JS Tip 510: Using Commas, Part I

Our friend Chris Jackson has asked that we talk about commas.

We can do that.

We’ll do this in a series. Each week, for the next few weeks, we’re review a different principle about commas. 

No other punctuation mark is as misunderstood as the lowly comma. 

Principle One: Place a comma after each element and before the connecting word in a series of three or more elements: 

      The best of all the Stooges were Larry, Moe, and Curly. 

Look closely. Notice the comma after “Moe” and before “and.” 

It’s important. It has a name. 

It’s called “The Harvard Comma.” It’s also called “The Oxford Comma.” 

That’s because the Harvard University Press and The University of Oxford Press say “Use it.” The Chicago Manual of Style says “Use it.”   

It will never hurt you. It will help you. It’s necessary to avoid confusion:

We saw a man in a turban, a boy eating a sandwich, and a parrot. 

      not

We saw a man in a turban, a boy eating a sandwich and a parrot. 

Whoa! Green feathers floating around the kid’s mouth. 

The comma before the connecting word will keep you from looking silly.

As always, we love this stuff. What are your questions?