Writing Tips: Serial Comma Conundrum

When should you use a comma when listing nouns or verbs?

Recently at Giftsin24.com, a bunch of us were talking about whether or not to use the comma before the “and” when you write a sentence that includes a series of nouns or verbs. That’s called a “serial comma.”

For example, do you write “Melanie, Anthony and Esther went to the store.”?

Or “Melanie, Anthony, and Esther went to the store.”?

When it comes down to it, it’s a matter of style. There are many style manuals out there, but the two most used in publishing are the AP Manual of Style (used in journalism and newspapers) and The Chicago Manual of Style (used in book publishing).

Leave serial comma out unless there’s confusion

The AP Manual of Style does not recommend routinely using the extra comma before the “and.”

Exceptions where you might use it are in situations where the meaning would be confusing, such as this:

“Last week I cooked my favorite recipes: pepperoni pizza, orange chicken and wild rice and seared steak.”

Is the rice part of the chicken dish or the steak dish? Hmmm. In this case the writer should help readers out by using a comma before the “and.”

Keep things simply by being consistent

Because we live in an imperfect world, The Chicago Manual of Style encourages the consistent use of the comma before the “and.” You don’t have to think about it; simply always use it and there will never be confusion.

So there you have it: serial commas made easy. Pick your style and stick with it. You’ll never go wrong!