecessary because the writer may believe there is no room for confusion in the sentence. If we were to write, for example, “The table was covered with food, gifts and flowers,” the meaning would be quite clear without the serial comma. But as writers, we are usually poor judges of our own writing and may be ill suited to judge its clarity, so play it safe and use the serial comma every time.
Keep in mind, of course, that a comma is incorrect when the word “and” joins only two equal, or coordinate, elements in a sentence (e.g., two subjects of the same verb, two verbs that have the same subject, two direct objects of the same verb, two objects of the same preposition, two paired phrases), as in these examples:
Mrs. Jones left her money to Sally and Fred.
We were entertained by the musicians’ performance and by the conductor’s enthusiasm.
Everyone admired Jeff for his honesty and his sense of humor.
TEST YOURSELF: Which sentences need the serial comma?
1. Each applicant was asked to list his or her name, address, sex and roommate preferences.
2. Over the course of the year Sarah made a variety of sandwiches for the children: roast beef, peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese and cream cheese and pineapple.
3. The boys loved to climb to the top of the tree on their lot and peer down on their neighbor’s yard.
4. On vacation we enjoy lazy mornings on the porch with our coffee and the newspaper and active afternoons of tennis and long walks on the beach.
Check your answers in next week’s tip.
ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S TEST ON “WHO,” “WHOM,” “WHOEVER,” AND “WHOMEVER”:
The Questions:
1. She was asked to keep track of _______ came in late to work each day.
2. ________ should I say is calling?
3. _________ finishes the project first can leave work early.
4. _________ she selects as project manager will have to work many long nights.
5. We are pleased with the person _______ she has chosen to be the office manager.The answers:
1. whoever [he came in late to work each day]
2. who [he is calling]
3. Whoever [he finishes the project first]
4. Whomever [she selects him as project manager]
5.whom [she has chosen him to be the office manager]
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