To the darling slaves of psycho-babble .

[Jabbly]

interestingly in primary school, the only place where grammar seems to matter these days, i was taught to NEVER use a comma before 'and'. i always feel rebellious if i write 'red, white, and blue' and it always looks wrong to me...

[Rock Steady]

Originally Posted by Jabbly

interestingly in primary school, the only place where grammar seems to matter these days, i was taught to NEVER use a comma before 'and'. i always feel rebellious if i write 'red, white, and blue' and it always looks wrong to me...

Yes, it looks wrong to me too. But, if Associated Press writes it that way, that becomes the standard.

I think it is really stupid. But, I do not stand in the way of a 100 year old company that writes 80% of the nation's news. That would be foolish.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Rock Steady

But, if Associated Press writes it that way, that becomes the standard.

Punctuation is, and has always been, a printer's convention.

[bbro]

Originally Posted by Jabbly

interestingly in primary school, the only place where grammar seems to matter these days, i was taught to NEVER use a comma before 'and'. i always feel rebellious if i write 'red, white, and blue' and it always looks wrong to me...

I was taught the opposite. I always had to put the comma in the list. It was never optional for me. The only way there wasn't a comma is if there were only two items in the list. I am so used to the comma before the "and" that I don't think I would do it any other way.

[Maui Nick]

Originally Posted by Buddug

Hello

I have decided to write a general message , as many of my answers dovetail into this one .

It would be unreasonable of me to expect you to read everything written by Shakespeare . It is totally reasonable of me to ask you to read Don Quijote de La Mancha however ( 1605 for the first part , 1615 for the second part ). The English translation is easily available , and for the true ignoramii , do not forget that the author is Cervantes . This book will help you to explore the idea of madness and sanity . There is no better book on the subject . And you are not told what to think . You are free to think .

Read great literature instead of immersing yourself in the self-indulgent psycho-babble peddled by quacks .

And never forget that there will never be any answers , ever .

It is totally reasonable of me to ask you to learn to use punctuation properly, rather than put an extraneous space in front of each period and comma. It is also totally reasonable of me to ask you to take your "required reading directive" and naff off.

I read what I choose to read. Of late, that has included several of David Weber's novels, Game Of Shadows and a biography of Teddy Roosevelt.

(The plural of ignoramus is political party. Good "entrail" pun. And Jabbly is right: Don't put a comma before "and" in a list.)

[Flint]

The Oxford Comma is completely debatable. Some use it, some don't.

[Shawnee123]

Source: U of NC.edu

5. X,Y, and Z
Put commas between items in a list. When giving a short and simple list of things in a sentence, the last comma (right before the conjunction–usually and or or) is optional, but it is never wrong. If the items in the list are longer and more complicated, you should always place a final comma before the conjunction.

EITHER: You can buy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in Los Angeles.
OR: You can buy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in Los Angeles.

BUT ALWAYS: A good student listens to his teachers without yawning, reads once in a while, and writes papers before they are due.
So, as stated, commas are optional in a list and it is correct to do either (of course depending on source.) I just think it makes more sense: Verbally "You can buy life...libertyandthepursuitofhappiness in Los Angeles." Why set libertyandthepursuitofhappiness apart from life as if it is a single entity?

Just my humble op!