7
votes
Accepted
Oxford comma with nonessential phrases
Yes. You are applying two distinct comma guidelines consistently:
The commas around a nonessential element. (Purdue OWL has some examples.)
Commas (including the serial comma) separating items in a ...
- 41.7k
5
votes
Can I use a comma before an ampersand?
Ampersands with company names and abbreviations
There is a famous retail shop in the UK called "Marks & Spencer" or simply "M&S" it is never separated by a comma, the ...
- 92.9k
5
votes
Is there an "Oxford semicolon"?
The Chicago Manual of Style, sixteenth edition (2010) discusses serial semicolons in two places—at 6.19, within a section headed "Series and the Serial Comma":
6.19 Using semicolons instead ...
- 169k
5
votes
Accepted
Why does President Trump add a second comma in this sentence to Kim Jong Un?
The letter combines two independent clauses, the second of which begins with an adverb:
Ultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters.
The comma before the and is the standard comma before a ...
- 28.2k
5
votes
Accepted
Can I use a comma before an ampersand?
By way of supplementing Mari-Lou A's answer, I note that Chicago Manual of Style is by no means alone in asserting that there should be no comma before an ampersand when one appears before the last ...
- 169k
4
votes
Accepted
Is Microsoft Word's usage of commas correct?
Commas serve to spit sentences up, and tell the reader "you should parse this according to a wider context than you would without the comma". That is, "X Y, and Z" gives the impression that it's "(X Y)...
- 5,025
4
votes
Accepted
Omitting a comma before "aka" and then using a serial comma in the end of a series
In your first example, "aka Big Nose" is a parenthetical insertion: the sentence functions perfectly well without that additional information. As such, it would normally be set off from its ...
- 103k
3
votes
Accepted
Is it acceptable to state conditions one after the other separated by commas but not have "and" or "or" in the end?
First of all, what you have done is create a comma splice. In other words, you are using commas between independent clauses.
Most of the time, this is considered to be an error (unless a coordinating ...
- 38.3k
3
votes
using comma within the appositive
Yes, it's correct.
However, some people could think it was confusing. Stylistically, you can always use different punctuation to indicate the appositive if the commas concern you:
The factory ...
- 38.3k
3
votes
Accepted
Can linking verbs and action verbs be together as elements of the same list?
Though I believe this is grammatically correct, an easy fix for an example like this to improve the "sound" is to change the sentence to:
Laura is a sexy lady who smells heavenly, dances salsa ...
- 209
3
votes
Is there a proper/better way to write a serial comma separated list of dates? It feels like I shouldn't be mixing date commas with the serial commas
The commas that normally separate items in a list are customarily all replaced with semicolons if one or more of the list items is expressed with at least one comma within itself. See MLA’s page on ...
- 16.3k
3
votes
Using a comma to format a list of independent clauses
An answer with a reference:
Observe that you can connect three or more complete sentences with
listing commas, as in the Lisa/Juliet example [1] below. Note the
difference here:
[1] Lisa speaks ...
- 87.2k
2
votes
What punctuation should I use?
Because this is ambiguous in writing — albeit not in speech due to intonation:
?Hester needs to be more grateful and focus on her baby, Pearl, and her sewing.
You should therefore resolve your ...
- 137k
2
votes
Accepted
What's the best way to solve this run on sentence (lots of "and"s)?
What you've written is correct. "Camera assignments, camera settings and DVR settings" are objects of "Create, edit and delete."
You need the qualification on settings because you have both camera ...
- 883
2
votes
Is there an "Oxford semicolon"?
I'm not sure if it's a case of British vs American as University of Leicester give these examples, all with ; and :
The speakers were: Dr Sally Meadows, Biology; Dr Fred Eliot, Animal Welfare; Ms ...
- 21
2
votes
Commas surrounding a name
The commas indicate an appositive: an elucidation: “James, the baker”, as opposed to an exonym. See also epergesis: Interposing an apposition, often in order to clarify what has just been stated. "I ...
- 1,543
2
votes
Should I put a comma before the last item in a list?
We use commas to separate items in a series or list. In British English, a comma is not usually used with and between the last
two items unless these are long.
I went to Spain, Italy, ...
- 8,523
2
votes
Accepted
Usage of Oxford comma in particular case
The Oxford comma is an option. It is said to be helpful in situations where ambiguity is possible, e.g.
I love my parents, Donald Trump and Deputy Dawg.
An unworldly reader (or a Martian, or an AI) ...
- 12.1k
2
votes
What do missing an Oxford comma and having it mean respectively here?
"The highlights of his waning administration include encounters with Rudy Giuliani, a healthcare disaster and a dildo collector."
This sentence is meant to list certain "highlights"...
- 21
2
votes
Can I use a comma before an ampersand?
Whereas the ampersand is just a short denotation of the conjunction and, the obvious answer is to punctuate it as one would normally punctuate and. One interesting usage of the ampersand is to glue, ...
- 385
2
votes
Using a comma to format a list of independent clauses
No, this is not comma splice. Comma splice is when you use a comma to join two independent clauses, like "CEOs are overpaid, they make too much." A common way to fix it is to turn the comma ...
- 6,360
1
vote
Should there be a semicolon after the third name and title?
I support this use of semicolons internally within the list, but think you do not need one after the third name, i.e., separating the list from the rest of the sentence. There, I think, a normal ...
- 196
1
vote
Accepted
Coordinating conjunction for connecting list items
Short Answer
You are getting into trouble with comprehension because you are combining two of the nouns.
Without taking any shortcuts that could lead to confusion, the following will always be ...
- 38.3k
1
vote
Serial comma before "and should be approved" or is it a compound predicate that does not require a comma?
Generally, we don't include a comma before the and if we're combining two parts of a single clause. For example, you wouldn't use a comma in a sentence like (a) "I like bread and butter" or (b) "I ...
1
vote
How to punctuate an adverb that immediately proceeds from a serial comma?
TL;DR
My short answer? Punctuate your sentence in one of the following two ways:
"The contents of your bag will include cheese, crackers and, optionally, vegetable stock."
"The ...
- 641
1
vote
Oxford comma with nonessential phrases
This isn't a situation that there are any prescribed rules for to my knowledge. You'll have to make a decision and apply it consistently. My opinion on the matter is that you should ignore the commas ...
- 189
1
vote
Accepted
Is the solution of the Maine Legislature to the Oxford Comma Case.....clunky?
I suppose I'll weigh in as an attorney. My guess is that the Maine legislature wanted to be unambiguous without having to address the issue of Oxford commas. Clunky or not, they've solved the problem ...
- 294
1
vote
Serial comma causing ambiguity
It is just a question of the 'Oxford comma', and whether or not to add the last comma at the end of a list of items (before the 'and') is simply a matter of style.
Reference:
https://en.wikipedia....
- 7,392
1
vote
Is there an "Oxford semicolon"?
The use of a semi-colon in lists is quite common - when phrases are being listed, rather than words - and the 'Oxford comma' is applied :
H.G.Wells The Time Machine 1895 :
“Presently, as I went ...
- 24.9k
1
vote
Accepted
How can I divide this sentence?
No slashes, pretty much ever outside of mathematical and scientific applications, and some exceptions like the Bush/Cheney administration.
Your commas aren't the problem; you're having some ESL issues....
- 7,184
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible